Sweaty cheeks when eating cheese

[trickrick]

When I eat cheese or chicken, my cheeks sweat uncontrollably. I have to wipe my face afterwards. It doesn't sweat to the point of dripping but forms sweat beads on my cheeks under my eyes.

 

I've made a bit of research and it seems that both these foods contain very high amounts of Tryptophan. In what way can this amino-acid INSTANTLY affect my cheeks?

[Endy0816]

Diabetes related maybe.

 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1589896/

 

Check with your doctor.

Edited March 23, 2017 by Endy0816

[DrP]

If I am very hungry and have not had cheese for a while I can get a full facial tingling after eating some strong cheddar cheese, most prominent in the cheeks (no sweats though - nothing that severe). I also get a pain (not harsh... but almost a nice pain) in my jaw if I sip some wine with it. I have had this jaw pain (very occasionally) if I drink Guiness also.

 

Qustion for trickrick: - do you also get this strange tingling pain in your jaw joints when you have a drink of Guiness or strong red wine? It only happens rarely with me, but it is a real thing. I wonder if it is connected to the cheese thing.

Edited March 23, 2017 by DrP

[Phi for All]

If I am very hungry and have not had cheese for a while I can get a full facial tingling after eating some strong cheddar cheese, most prominent in the cheeks (no sweats though - nothing that severe). I also get a pain (not harsh... but almost a nice pain) in my jaw if I sip some wine with it. I have had this jaw pain (very occasionally) if I drink Guiness also.

 

Qustion for trickrick: - do you also get this strange tingling pain in your jaw joints when you have a drink of Guiness or strong red wine? It only happens rarely with me, but it is a real thing. I wonder if it is connected to the cheese thing.

 

I'm pretty sure the pain you're feeling is your salivary glands suddenly increasing the flow in reaction to certain combos of foods. I've had this before and looked it up. I don't know if this is associated with the mild sweats from eating cheese.

[DrP]

Thanks Phi - it is pretty specific to drinking Guiness and very, very rarely with red wine.... and maybe just the once with cheese.. I do get the 'cheek glow' with cheese though. I was wondering if it was a milder form of this sweating.

 

I am wondering why my glands would go into overdrive for Guiness.... lol. It is quite irony I suppose.

 

Phi - does it happen just with certain foods for you?

[Phi for All]

I am wondering why my glands would go into overdrive for Guiness.... lol. It is quite irony I suppose.

 

Phi - does it happen just with certain foods for you?

 

It's the combo of Guiness and cheese maybe, or wine and cheese. Something about the savory and tart together perhaps overloads sensors activating saliva at a painful rate. I've always associated it with something tart after acclimating the palate to a different type of taste. I can't say for sure, but it does seem to happen more often when I'm sipping a drink together with a mouthful of food. Could it be an overdrive reaction because you're signalling that your mouth is too dry by sipping? I can see an evolutionary advantage if it prevents you from choking on a mouthful of dry food.

 

As for the cheese and sweaty cheeks, Tyramine might be a suspect:

A large dietary intake of tyramine (or a dietary intake of tyramine while taking MAO inhibitors) can cause the tyramine pressor response, which is defined as an increase in [/size]systolic blood pressure of 30 [/size]mmHg or more. [/size]

It's in most cheeses except the softest, like cottage and cream cheeses. But still, that doesn't explain the chicken.*

 

 

 

 

 

* My Staff Challenge this week was to successfully use the phrase, "But still, that doesn't explain the chicken" in a coherent post. I'd like to thank trickrick for this marvelous opportunity.

[DrP]

Ok thanks. I think it must be the extreme bitterness of Guiness. Maybe it tricks the taste buds. My mouth is salivating right now in thinking about it. lol. Maybe I'll get myself a can of it later tonight for research purposes! ;-)

[StringJunky]

A casual search found this:

 

 

When starting to eat or sometimes even thinking about eating (e.g. thinking of biting a lemon) these glands produce saliva to make digesting food easier,” said Dr. Richard Pladdet. “Some people feel the glands at that point produce saliva.”

This is often described as a tingling and sometimes slightly painful sensation, but it’s typically nothing to worry about. You’re simply experiencing a bit of sensory overload, and your salivary glands are trying to quickly produce enough saliva to help you digest the food you’re chewing.

However, if what you’re experiencing is very painful, or if you notice swelling or inflammation in the areas where salivary glands are located, you should see a doctor. Sometimes your glands can become blocked or infected, or there could be another disorder causing the pain, such as Frey’s Syndrome, a rare disorder that includes facial flushing and even sweating while eating. http://www.mnn.com/food/healthy-eating/stories/why-does-my-jaw-tingle-when-I-eat-certain-foods