I like blue cheese. I like it a lot!
But when I eat it, it makes me sweat under the eyes.
Actually most strong cheese has the same effect on me.
When I mention this to people, 90% say this is impossible and accuse me of not knowing my own bodily functions.
But 10% say it also happens to them.
So…. does strong cheese make you sweat under the eyes?
26 responses so far ↓
paperdreamer // April 1, 2008 at 4:14 pm |
I think it is bleu cheese haha
But blue cheese might definitely make you sweat under the eyes.
Pod // January 10, 2009 at 10:38 pm |
I just mentioned that I was having a “cheese sweat” to my girlfriend, assuming it happens to everybody and she’d never heard of it so I looked it up on Google…
planetross // January 11, 2009 at 1:47 am |
Pod: I can’t believe I am one of the top 10 entries that come up under “Cheese Sweat” on Google!
This is a very special day for me.
note: Strong cheese still makes me sweat; you are not alone.
r mason // February 23, 2009 at 10:11 pm |
This has happened to me for years much to the ammusment of my friend. Have any fellow cheese sweaters found and answer to why this happens yet?
planetross // February 24, 2009 at 3:06 am |
r mason: here’s a link to a probable answer:
http://www.thenakedscientists.com/HTML/content/questions/question/1483/
bpx // March 25, 2009 at 7:07 pm |
This happens to me also. When I eat cheese I almost instantly sweat each side of my nose below my eyes. Done some googling, and now I am worried about Diabetes….
bpx: It’s a natural reaction … for some. If you are worried about Diabetes, go get tested and put your mind at ease.
Andy // June 7, 2009 at 8:10 pm |
I can’t believe i found this, i was just watching the apprentice on bbciplayer eating some cheddar and noticed the skin underneath my eyes sweating….how weird is that? hello fellow cheese sweaters haha
planetross // June 9, 2009 at 12:13 am |
Andy: you are not alone. There should be a club we can join … with cheese … and face towels.
Thanks for stopping by.
Daniel Dudek // June 10, 2009 at 4:38 pm |
Well I am at work, and the guy across from me is eating a Greek chicken wrap with Feta Cheese. I get these sweats on the sides of my nose and under my eyes a lot lately when I just think about eating certain foods. I don’t even necessarily have to be eating them for the reaction to occur. I haven’t found anyone commenting on this happening. This usually always used to happen when I ate Pizza or spicy foods.. but lately the thought of a lot of different foods is inducing this reaction. I’m not quite sure what my problem is. I went to Moe’s Southwestern grill, and just thinking about the taco i was about to eat made me start sweating under my eyes and on both sides of my nose. Now my co-workers greek chicken wrap is in causing this same reaction.
planetross // June 11, 2009 at 1:19 am |
Daniel Dudek: I don’t know what would cause the sweating while just thinking about food, but it probably isn’t something you should worry about.
Go to a doctor if you’re really concerned.
Pizza places and Moe’s Southwestern grill are chain restaurants: maybe you are suffering a “chain reaction“. hee hee!
Dave // July 24, 2009 at 11:03 am |
Don’t worry about Diabetes too much. Cheese has done this to me for years and years. It’s not uncommon. But it’s true – most people think you’re making it up. So I eat some cheese and make them watch – ha ha. We finished soon after that. Don’t know why
Sarah // August 10, 2009 at 7:18 pm |
Ok, this happens to me too. I’ve been doing some research…. how many people here have light eyes and or light skin or freckles and how many of you turn easily red in like gym class? Also, how many of you sneeze in the sun?
planetross // August 12, 2009 at 4:14 pm |
Sarah: I have light eyes, not many freckles and do sneeze occasionally in the sun. I didn’t turn red in gym class and am possibly light skinned compared to dark skinned people. Am I going to live?
razzbuffnik // August 12, 2009 at 7:07 pm |
I’ve got light skin and eyes. I’m also covered in freckles but I don’t sneeze in the sun and cheese doesn’t make me sweat.
But…… just thinking about work, makes me sweat.
R // August 20, 2009 at 6:16 pm |
Tried to explain this was happening to my husband and he thought I was mad! So thanks for these posts! I feel normal (?!) again!
Steve Cash // October 5, 2009 at 1:09 am |
Holy crap! I’m not alone! Ha ha!
So, on any given occasion when I’ll be at a fast food joint (Carl’s Jr seems to be a MAJOR culprit!) I’ll have a stack of napkins. Some to wipe the ketchup, ranch and fry sauce off of my face, but mostly to continually wipe away uncomfortable cold sweat that appears below my eye sockets and on the sides of my nose with each bite.
Yea, my friends laugh at me while I wipe my face and forehead over and over while trying to enjoy my greasy double bacon cheeseburger, but I gotsta do what I gotsta do!
