A cold and damp skin manifests itself in the form of sudden sweating. These occur in gushes and trigger a strong sensation of cold in the affected person. In this case, the cold sweat is due to low blood circulation in the skin.
What is cold sweaty skin?
Sweat glands are responsible for the production of sweat, which are located below the epidermis (epidermis). The secretion reaches the surface of the skin through the pores. The secretion of sweat here serves to regulate the heat balance of the body. Sweat consists of 99% water. In addition, electrolytes, amino acids, urea, sugar and ascorbic acid are found in sweat. Humans have eccrine and apocrine sweat glands. In contrast to the apocrine sweat glands, the eccrine glands are distributed over the entire body. They produce a clear sweat. The apocrine glands are located exclusively in the hairy areas of the body and the hairless nipples. They produce a milky secretion in only small amounts. While the pH produced by the eccrine sweat glands is in the acidic range (pH 4.5), the value for the apocrine produce is almost pH neutral (pH 7.2). The eccrine glands secrete the cold sweat, which occurs especially during stress or anxiety reactions. Perspiration is controlled by the hypothalamus in the brain. It represents the heat center of the human body. If a person emits the hormone norepinephrine, there is less blood flow to the skin. Because the resulting moist skin in humans is a biological defense mechanism, the reduction in blood flow provides blood reserves.
Causes
Cold sweats are often due to a shock response. These include stress, physical exertion, mental and physical shock, heart attack, circulatory collapse, menstrual bleeding, disease, or internal bleeding. Normally, the sweat produced serves to cool the skin. The perspiration is then not perceived by the sweaty person as cold. In the cases of the listed causes, however, the eccrine sweat glands do not secrete the water-containing secretion to cool the body, but to express an alarm signal. Associated with this are accompanying symptoms that can provide an initial indication of an actual, disease-related cause. The cold sweat may be concentrated on certain areas of the body. On the forehead, cold sweat may be an indication of existing hypoglycemia. In conjunction with heart disease, the cause may be pulmonary edema.
Diseases with this symptom
- Anxiety disorder
- Panic attacks
- Heart attack
- Circulatory collapse
- Pulmonary edema
- Myocarditis
- Hypertension
- Hyperthyroidism
- Alcohol addiction
- Fear of heights
- Claustrophobia
- Hypoglycemia
- Fear of flying
- Allergies
- Pseudocroup
- Exam anxiety
- Flu
- Menopause
Complications
The complications that can occur with cold sweat are of different nature. They depend on individual underlying diseases or other medical history. A sudden cold sweat may indicate a heart attack without treatment if other typical symptoms are also present. These complications are accompanied by a feeling of tightness, severe pain in the upper abdomen and chest, nausea, severe burning sensation, and shortness of breath. The symptoms listed last for at least five minutes. Also, without treatment, uncontrolled muscle twitching, rapid heartbeat, balance and visual disturbances may occur. In addition, anxiety sweats usually result in pale facial skin, which can also attract the attention of third parties. The affected person is dependent on relief measures in case of serious complications. In treatment, the cold, damp skin plays only a secondary role. Triggers are often stressful situations. In most cases, this condition does not last long. Therefore, treatment is not always necessary. Even in combination with a short shock reaction, it is possible that the cold sweat quickly disappears.
When should you go to the doctor?
The affected person should then see a doctor if the well-being is also affected along with the cold sweat.If a sudden cold sweat occurs, it is in most cases an indication of a health impairment. Children need special attention in this context. In their case, it is often not possible without a medical examination to clearly determine whether the symptoms are due to an illness or a psychological shock. Early detection results in a greater chance of recovery in children. If an adult has a known illness, the onset of cold sweat is an alarm signal. The affected person should immediately consult a doctor. This applies to heart disease, possible internal bleeding, diabetes or pulmonary edema.
