What causes Cold Hands and Feet?

It is imperative that people who constantly have cold hands and feet understand that cold feet and hands could be symptomatic of a lot of different conditions and illnesses. Links have been made between conditions like hypothyroidism, coronary heart diseases, frostbite or severe depression.

A person’s age can be a major factor when determining the reasons behind experiencing cold hands and feet. If an older person notices that their hands and feet are constantly cold, chances are this is symptomatic of the hardening of the arteries. A younger person on the other hand, would do well to associate the same symptoms with vasculitis, which is essentially an inflammation of blood vessels.

The condition that has historically proven to the leading cause of cold feet and hands however, is Raynaud’s Syndrome. A blood circulation disorder, Raynaud’s syndrome results in cold hands and feet. Experts are yet to determine the exact causes of Raynaud’s syndrome. What has been determined is that constricted blood vessels which reduce blood circulation in relation to these extremities have a major role to play when they take longer than usual to dilate.

What are the Symptoms?

Everyone has had cold hands and feet at some point in time due to extremely cold weather conditions, freezing water and so on.

However, a person with Raynaud’s syndrome or a similar condition related to blood circulation will attest to the fact that they have cold feet and hands for longer than the average person

• Hands and feet can stay cold for well over an hour since going out in the cold or touching freezing water.
• Hands and feet are not only cold to the touch; they also experience a significant degree of pain and at times, a stinging sensation.
• Hands and feet turn white initially, as is symptomatic of the condition.
• If the condition is severe, hands and feet can slowly turn blue and eventually red.

How to Protect Yourself Against Cold Hands and Feet

Luckily, there are more than a few things that we as individuals can do within the comforts of our own homes and in the course of our day-to-day lives which could minimise to a significant degree the chances of being susceptible to Raynaud’s syndrome or a similar condition of which cold hands and feet are symptoms.

Smokers will realise that smoking is one of the worst things you can do. Smoking impedes blood circulation and besides triggering obvious and much publicised health concerns like cancer, can also contribute to the smoker experiencing cold hands and feet due to impaired blood circulation.

Another substance which many people cannot live without and which is equally bad for health is caffeine. Caffeine constricts blood vessels which, as all the information above has indicated, are the primary cause behind cold feet and hands. Cutting down on the intake of caffeine can help prevent constriction of blood vessels and, by default, cold hands and feet.

Other preventive measures that you can take at home include exercise, not wearing tight footwear, not directing touching any object that is cold or frozen, wearing gloves and socks in winter and so on. Aspirin is a good way to improve circulation. Other popular medication for the condition fall under the umbrella term of calcium channel blockers.

Reasons why You Need to see Your Physician

As mentioned earlier, experiencing cold hands and feet could be symptomatic of a lot of conditions and illnesses, some of which are more serious and life-threatening than others. This is precisely why visiting a doctor early on is a good idea.