In the cold winter months, our hands and feet get cold. It is normal. That’s why we wear thick socks and gloves. But why do our hands and feet get colder even though the weather is not that cold? In fact, it is normal for the hands and feet to get colder because there is no oil layer to protect that area and the hair is relatively less. But every normal will vary from person to person.
The main cause of cold hands and feet is circulatory disorders. Hands and feet get cold if the fine blood vessels to these limbs are narrowed, or if your blood flow is not properly distributed throughout the body for various reasons. Although it varies according to the conditions, often cold hands and feet can be a sign of a different disease. Let’s take a closer look at why our hands and feet are cold, what diseases can cause it and what we can do.
Diseases that cause more cold hands and feet:
- Peripheral neuropathy
- Peripheral artery disease
- Hypothyroidism
- Raynaud’s disease
- Anemia
- Buerger’s disease
- High cholesterol
Peripheral neuropathy that damages the nerves in the feet:
Seen as a type of diabetes complication, peripheral neuropathy damages the nerves in your feet. Because the nerves are damaged, you may feel that your feet are cold even if they are hot to the touch. In addition to diabetes, peripheral neuropathy can also be caused by regional injuries, autoimmune diseases, excessive alcohol consumption, vitamin deficiencies, bone marrow disorders, underactive thyroid, and different drugs.
Peripheral artery disease, which slows blood flow in the legs and feet:
Peripheral artery disease slows or even blocks blood flow in your legs and feet. Although it is associated with diabetes, it can occur due to many different causes such as smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and age. As a result of the blood circulation disorder that occurs with this disease, pain in the legs and cold feet may occur.
Hypothyroidism that occurs with an underactive thyroid gland:
Hypothyroidism refers to the underactive state of the thyroids. Thyroids are butterfly-shaped glands in your neck, and they produce hormones that affect nearly every organ. Under-functioning thyroid glands cannot produce enough hormones, and as a result, cold feet may occur.
Raynaud’s disease, which disrupts blood flow:
Raynaud’s disease, also called Raynaud’s phenomenon, is a condition where there is a problem with the arteries that carry blood from the heart to other parts of the body. As soon as the temperature drops, you feel cold in your hands and feet. In addition, you may feel cold in points such as the nose, lips, ears and nipples because the blood flow is not provided correctly.
Raynaud’s disease is generally seen in people living in cold climates and is a condition that affects more women than men. Since the blood flow to the hands and feet does not continue in a healthy way, it can take a pale blue color and pain can be felt when it warms up. There are dozens of different conditions and medications that can cause this disease.
Anemia with insufficient blood cells:
It is possible to define anemia as a kind of blood disease. It means your body doesn’t have enough blood cells or your lungs aren’t healthy enough to take in oxygen. As a result, your hands and feet will get cold because the blood flow is not done in a healthy way. Anemia can also be a sign of different diseases.
Buerger’s disease caused by smoking:
Raynaud’s disease is a disease caused directly by tobacco use. Hand and foot veins swell in people who use tobacco. This slows blood flow and creates clots and infections. It is very common in men under the age of 45. The only cure is to quit tobacco use.
High cholesterol, which narrows the vessels:
High cholesterol can be considered as a disease on its own, or as a condition that can cause different diseases. As a result of high cholesterol, cholesterol and inflammation accumulate in the arteries. As this narrows the vessels, blood flow is impaired. The result is cold hands and feet.
What should you do when your hands and feet are cold?
- Wear thick socks and gloves.
- Move your hands and feet by stretching them forward.
- Quit smoking as soon as possible.
- Switch to a diet that will control your cholesterol.
- Try to control your stress.
- Take iron, vitamin B12 and folate.
When should I go to the doctor?
As we mentioned earlier, it is normal for hands and feet to feel cold. For this reason, it is possible to warm your hands and feet by applying the above methods. However, since these limbs are constantly cold, which may be a sign of some diseases, you should definitely go to the doctor if you are chronically experiencing the following conditions;
- If the wounds on your hands and feet do not heal easily
- If you feel burnout
- If your weight is increasing or decreasing
- If you have a fever
- If you have joint pain in your hands, feet or at different points
- If your skin is too red
- If you feel thickening of your skin
All these symptoms show that the chills in your hands and feet are only a fragment of the disease. Unfortunately, many people lose the chance of early diagnosis because they do not care about this situation. You should definitely discuss the unusual situations with a specialist by following the changes in your body.
We answered the question of why our hands and feet get colder more, and we talked about what diseases can cause this situation. What we describe here is for informational purposes only. If your cold hands and feet have become chronic, you should definitely consult a doctor.
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