Does Angina Cause Sweating?

What is angina (Briefly)?

Angina is a form of chest pain that is caused by a decrease in blood flow to the heart muscles. Angina is a major symptom that you have coronary artery disease.

Angina pectoris is another name for angina.

Muscle contraction, pressure, heaviness, tension, pain, or discomfort in the chest are all common symptoms that describe angina. It could seem like a big weight is resting on your chest. Angina might be a fresh pain that requires medical attention or a persistent ache that resolves with therapy.

Although angina is prevalent, it can be difficult to distinguish it from other forms of chest pain, such as heartburn, although some say it is similar to indigestion.

Angina affects approximately 100 million people globally.¹ So, if you have this symptom, you’re not the only one. It’s important to learn more about angina, and how to manage it in your daily life.

Symptoms 

The most common symptom of angina is chest discomfort or pressure with most people describing it as a squeezing sensation or a tightness in their chest. Usually, the pain starts behind your breastbone (sternum) where the heart is located and sometimes you might not be able to pinpoint the exact location where the pain is. This pain might radiate to other parts of the body, such as the shoulder, jaw, back, and neck.

Due to decrease blood flow to the heart, there is also a concurrent reduction of oxygen supply to the heart muscles, therefore leading to poor function of the heart, which can cause additional symptoms such as:

• Nausea and vomiting
• Fatigue
• Excessive sweating
• Shortness of breath
• Dizziness
• Anxiety
• Being light-headed

Is hyperhidrosis at night a symptom of angina?

Excessive sweating (hyperhidrosis) at night is also a symptom of angina.² This is because pumping blood through blocked arteries requires more work from your heart, which generates more heat in the body, so your body sweats excessively to maintain a normal body temperature.     

Angina or heart attack? how to tell the difference

When the heart does not receive enough blood, your body sends out warning signs that the heart is in danger of being damaged, these warning signs include chest pain behind the breast bone, this pain is also known as angina. However, if the heart does not receive enough blood for a long time, it can damage the heart muscles, this is known as a heart attack. Therefore, angina is just a symptom of heart disease caused by reduced blood flow to the heart, while a heart attack is the main heart disease due to the long-term effect of reduced blood flow, causing heart muscle damage.

Other causes of excessive sweating (Hyperhidrosis)

Diabetes

Diabetes makes it hard for a person's body to maintain a consistent temperature and create the appropriate quantity of sweat to keep the body cool. This is due to hormonal imbalance, stress, and cardiovascular factors which can all be caused by diabetes.

However, the most typical causes of excessive sweating in diabetic patients are:

• Low blood glucose (hypoglycaemia): Low blood sugar (glucose) levels, often less than 70 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dl), can cause a fight-or-flight reaction, resulting in the release of hormones that stimulate sweating
• Nervous system damage due to diabetes (diabetes neuropathy): Diabetic neuropathy occurs when blood glucose levels are excessively high for a long period of time. According to the American Diabetes Association (ADA), approximately half of all diabetic patients suffer from nerve damage. Damage to the nerves that regulate the sweat glands might cause them to transmit incorrect messages or no message at all. This might result in excessive or insufficient sweating. Sweating issues might indicate that a person's diabetes care, including appropriate blood sugar control, needs to be reviewed

Menopause hot flushes

Menopause is a phase that every woman passes through, it usually occurs between the age of 45-55. Hot flushes are a major symptom of menopause and run for 5 years during menopause. This is due to hormonal imbalances such as estrogen and progesterone, which have an impact on the body's temperature regulation. This hot flush usually causes excessive sweating, especially at night.

Thyroid problems

The thyroid gland controls your body's temperature and rate of metabolism (the process in which the body converts food to energy). When your thyroid gland produces more thyroid hormones than your body requires, your temperature rises due to an increase in metabolism. As a result, people with hyperthyroidism (production of excess thyroid hormone) sweat excessively.

Some types of cancer

Excessive sweating can be caused by certain cancers and their management, such as lymphoma, leukemia, adrenal system tumours, and hormone therapy for breast, gynaecological, and prostate cancer. This is due to hormonal changes caused by the cancer or the therapy.

Heart attack

Excessive sweating is a key symptom of a heart attack. Low cardiac output causes decreased renal blood flow and decreased pressure in arterial baroreceptors (pressure receptors), which activates compensatory systems such as the adrenergic autonomic nervous system, which can cause sweating. Sweating may also occur as a result of fluid retention induced by heart-kidney system decompensation.

