Table of contents:
- What's the difference between regular sweat and cold sweat?
- What does cold sweat mean?
- Fear, anxiety, and stress
- Aches and pains
- Lack of oxygen
- Low blood pressure
- Low blood sugar
- Heart attack
- Medical shock (in shock)
- Infection
- Immune system disorders
- Drugs
- Relieves cold sweat
When the air around you feels hot or your body temperature increases, for example due to a fever, your body will automatically sweat. However, sometimes sweating can appear even when you are in a cool room. Your body doesn't feel hot either. This phenomenon is known as cold sweats. This condition is quite common, almost everyone has experienced it. However, you have to be careful. If you have a cold sweat accompanied by other symptoms or this often happens, it could be that you have certain diseases that you don't know about. So, consider carefully the following cold sweat.
What's the difference between regular sweat and cold sweat?
Cold sweats occur when the surface of your skin feels cold but moisturized due to sweat production. Unlike the usual sweat that will appear when you feel hot, your body temperature will also increase. Meanwhile, when a cold sweat appears, you actually feel cold. If it is normal to sweat when you are hot, cold sweats are not the body's natural reaction.
What does cold sweat mean?
There are several factors that can trigger cold sweat. These factors can be in the form of psychological conditions such as stress or physical conditions such as illness. Consider the following possibilities.
Fear, anxiety, and stress
When you feel fear, anxiety, panic, or stress, your body perceives it as a threat. In response to a threat, your sweat glands will trigger sweat production even if your body temperature or the air around you doesn't increase. Sweat that appears when you are stressed will be produced by apocrine sweat glands which are different from eccrine glands which are responsible for producing sweat to regulate body temperature.
Aches and pains
If the pain or pain in a certain body part is unbearable, cold sweat is present as a way for the body to defend itself against the threat of pain. This is why people who have headaches, migraines, fractures, or serious injuries will get a cold sweat.
Lack of oxygen
If a person suddenly has difficulty breathing, the supply of oxygen in the blood will decrease. As a result, the brain does not receive sufficient oxygen levels. The brain will then read the situation as a threat and eventually produce a cold sweat. Lack of oxygen can be caused by lung disease, poisoning, or being at high altitudes (altitude sickness).
Low blood pressure
Normal blood pressure is in the range of 120/80 mm Hg. If your blood pressure drops below this level, you will feel dizzy, faint, and develop a cold sweat. Some things that trigger low blood pressure include not drinking enough water, malnutrition, or genetic factors.
Low blood sugar
Low blood sugar levels or hypoglycemia is a condition commonly found in diabetics who use insulin. However, hypoglycemia can also occur if you drink too much alcohol, are malnourished, or eat late. This condition is usually characterized by cold sweat, trembling, blurred vision, pallor, and headaches.
Heart attack
Be careful if you have a history of heart disease. The appearance of a cold sweat can indicate a heart attack if it is accompanied by pain in the chest (angina), pain in the arms, dizziness, and loss of consciousness. This attack can occur if blood can't reach your heart because your blood vessels are blocked. The triggers include lack of sleep, smoking and obesity.
Medical shock (in shock)
Medical shock occurs when blood flow to the brain or other vital organs of the body suddenly decreases or stops. This causes the body to experience shocks. If not treated properly, medical shock can cause death. There are various factors that increase the risk of shock, ranging from allergies, blood poisoning (sepsis), damage to the nervous system, or heart failure. One of the symptoms of medical shock is cold sweats.
Infection
Various infections caused by viruses and bacteria also cause cold sweats. Cold sweat is the body's reaction to fight various types of diseases, from viral and bacterial infections. Diseases caused by viruses such as HIV, tuberculosis, influenza, and hepatitis will show other symptoms besides cold sweats that you need to be aware of such as weakness, muscle aches, and fever.
Immune system disorders
Cold sweats, especially those that usually occur at night when you sleep at normal room temperature, could be a sign of a problem with your immune system or your immune system. People diagnosed with lymphoma, leukemia, and autoimmune diseases generally report excessive cold sweating as the initial symptom.
Drugs
Appearing cold sweat when you take medication is a side effect that quite a lot of patients complain about. Antibiotic drugs, blood pressure, herbal supplements, paracetamol, niacin, and tamoxifen are at risk of causing excessive cold sweats. Immediately notify your doctor if the cold sweat you are experiencing has appeared too often and is very annoying.
Relieves cold sweat
When you get a cold sweat, you must feel uncomfortable. Especially if you are on the move or in a public place. To relieve a cold sweat, try taking a few deep breaths until you feel calmer. Also make sure that you are maintaining a healthy diet with balanced nutrition. If a cold sweat appears accompanied by other symptoms mentioned above, consult a doctor to find out what the root of the problem is and get the best treatment.
