What Causes Sweating and Coughing?

When foreign irritants or mucus enters our throat, our body produces a common reflex action to clear our throat of these irritants. This reflex is called coughing. Sweating, on the other hand, is a normal function in which your body regulates the temperature. A change in your body or outside temperature, or your emotional state can cause sweating or perspiration. They are two of the most common symptoms of many diseases. When both of these symptoms are experienced together, you should seek medical attention immediately as they may be signs of serious health problems.

What Causes Coughing and Sweating?

Almost all of us have experienced these two symptoms at one point of our lives. Though individually, these conditions may seem harmless, both of these symptoms could be a sign of more serious medical condition. Below are some diseases that display these two symptoms.

1. Flu

It is a highly contagious respiratory disease that is caused by a virus. It is normally spread by the sneezes and coughs of a person who is infected.

Symptoms: Patient experiences runny or clogged nose, cough, sore throat, high temperature, headache, cold sweats and shivers, aching limbs and joints and feeling of fatigue or exhaustion.

Treatment: Patients are given painkillers to provide relief on some of the symptoms such as body pains and headache. The best treatment for flu is staying at home and getting plenty of rest. You should also keep warm and drink plenty of liquids. Stop smoking and avoid alcoholic beverage. It is also advisable to avoid contact with other people to stop spreading of the disease.

2. Hay Fever

Also known as allergic rhinitis, it is often characterized by sneezing, runny nose, congestion and sinus pressure. Our body produces these reactions as an allergic response to airborne substances.

Symptoms: Aside from coughing and sweating, patients have also experienced watery eyes, itchy nose and throat, headaches, facial pains that are caused by blocked sinuses, loss of taste and smell, and itchiness that spreads from the throat to the ears and nose.

Treatment: Over-the-counter treatments are provided to get relief from the symptoms. Antihistamine tablets or sprays, nasal corticosteroids, eye drops and oral corticosteroids are commonly prescribed.

3. Asthma

This chronic disease occurs when your airways are inflamed, causing difficulty in allowing the air to come in and out of your lungs.

Symptoms: Wheezing, a scratchy sound when you breathe, is one of the most common symptoms. Other symptoms experienced by patients are chronic coughing, shortness of breath, chest pain or tightness, sweating, fatigue and problem sleeping.

Treatment: Though there is really no cure for asthma, you will get relief from symptoms by taking the medications as prescribed by your doctor and avoiding possible triggers that cause your asthma symptoms.

4. Emphysema

This chronic obstructive pulmonary disease happens when there is an enlargement of air sacs in your lungs. 85% of this disease is caused by smoking.

Symptoms: Chronic cough and shortness of breath are two of the main symptoms of this disease. In its later stage, patient may also experience wheezing, frequent lung infections, weight loss and reduced appetite, depression and anxiety, morning headaches and fatigue.

Treatment: To provide relief in the symptoms, inhaled bronchodilators are often prescribed to the patients. Aside from medication, other treatments include oxygen therapy, lifestyle management and pulmonary rehabilitation and surgery to some.

5. Hypoglycemia

Low blood sugar is a condition that happens when your glucose or blood sugar is lower than what is normal.

Symptoms: Patients experience coughing and sweating, rapid heartbeat, paleness, blurry vision, sudden mood swings and nervousness, headache, hunger, dizziness, skin tingling, fatigue, having problem concentrating or thinking clearly and seizure, loss of consciousness or coma.

Treatment: Eating foods high in carbohydrates is advisable when your blood sugar level became too low. Keep snacks like pretzels, granola bars, fruit juice or fresh fruit in your pocket. Glucose tablets can also be taken to rapidly increase your blood sugar.

6. Lung Cancer

This deadly cancer took many lives of men and women in the United States and all over the world. Aside from smoking, other factors that increase the risk are pollution and exposure to asbestos and radiation.

Symptoms: Recurring cough, chronic chest pain, presence of blood in the cough, wheezing, shortness of breath or hoarseness, fatigue, weight loss or loss of appetite, fatigue, sweating, and recurring bronchitis or pneumonia.

Treatment: Factors such as the type and stage of your cancer and your over-all health are taken into account when choosing your treatment. Options include chemotherapy, surgery, targeted drug therapy or radiation therapy.

7. Congestive Heart Failure

When you say heart failure, it does not literally mean that your heart has stopped working. It just simply means your heart pumps the blood to your body at a slower rate.

Symptoms: Some patients did not have any symptoms at all, while others complain of sweating and coughing, difficulty breathing, swollen legs and ankle, weight gain, bloating, fatigue, dizziness, nausea, and irregular or rapid heartbeat.

Treatment: The first step of treatment should be the change of lifestyle and following your medication by heart.

8. Chronic Kidney Disease

This disease occurs when kidney functions are impaired by condition or disease, damaging your kidney over several months.

Symptoms: Signs may include loss of appetite, cough, nausea and vomiting, muscle cramps, change in urinary pattern, chest pain, high blood pressure, sweating, swollen ankles or feet, and sleep problems.

Treatment: Though chronic kidney disease has no cure, treatment consists of ways to provide relief with the symptoms, slow down the disease’s progression and reduces complication.

9. Lyme Disease

This infectious disease caused by bacteria is passed on to humans through a bite from an infected tick.

Symptoms: Appearance of bull’s eye rash as one of the earliest signs. Others include fever, cough, sore throat, chills and sweating, muscle aches and fatigue, short term memory loss, numbness in the legs, arms, feet or hand, mental fogginess and difficulty following a conversation.

Treatment: Antibiotics are given for a period of 14 to 21 days.

10. Hepatitis

A condition caused when liver is inflamed, it is usually caused by a viral infection though there are other possible causes of this condition.

Symptoms: Aside from coughing and sweating, other signs exhibited by patients are having a dark urine, feeling tired and sluggish, unexplained weight loss, abdominal pain, loss of appetite and jaundice.

Treatment: It is important to determine what type of hepatitis you have for proper treatment to be provided. Antiviral medications, bed rest, and getting plenty of liquids and nutrients are the most common treatments. 

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