This has been going on for my entire life, and no matter how much I eat (and sweat from my face) it hasn’t killed me yet, so I doubt it’s any concern, just kinda ridiculous!
I’ve tried to rule it to only cheese, but it seems like some fried foods (that don’t contain cheese) can pull off the eye socket water works as well. Fry sauce alone does it, but don’t go thinking that dairy alone is the problem either. A crunchy gas station burrito with beans and no cheese can have the same effect.
Anyone else get super uncomfortable? Like the sweat is cold and weird feeling? Almost like your face isn’t so much ’sweating’ as it is ‘greasing’? Ugh, grease pouring out from your sweat glands, there’s a happy thought!
So to answer the other questions, I am a white man, blue eyes, no freckles. I did, however, have a crazy acne problem growing up and into my early twenties. I had nodular (cystic) acne that had to be controlled with accutaine. The drug dried me up so badly that I had to apply eye drops hourly, and chap stick every twenty minutes otherwise my lips would start peeling and turn white. It was a blast! But after 6 months of that wonderful experience my acne disappeared and has not returned yet (minus a few lip pimples from those dreaded deep fried tacos at Jack in The Box).
Who knows what the cause is? I sure don’t, but I know it won’t kill ya!
planetross // October 5, 2009 at 3:10 am |
Thanks for the comments!
I’ve missed replying on a few comments, so from most recent to least:
Steve Cash: that was a lengthy reply! thanks. I’m not the one doing research on this: I’m just a member of the “under the eye sweat club” as well.
I should file this under “I”. hee hee!
R: you are not alone. Did that sound ominous? … I was going for ominous.
razzbuffnik: hey! this area is for “Cheese Sweaters” … but not the kind people put on when it gets cold. hee hee!
Dave: it’s like a party trick or something!
… but probably not as cool as shooting milk out of the eye … or shining a light in one ear and having the beam shine out of the other one!
cheezygrin // October 26, 2009 at 1:45 pm |
I too have had this since a young kid. Only really strong ‘good’ cheese does this to me. A really strong vintage cheddar will make the area under either side of the bridge of my nose break into a ‘pore’ sweat. Weak, ‘rubber’ or processed cheese does not have any affect at all.
My father had exactly the same reaction, also only with certain strong cheeses.
just always assumed I had a good nose for cheese
planetross // October 26, 2009 at 2:30 pm |
cheezygrin: thanks for stopping by.
You are not alone.
I’m quite surprised how many people have left a comment on this over the last year and a half.
Tam // October 30, 2009 at 2:20 pm |
Yes i get this. Whenever I eat cheese or mayonnaise, my nose sweats profusely! I am half asian so it could be something to do with that, although I do not seem to have a lactose intolerance as can eat all other dairy fine.
Pod // November 4, 2009 at 8:57 am |
And there I was thinking I was *even more* wierd. Keep up the replies/comments guys!
Bob Foster // November 7, 2009 at 2:26 pm |
25 year old from Swansea UK, just finished eating a nice piece of proper mature cheddar…yum. Always had that warm/cold :s greasy feeling on the top part of my cheeks, under my eyes, when eating cheese. Glad to know it looks like it’s probably not caused by some devastating illness. I’m just a cheese sweater. Perfectly normal. Apparently. :s
planetross // November 9, 2009 at 12:16 am |
Bob Foster: welcome to the cheese sweater center/centre.
Tam: thanks for stopping by. I haven’t heard about mayonnaise doing that before, but I’m sure it’s perfectly normal.
Pod: I see you are keeping up with this one.
JR // November 14, 2009 at 2:38 am |
As another sufferer, I can confirm that eating cheese with a UK strength rating of 3 or more does exactly the same to me; IE sweat under the eyes and around nose. Extra mature ’smelly sock variety’ makes this occur within 10-20sec of eating said smelly item.
qm // November 15, 2009 at 11:42 am |
This happens me when i eat baked beans.
Bendyminge // November 18, 2009 at 8:29 pm |
Hello fellow cheese sweaters! This has been happening to me forever, but has recently got worse. I have type 1 diabetes (if that matters) and I also get it the worst when I eat strong cheese. I’ve discovered that it’s now happening when I consume anything with strong flavours and wierdly chocolate too. Salt and vinegar crisps, fresh orange juice, curries, the list goes on. On occasions, when the most vintage of cheeses is being eaten, the sweats can spread to my forehead and a little on the back of my neck. I think it’s important to point out that my sweats are not the pouring exercise type, but just more of a clammy layer. God, I’ve just made myself sound like the illest kid in the world!
Sarah – I have dark brown eyes and a shed load of freckles/moles.
Happy sweating folks, I’m off to eat some cheese…..