Having cold hands and feet occasionally is nothing to worry about, but you should see a doctor if it happens often or is accompanied by changes in skin color. This could hide several quite serious conditions.
Our body is designed to regulate its own temperature. When it’s cold outside, it makes sure blood flows to the vital organs to keep them warm. This can change the amount of blood flow to the hands and feet, making them feel cold. This is normal. Blood vessels in the hands and feet constrict (spasm) when it’s cold to prevent heat loss, write the heathline.com.
Some people tend to have colder feet and hands naturally without suffering from any medical condition, this situation is quite common. But when your hands and feet get cold and you have additional symptoms like discoloration of your fingers, there are several things you can do. Here’s what you need to know about cold hands and feet and what you can do about it.
What else causes cold feet and hands?
The most common health conditions that can cause coldness in your limbs are related to poor blood circulation or nerve damage in the hands or feet. Here are some of the possibilities:
Anemia
Anemia is a condition in which you have fewer healthy, properly functioning red blood cells than normal. It is usually caused by an iron deficiency. When you have an iron deficiency, your red blood cells may not have enough hemoglobin (iron-rich proteins) to carry oxygen from your lungs to the rest of your body. The result can be the following: cold fingers and toes.
What can you do? A blood test can determine if your blood has low iron. Eating more iron-rich foods (such as leafy greens) and taking iron supplements can help relieve cold hands and feet.
Arterial disease
When the arteries are narrowed or dysfunctional, it reduces blood flow to the legs and feet. There are several types of arterial disease.
Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) affects about one-third of people over 50 who have diabetes. PAD usually causes damage to the arterial wall in the lower extremities when plaque build-up on the blood vessel walls causes them to narrow.
Primary pulmonary hypertension, which damages the arteries of the lungs, often involves Raynaud’s disease.
Symptoms of PAD in addition to cold feet include: leg pain when you exercise, numbness or pins and needles in the legs or feet, sores on the legs, and feet that are slow to heal.
Primary symptoms of pulmonary hypertension include: shortness of breath, fatigue, dizziness.
If you have any of these symptoms, along with cold hands and feet, see your doctor. Early treatment of arterial disease can lead to a better outcome.
Diabetes
Poor blood circulation. Poor blood circulation is a symptom of diabetes, especially in the extremities, which can make your hands and feet cold.
Heart disease. Diabetes also increases the risk of heart disease and narrowing of the arteries (due to atherosclerosis), both of which can contribute to cold hands and feet.
Nerve damage. Nerve damage (peripheral neuropathy), especially in the legs, is a complication of diabetes. It is caused by high blood sugar levels over a long period of time. One of the first symptoms is a “pins and needles” sensation in the legs or hands.
What can you do? It is important to keep your blood sugar levels steady and as close to normal as possible. Also, if you have nerve damage, check your feet carefully for sores that you may not feel but could become infected.
Hypothyroidism
Hypothyroidism is a condition in which your thyroid is underactive and does not produce enough thyroid hormones to keep your body’s metabolic functions working properly. It affects more women than men and is common over the age of 60. Feeling cold is one of the symptoms of hypothyroidism. Other symptoms include fatigue, joint pain and stiffness, dry skin, thinning hair and depression.
What can you do? A doctor can determine if you have hypothyroidism through blood tests. The main treatment is a synthetic hormone supplement, taken daily.
Raynaud’s syndrome
Raynaud’s syndrome, also known as Raynaud’s phenomenon or Raynaud’s disease, is a condition that causes your fingers or sometimes other parts of your body to feel cold or numb. It results from narrowing of the arteries in the hands or feet, which stops normal blood circulation. Raynaud’s can cause your fingers to change color, turning white, blue or red. When blood circulation returns to normal, your hands may tingle, throb or swell.
Raynaud’s is triggered by cold temperatures or stress. The exact cause of Raynaud’s disease is not fully understood.
What can you do?Treatments for Raynaud’s include drugs that improve your circulation and widen your blood vessels. But many people do not need any treatment.
2023-05-10 08:13:45
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