Hot and Cold Flashes During Panic Attacks: Understanding the Connection

When an individual suffers from panic disorder, which results in anxiety attacks, this can cause them to become extremely hot or extremely cold, depending on the way the attack manifests itself. A panic disorder is a mental, or psychological, condition.

What Happens

• When an anxiety attack strikes, the heart is apt to race, causing the individual to break out into a cold sweat. On the other hand, an anxiety or panic attack can cause a person to break out in regular sweat and have a hot flash.

Cause

• Panic disorder is caused by hormonal or chemical imbalances in the brain or by situations that make a person apprehensive. Stress can provoke an attack as can the use of alcohol or drugs, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

Features

• An anxiety attack can cause blood pressure to rise, which makes sweating increase. Sometimes, the exact opposite occurs and a person will start shivering.