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Hands and feet are a very common phenomenon in women, much more common than in men. But how is that possible? It’s because thermoregulatory processes work differently in the two sexes. We will present several reasons why you have cold hands and feet and how to defend against it.
There are several reasons you may be aware of
Cold hands or feet can be caused, for example, by a sedentary lifestyle. In that case the blood „stagnates“, the limbs receive little heat and are less well perfused. In addition, with a sedentary job the activity of the cardiovascular system decreases. Therefore it may happen that you won’t be able to warm up for the rest of the day. The vessels will weaken and as a result the hands and feet will not be sufficiently perfused. Another reason is stress. It causes an increase in adrenaline levels, which results in disruption of blood flow – cold hands and feet.
A lack of vitamins C, E and P can also cause the cold hands and feet syndrome. All these vitamins are responsible for maintaining the activity of the vascular walls. This can manifest not only as cold skin, but also as bruises on the body or rapid fatigue. You will mainly see these symptoms in women who are dieting.
You can have cold hands and feet as a result of anemia or thyroid disease
The thyroid gland synthesizes hormones. A lack of them, however, can lead to disorders of thermoregulation. Consequently the limbs become cold; you may also notice swelling of the eyelids or dry skin. Iron is very important for the body, so if you don’t have enough of it, you may find yourself with cold hands or feet. Headaches or drowsiness may also occur.
You can have cold hands and feet if you suffer from diabetes. Diabetes is caused by reduced insulin production. Other symptoms besides cold hands include frequent urination or visual disturbances. Raynaud’s disease may appear, which is recognized by the fact that the fingers of the hands and feet become cold, turn white and then blue. After warming they change to red and the fingers may swell.
Watch out for bone deformities or dysfunction of the nervous system
Autonomic dystonia is a condition related to the nervous system. Patients suffering from this disease may complain of cold hands and feet, and also have dizziness or hot flashes. Osteochondrosis is a deformity where the vertebrae press on blood vessels and these can then not properly perfuse our limbs. Numbness in the hands and feet may also occur. It is important to recognize and begin treating this disease in time.
Another problem can be smoking. As is known, it causes narrowing of the vessels, so people who smoke regularly even 2–3 cigarettes a day can have circulation problems and the consequent result – cold hands and feet. Atherosclerosis is a disease that limits blood flow to tissues and organs. People with it often develop the cold hands and feet syndrome. Headaches or memory disorders may also occur.
