Published on: 5/6/2025
Chest pain and sweating at night can be a sign of a heart problem or a lung issue, such as a pulmonary embolism.
When you feel chest pain and notice sweating at night, it might be more than just a simple cold or muscle strain. One possibility is that your heart isn’t getting enough blood because of a heart problem like coronary heart disease. Sometimes, these heart issues show up with symptoms like pain and sweating, even when you’re sleeping. Another heart-related concern is a heart attack, which needs immediate help. On the lung side, there is a condition called a pulmonary embolism, which is a blood clot in the lung. This can cause chest pain, difficulty breathing, and sweating, even at night. Other medical conditions, including infections or hormonal changes, might also cause these symptoms. Because the chest pain and sweating combination can be a sign of something serious, it is important to talk with a doctor as soon as possible. Your doctor may use tools like blood tests, imaging studies, and heart monitoring to figure out the cause and help decide the best treatment for you.
(References)
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Herber-Gast G, Brown WJ, Mishra GD. Hot flushes and night sweats are associated with coronary heart disease risk in midlife: a longitudinal study. BJOG. 2015 Oct;122(11):1560-7. doi: 10.1111/1471-0528.13163. Epub 2014 Nov 7. PMID: 25377022.
Wuyts L, Pouillon M, Huyghe M, Ruyssers N, Goovaerts G, Spaepen M. Palpitations, headache and night sweats caused by a retroperitoneal mass: case report and short review. BJR Case Rep. 2017 Aug 2;3(4):20170035. doi: 10.1259/bjrcr.20170035. PMID: 30363222; PMCID: PMC6159177.
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