Pulmonary Embolism Symptoms
Reviewed: Dr. Gromatzky
5. Excessive Sweating
With a pulmonary embolism, as well as a heart attack and a number of other conditions, both acute and chronic, you may experience excessive sweating. This causes your skin to become clammy and wet to the touch. The scientific term for excessive sweating is hyperhidrosis. Acute secondary hyperhidrosis occurs suddenly due to an underlying medical condition and is the type that you will most likely see with a PE.
When excess sweating is caused by a heart attack, it is often accompanied by a feeling of nausea. Therefore, acute hyperhidrosis that occurs with chest pain and shortness of breath but without nausea is more indicative of a pulmonary embolism than a heart attack; however, nausea can occur with a PE as well.
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