Cold sweat is a strange phenomenon. When you sweat, your body is usually trying to cool itself down and regulate your body temperature, but cold sweats have nothing to do with this.
What is Cold Sweat?
Sweating is your body’s natural air conditioning that kicks in when you’re running three miles or baking on the beach, for example. “Cold sweats occur when you perspire, but not for the function of regulating body temperature as in normal sweating,” explains Cory Fisher, a general practitioner at the Cleveland Clinic in America. Cold sweat is exactly what it sounds like: sweating when you’re cold. Cold sweats make you feel cold and wet. “No fever, no increased physical activity, no exposure to extreme heat – it seems to come out of nowhere,” he adds.
“Cold sweats are often related to things like hormone changes, shock, infection, pain, or stress and can occur at any time of the day,” says Taz Bhatiawho is certified in various types of medicine and author of the book The Hormone Shift.
Cold sweat symptoms
If you’ve ever experienced cold sweats, your skin may have felt wet and clammy. Depending on the cause, cold sweats can also be accompanied by a number of other symptoms such as chills, fatigue, difficulty breathing, increased heart rate and confusion.
What Causes Cold Sweat?
While cold sweats can be a sign of a larger underlying problem, it’s often just a normal bodily response to stress or fluctuating hormones. Some possible causes are:
Infection. If your body is fighting a virus or infection, cold sweats can accompany it.
Stress of angst. “Your fight or flight response can cause hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline to be released in your body, which in turn can increase your heart rate and lead to cold sweats,” explains Dr. Fisher out.
Trauma of shock. “When your body experiences trauma (such as injury or pain) or shock, it lacks the ability to carry oxygen to vital organs, which can cause cold sweats,” Fisher says.
Hormones. Changes in your menstrual cycle can cause cold sweats. “I also often see cold sweats in women experiencing hormonal changes, such as menopause,” says Dr Bhatia.
Side effects of medicines. Medications such as thyroid hormone, morphine, and medications to reduce fever can also cause cold sweats, Dr. Fisher says. In addition, it can also occur as a result of drug withdrawal.
Some symptoms may indicate something more serious is going on. “Cold sweats in combination with weight loss, fatigue, vomiting or enlargement of the lymph nodes can be concerning,” says Dr. Fisher. In that case, you should contact a doctor.
Bron: Women’s Health | Beeld: Adobe Stock
2023-09-02 15:45:41
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