General
Cold sweats
Breaking out in a clammy, cold sweat that is not caused by heat or exertion — often a normal response to fear, pain or low blood sugar, but sometimes the body's alarm signal during a heart attack, a serious infection or shock.
Education and reference only. This explains the common causes of cold sweats and the warning signs that need urgent help, in plain language — it is not a diagnosis or a substitute for advice from a clinician. If you feel very unwell or are worried, seek medical help.
Quick answer
What is cold sweats?
A cold sweat is sweating that comes on when the skin feels cool and clammy rather than hot — the opposite of the warm sweating of exercise or a hot day. It happens when the body's stress response floods the system, diverting blood away from the skin while the sweat glands are switched on, leaving the skin pale, moist and cool.
- Get urgent help: Call 999 for a cold sweat with chest pain, pressure or tightness, breathlessness, or pain spreading to the arm, neck or jaw — this may be a heart attack. Call 999 for a cold, clammy sweat with fast breathing, confusion, a racing heart or pale, mottled skin — these can be signs of sepsis or shock.
- Self-care: If your cold sweats are linked to a known and harmless cause, simple steps can help.
About cold sweats
A cold sweat is sweating that comes on when the skin feels cool and clammy rather than hot — the opposite of the warm sweating of exercise or a hot day. It happens when the body's stress response floods the system, diverting blood away from the skin while the sweat glands are switched on, leaving the skin pale, moist and cool. Many causes are not dangerous: intense fear or anxiety, severe pain, feeling faint, the hot flushes of the menopause, the shakes of a low blood sugar, or the early hours of a viral illness can all bring on a cold sweat. But the same response is triggered by the body when something is seriously wrong, so a cold sweat that appears suddenly alongside chest pain, severe breathlessness, confusion or a racing heart should never be brushed off, because it can accompany a heart attack, a major infection or shock.
When to get help
Call 999 or go to A&E if cold sweats comes with any of these warning signs:
- Call 999 for a cold sweat with chest pain, pressure or tightness, breathlessness, or pain spreading to the arm, neck or jaw — this may be a heart attack.
- Call 999 for a cold, clammy sweat with fast breathing, confusion, a racing heart or pale, mottled skin — these can be signs of sepsis or shock.
- Call 999 if someone with diabetes has a cold sweat and becomes drowsy, confused or unable to swallow safely from a low blood sugar.
- Seek urgent help for sudden cold sweats with fainting, severe abdominal or back pain, or vomiting blood.
- Seek urgent help for repeated drenching cold sweats at night with weight loss, fever or swollen glands.
When to see a doctor
A single cold sweat brought on by pain, fright, a faint or a low blood sugar that quickly recovers is usually not a concern. Treat a cold sweat as an emergency and call 999 if it comes with chest pain or pressure, severe breathlessness, confusion or pale, clammy skin, as it may signal a heart attack, sepsis or shock. Book a routine appointment if you have frequent unexplained cold sweats, drenching night sweats, or sweats with weight loss or persistent fever, so the underlying cause can be found.
Not sure how urgent it is? It is always OK to call NHS 111 for advice, day or night.
What can cause it
Common causes of cold sweats
Cold sweats has many possible causes. Each links to a full, plain-language guide to that condition — what it is, how it's treated and when to seek help.
What helps
Self-care and what you can do
If your cold sweats are linked to a known and harmless cause, simple steps can help. For anxiety or panic, slow, steady breathing and grounding techniques calm the stress response that triggers the sweat. If you have diabetes and recognise the cold, clammy sweat of a low blood sugar, treat it promptly the way your diabetes team has advised and keep a fast-acting sugar source to hand. For menopausal flushes and sweats, keeping cool with light layers, a fan and avoiding triggers such as alcohol, caffeine and spicy food can reduce how often they strike. Always pay attention to what came with the sweat, though — a cold sweat that arrives with chest pain or breathlessness is a warning sign, not something to manage at home.
Answers
Cold sweats: frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a cold sweat and normal sweating?
Normal sweating cools you down when you are hot or active and leaves the skin warm. A cold sweat comes on when the skin feels cool and clammy and is driven by the body's stress response — so it can appear with fear, pain, a faint, a low blood sugar or, importantly, a heart attack.
When is a cold sweat an emergency?
Call 999 if a cold sweat comes with chest pain or pressure, breathlessness, or pain spreading to the arm or jaw, as this can mean a heart attack. Also seek emergency help if it comes with fast breathing, confusion or pale, mottled skin, which can signal sepsis or shock.
Can anxiety cause cold sweats?
Yes. Anxiety and panic trigger the body's stress response, which can leave the skin clammy and cold along with a pounding heart and trembling. These sweats usually settle as the episode passes, but a clinician should confirm there is no other cause.
Why do I wake up in a cold sweat at night?
Occasional night sweats can come from a warm room, menopause or a passing infection. Repeated drenching night sweats, especially with weight loss, fever or swollen glands, should be checked by a doctor as they can point to an infection or other illness.
Sources
Where this is drawn from
- NICE CKS: Sweating - unexplained.
- British Heart Foundation: heart attack symptoms.
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