Nervous system disorders

Excessive sweating can also be caused by autonomic nervous system dysregulation or neurological illnesses like Parkinson's or spinal cord damage. This is due to abnormal regeneration of nerves following injury.

Infections

Due to the homeostatic mechanism, when we get hot, we usually sweat. The most infective process leads to fever (high temperature) and this makes us sweat. Sweating makes us lose heat through vaporization since our core temperature is high due to the fever.

Complications of Hyperhidrosis

A good number of people suffer from hyperhidrosis, although the consequences are not medically significant in most cases. Hyperhidrosis complications might include skin concerns, which are typically mild. It can, however, cause considerable psychological suffering.

• Social and emotional complications- One of the most striking impacts of hyperhidrosis is its emotional and social impact. This is because the disorder's nature is humiliating and can make sufferers feel lonely. Hyperhidrosis, in particular, is known to have an impact on many elements of everyday living, including emotional well-being, interpersonal connections, leisure activities, self-esteem, personal cleanliness, and work
• Maceration- the skin can become mushy and wet because of excessive sweat, this is known as maceration. Maceration can lead to the breakdown of skin and this might precipitate infection. It can also delay skin healing and cause discomfort
• Infection- research has shown that excessive sweat increases the likelihood of infection. This is because sweat creates a good environment for organisms to thrive, and also, maceration can lead to skin breakdown
• Body odour-  Body odour is a typical adverse effect of hyperhidrosis. Bromhidrosis is the medical term for body odour. Sweat is odourless as it leaves the body, but it turns stinky when bacteria on the skin's surface break down proteins and produce foul-smelling metabolites

Treatments and management

Addressing hyperhidrosis may begin with treating the underlying problem. If no reason is determined, therapy focuses on reducing excessive sweating. If new self-care behaviours do not alleviate your symptoms, your doctor may recommend one or more of the following therapies. Even if your sweating improves following therapy, depending on the cause, it may return.

Drugs used to treat excessive sweating³ include:

• Antiperspirant: Your doctor may prescribe an antiperspirant containing aluminium  chloride (Drysol, Xerac AC). This aluminum chloride aids in sweating reduction by blocking sweat pores.  However, it may cause skin or eye  irritation
• Creams and wipes: Prescription creams and wipes containing glycopyrrolate may assist with facial, arms and legs hyperhidrosis. This may also cause skin and eye irritation
• Nerve block medication : Some oral drugs inhibit the neurons that activate sweat glands. Some people may experience less sweating as a result of this. Dry mouth and blurry vision are two possible side effects
• Botulinum toxin (Botox) injection: Botox injections are FDA (Food and Drug Administration) -approved for the treatment of excessive sweating. Botox selectively inhibits sweat glands in the skin, therefore, reducing sweating. This procedure is usually completed during an outpatient clinic appointment, with no further care needed. The negative effects are minor, and the benefits endure for six months, which you might need to take another injection after this time

In some rare situations where medications do not work, some doctors advise for some minor surgeries or procedures. This include:

• Iontophoresis: This is a home procedure where you immerse your hands or feet in a bowl of water while a gadget transmits a moderate electric current through the water. The current inhibits the nerves that cause sweating. Your health provider will explain the duration and the number of times you would carry out this procedure
• Sweat gland removal: this is just removal of the sweat gland by suctioning or curettage, especially the sweat glands in the armpit
• Microwave therapy: A portable device (miraDry) administers microwave radiation to kill sweat glands in the armpits during this therapy. Your health provider will explain the duration and the number of times you would carry out this procedure

When to call a doctor

Contact your doctor immediately if you have any of the following symptoms:

• You suddenly start sweating more than usual
• You experience excessive sweating at night, with no apparent reason
• You sweat excessively and it affects your daily activities
• Sweating is associated with emotional discomfort or social disengagement
• Sweating is accompanied by light-headedness, chest discomfort, or nausea

As all this can be associated with an underlying condition.

Summary

Angina is simply chest pain due to reduce blood flow to the heart. This is a major symptom and may be  associated with hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating). Hyperhidrosis can also be caused by other conditions, however if you experience excessive sweating you should contact your doctor for clinical evaluation. Treatment of hyperhidrosis can either be medical or surgical, also some minor procedures can be done.