Spotting Sepsis: A Guide to Its Ten Symptoms

8. Excessive Sweating

Excessive sweating is a common sign of sepsis; in some cases, the sweating can be so profuse that it drenches a person's clothing and sheets. Someone with sepsis may also have pale skin that feels cold and clammy to the touch. The sweating and clammy skin are brought on by the release of hormones and other chemical factors that cause blood vessels to widen and release more fluid to the surface of the skin as sweat. Since fever is a common sign of sepsis, sweating may also come from changes in body temperature. When body temperature rises and then falls, the excess heat is released as sweat. Anyone experiencing excess sweating should make sure to drink enough fluids to replace those lost through the skin. When people with sepsis are hospitalized, they receive fluids through an intravenous line to prevent dehydration.