Diagnosis
If cold sweat breaks out all over the body or in isolated areas of the body, it may recede quickly or slowly. In either case, the transpirant may assume that there is a cause for the sweating. If diseases are not known, a spontaneous diagnosis can be difficult to make without medical clarification. In the case of circulatory collapse, a physical collapse may occur. In this case, the cause is clearly evident. Cold sweat is also evident in a heart attack because the body is in a state of shock. This usually lasts longer. In connection with other accompanying symptoms, the affected person often pays little attention to the cold sweat. At the same time, cold, damp skin provides a noticeable indication of a possible illness. Knowledge of cold sweats on individual parts of the body can help the layperson make an initial assessment. Cold sweats do not always underlie certain diseases. Often the diagnosis can be made quickly. In connection with a known situation that triggers anxiety or stress, the cold sweat is often also anxiety sweat. Therefore, in addition to the physical component, the psychological component plays a role in this case. In these situations, the affected person is usually aware of the reason for the physical reaction and also knows how to evaluate it correctly.
Treatment and therapy
Proper treatment and therapy depends on the cause. Circulatory collapse may require emergency medical treatment if shock occurs. The patient is artificially ventilated and given the appropriate IV fluids and injections. Paramedics hook the patient up to an EKG to monitor heart function. Emergency medical intervention is not always required. If the patient drinks a glass of water during a circulatory collapse and gets up again, the cold sweat quickly recedes. In the case of a heart attack, the focus of treatment is on opening the closed vessel. However, the cold sweat can also indicate an existing hypoglycemia. If this condition is present, immediate treatment is necessary. Even mild hypoglycemia should not be underestimated by the affected person. With the emerging visual and consciousness disorders, the risk of falls increases in this combination. In this state, the patient is dependent on glucose ingestion. Usually, a glass of fruit juice or the ingestion of glucose will then help.
Outlook and prognosis
If the patient suffers from a disease that is already known to the doctor, the health course can be better determined for the future. In this context, sweating can also be prevented. In most cases, where the cause is an existing disease, a positive prognosis depends on the regular intake of medication. This is done as part of the medical therapy. Occasional fluctuations may occur during treatment, and with them, outbreaks of cold sweat again. In this case, the patient is encouraged to report any changes to the doctor. Any drug treatment may be adjusted. Depending on which disease is involved, the prognosis may be good or bad. If the doctor has identified the cause of cold sweats and other related symptoms early on, he or she will initiate immediate measures to improve the symptoms. In this way, the outlook for the course of the disease can be steered in a positive direction at an early stage. The longer the cause remains unexplained, the more likely the prospects for a complete cure will be poorer.
Prevention
To prevent cold sweats associated with a particular disease, even regular use of prescribed medications can prevent worsening. If hyperglycemia exists, several small meals will prevent hypoglycemia from recurring. The onset of cold sweats is not always related to a disease. Everyday circumstances can be triggers. If stressful situations are predominantly responsible for cold, clammy skin, the affected person should think about a change in certain areas of life. In the case of sudden accidents, the introduction of preventive measures is not possible. The state of shock occurs here immediately. The body releases the stress hormones adrenaline and noradrenaline, which cause the sweat of fear. In severe accidents, only a doctor can still help.
This is what you can do yourself
Either the eccrine glands make the whole body sweat or only a certain area of the body. The sensation remains the same: the sweat feels cold. Stress is often considered a trigger for cold, damp skin. If the affected person secretes more cold sweat in everyday life, this is an alarm signal. In medicine, this reaction is considered a defense mechanism of the body. It is therefore advisable to avoid stressful situations in everyday life or to reduce them step by step. Hereby the person under pressure achieves an increase of his quality of life. A change in diet may also be necessary. A healthy diet also prevents illnesses from the outset. This also includes a sufficient supply of fluids. This is important for older people who tend to have circulation problems in the summer. If there is no illness and also no medication, a regular visit to the family doctor should not be omitted. Women, who are often subject to hormonal fluctuations, should not miss any preventive check-up. This applies to both the visit to the family doctor and the visit to the gynecologist. After all, hormonal imbalances can also cause a cold sweat. The health check-up at the doctor’s office helps to detect possible diseases or health impairments at an early stage. They can be physical or psychological in nature. A medical history with the doctor helps to specifically find the cause of any abnormalities.
