The body’s natural sweat glands have a function. It happens when your body is overheated and you want for cooling down (for instance the summer heat or when you’re exercising or are afraid, anxious, or scared).
But it is true that, as Erik Blutinger, MD, an emergency medicine doctor in Mount Sinai Queens, explains to Health the public, your body may sometimes suffer from “cold sweats.” The doctor explains that “Cold sweats are an example of a medical mystery.” “They involve a myriad of human body parts.”
Although the term “cold sweats” isn’t a diagnostic for medical reasons medical professional is aware of what patients mean when they complain of the feeling. This article will help you know about cold sweats which include what they’re and how they can be interpreted and how to treat these.
What is cold sweat and how can you treat them?
As per Arindam Sarkar, MD, General care doctor and assistant professor of community and family medicine in Baylor University, “sweating is your body’s reaction to many external and internal stressors.” “Normal sweating occurs in response to extreme heat or exercise and helps cool your body via the process of evaporation.”
Cold sweats, on other on the other hand, are different. Chills, night sweats (becoming sweaty while sleeping), and diaphoresis–sweating in reaction to a disease or medication–are all examples of cold sweats, according to Dr. Sarkar. There are lots to pick from.
Experts are of the opinion that cold sweats are a sign you start sweating, but you are cold as opposed to normal sweating that happens when you sweat but are not feeling normal.
What is it that makes you feel cold sweats?
Cold sweats can result from various causes, however, Kathryn Boling, MD, the primary care physician of Baltimore’s Mercy Medical Center, tells Health that the signs are usually attributed to fever, infection, or an underlying health problem that could be causing it, like heart attacks or low blood sugar. The cold sweats may be a sign that there are hormonal fluctuations, for instance, menopausal hot flashes or hormone levels changing after pregnancy, says Dr. Boling. Cold sweats may be triggered by stress or anxiety.
If you’re suffering from an illness that causes fever, you’ll most likely experience cold sweats, as per Dr. Boling. “You might feel extremely hot as a result of the fever, but then the fever goes away in the middle, then you’ll sweat, and feel cold,” she explains. (She says that a fever that causes cold sweats could be due to some illness.)
If you work out or get done with your exercise, you may experience cold sweats, says David Cutler, M.D. A family medicine physician in the Providence Saint John’s Health Center located in Santa Monica, Calif. “Chilly sweats can occur when you’ve been sweating, and then immediately cool down or walk out in frigid conditions,” he explains. Cold sweats can happen without a temperature, in the same way, and could occur in the case of hormonal shifts as well as lower blood sugar levels.
“Cold sweats may be an indication of a variety of non-infectious conditions, such as malignancies, or could be caused by medications,” claims Roshi Gulati, MD, an ophthalmologist in the family who works at Northwestern Medicine Huntley Hospital.
Whatever the reason as per Dr. Boling, sweating generally is the first sign. “You don’t feel cold, but then you start sweating” the doctor explains. “You sweat, then become cold as a result of the dampness.
How does it feel getting cold sweats?
Like everything associated with cold sweat, isn’t a universally applicable situation. “Symptoms differ from person to individual and depend on the cause,” says the doctor. Gulati. But, if you experience hot sweats, the doctor recommends you anticipate experiencing the following:
- Sweating Chills
- The discomfort is caused by clammy skin or wet hands
How do you rid yourself of sweaty, cold, and shivering?
“Treatment of cold sweats can be entirely dependent on the root cause,” says Laura Miller, MD, MPH, an obstetrics and family medicine physician in the University of Minnesota Medical School and University of Minnesota Physicians. Therefore she suggests taking note of any other symptoms you might be experiencing and note them down if do not believe you’re suffering from an illness that is medically urgent.
It’s also fair to say that you don’t wish to be waiting around for your sweaty shivers to ease. Dr. Gulati typically suggests wearing layers and then switching them out until you feel at ease. “It’s quite unusual to take off one layer and put it back in” when you begin feeling colder again when you’re suffering from fever, he states.
If you think you’ve developed an illness that is feverish or has been verified by a thermometer, doctor. Boling recommends taking a medication that reduces fever, such as acetaminophen, to make you feel better. (If you are suffering from fever, it could be an indication of viral disease such as COVID-19 or flu If that is the situation, you must consult with your physician.)
Dr. Blutinger recommends getting medical help if experiencing chills on a regular routine or is associated with symptoms like chest discomfort, breathing problems, and fainting or pain. “Cold sweats can occur,” he explains, “but they aren’t something you should experience frequently.”
