Q. While working in my air-conditioned basement, I noticed I had worked up a pretty good sweat. Then I thought that I also sweat when I`m in a hot place but not working. That means it isn`t the work that makes you sweat. Can you tell me what does?
A. The body, quite literally, is a heat-producing organism. The heat is generated as the result of the body`s metabolism, as it burns the calories contained in the nutrients we eat. While this energy is needed by our muscles as we work, it`s also required for such activities as digestion, manufacturing hormones and enzymes, as well as the muscles that control breathing and keep the heart pumping.
However, the body works best when the internal body temperature remains about 98.8 degrees Fahrenheit. There is a mechanism within the brain that monitors the temperature of the body, and it works a bit like a thermostat.
When the internal temperature begins to rise, the blood flow is directed toward the surface of the skin, where the excess heat can be cast off into the surrounding air. That works well when the air temperature is lower than the body temperature. However, when the air is warmer than the skin, another mechanism is used. We begin to sweat and the moisture that covers our skin`s surface evaporates, an excellent method for getting rid of the heat.
So sweating is merely a heat-loss mechanism that is employed by the body whenever it needs to reduce its internal temperature, whether that has been caused by work, a fever provoked by an illness or merely absorbing too much heat from the sun.
You might also be interested in the method the body uses when it is too cold-it`s shivering. Shivering results from rapid muscle contractions. That muscular action produces heat, as if from exercise, and that helps to restore the body`s temperature to normal.
Q. Our youngster recently went through a bad siege, with high temperature and a serious infection. During one examination, the doctor took a swab and ran it through the back of our son`s throat. When he handed it to the nurse he asked her to get a ”seeness” test. I have since wondered what that meant. Can you tell me something about the purpose of this test and how it works?
A. I must admit I was confused too, until I put things into perspective and kept repeating your name for the test over and over. It finally became clear that you were referring to a bacterial test called a ”C and S,” which is an abbreviation for ”Culture and Sensitivity.”
This test was used to determine the identity of the germ that was infecting your son and to establish the most effective antibiotic to fight the infection. The swab is smeared on a material, usually agar, that permits the germs to grow rapidly (culture). Then they can be placed on a glass slide, stained and viewed under a microscope to identify them.
The agar plate also contains as many as a dozen samples of various antibiotics, carefully arranged around the circumference. When a clear space is observed around an antibiotic sample, it shows that the bacteria cannot grow there, which demonstrates that this antibiotic is useful in fighting the infection (sensitivity).
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Dr. Allan Bruckheim welcomes questions from readers. Although he cannot respond to each one individually, he will answer those of general interest in his column. Write to Dr. Bruckheim in care of the Chicago Tribune, Room 400, 435 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago, Ill. 60611.
