Hematohidrosis: The Phenomenon of Bloody Sweat

The medical term for the excretion of blood or blood pigment through the sweat glands is hematohidrosis; it can also be called hematidrosis, hemidrosis, and even hemathidrosis. "Cutaneous hemorrhage" is another term used to refer to the phenomenon of bloody sweat. The word "cutaneous" refers to the skin and "hemorrhage" means bleeding; thus, cutaneous hemorrhage is bleeding from the skin.

The Physical Causes of Hematidrosis

There is a tight network of small blood vessels around sweat glands. If these blood vessels rupture or break open, blood, along with sweat, can exit the pores and appear as bloody sweat. This condition is extremely rare; however, it is far from being a myth. What would cause the rupture of the network of blood vessels around sweat glands? Hematohidrosis is almost always associated with the suffering of extremely high levels of stress. We're not speaking of the daily stress of work, not even of the job of police officer, emergency medical technician, paramedic, or firefighter. We're not referring to the stress of college, financial problems or health problems. Hematohidrosis has been reported in people who endured stress levels that soared so high that physical signs appeared--signs that reflected what actually took place in the body.

What might cause a person to be stressed out to that point? The knowledge that his or her death is imminent and the knowledge that that death will or very well might be a slow and tortuous one. It's recorded that Leonardo da Vinci described a soldier who was wet with bloody sweat shortly before having to go into battle. Not only does going to war equal facing death, particularly if that war is on the "front line," it can also mean facing horrors if captured by the enemy. Only that soldier knows what he was facing.

Did Jesus Sweat Drops of Blood?

Most medical doctors and other health care providers, particularly those who are Christian, who have considered the physical sufferings and crucifixion of Jesus from a medical point of view believe that Jesus did sweat drops of blood. However, others understandably disagree; they point out that the scripture referenced for this question is ambiguous. The question of whether Jesus experienced hematohidrosis is important because it would serve as another historical reference to the reality of this rare medical condition. Our historical record reads, "And being in an agony he (Jesus) prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground" (KJV, Luke 22:44).

"The words "as it were great drops of blood" cast doubt in the mind of some who interpret the record to be in reference to how profuse Jesus' perspiration must have been, not in reference to the presence of hematohidrosis. This is a valid point. Nevertheless, one gentleman reminded that there are many biblical scriptures that speak of what something looks like. For example, St. John 1:32 reads, "And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him (Jesus)." John said that he saw the Spirit "like" a dove, not that he saw a dove. Nevertheless, what he saw was the actual appearance of something (the Spirit) that was in the image of a dove.

The words "as it were great drops of blood" used to describe how Jesus sweat that night could be construed into a description of how profuse he sweated or they can be taken to mean that he experienced bloody sweat. However, neither in ancient times nor in our modern day do we hear people speak about perspiration that is only profuse using the words, "as it were great drops of blood." Knowing that hematohidrosis is a real medical condition that actually leads to a person having bloody sweat, "as it were great drops of blood" in reference to Jesus' sweat no longer sounds impossible. Scriptures speak of Jesus being in agony; they reveal that he was well aware that he was facing death by torture. All of the ingredients for hematohidrosis are before our eyes when considering from a medical point of view.

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