Quadriplegia abnormal body reactions

Quadriplegia is a more devastating condition then paraplegia as it causes paralysis of trunk, chest and fore arm muscles, not present in paraplegia. Further more, quadriplegics face the loss of normal body phenomenon such as sweating, body thermostat, proper blood circulation.

Here, in this first part in our series of quadriplegia abnormal body reactions, we discuss what benefits can a quadriplegic attain from sweating phenomenon only. Rest would be discussed in our future series.

Quadriplegics could use their abnormal body reactions to their advantage in managing their day to day living activities. Understanding what those symptoms indicates to, could save quadriplegics from future in-coming sufferings.

Sweating phenomenon:

Sweating in able-bodied persons radiates out the body heat and gives the sensation of coolness. it limits the maximum temperature a body could reach. Thus, it saves people from developing fever symptoms.

In quadriplegia, on the other hand, sweating occurs not for putting an upper limit cap on body temperature. Instead it occurs for the sole purpose of indicating severe itching, irritation and pain in the paralyzed body parts. Most of time sweating occurs in the fore head and neck region. Amazingly, if there is pain in the center right paralyzed body parts, sweating occurs on the left fore head region. Similarly, pain in the left side brings sweating on the right forehead region.

Whenever I undergo the sweating symptom, I immediately check my paralyzed body parts for painful stimulus. And believe me, every time I sweat, there is a valid reason for it. Most of the time the stimulus is either due to bent foot fingers or nails pinching against the shoe wall, or it is due to hard, sharp or pointed surface below my buttocks, while in a sitting position.

Imagine what could have happened If I did not sweat for the pains I cannot sense directly. I could have developed nasty pressure sores on my different body parts. Do you know what these devastating sores do? . they make you immobile and in severe cases could put you on your death bed !.    Thank god, how this unintuitive sweating function saves me from future in coming sufferings.