Our bodies are designed to regulate our temperature. When it's cold outside, your body makes sure to keep the blood flowing to your core and vital organs to keep them warm. This can change the amount of blood flow to your hands and feet, making them feel cold. This is normal. The blood vessels in your hands and feet constrict (spasm) when it's cold, to prevent heat loss from your core.
Some people tend to have colder feet and hands naturally, without an underlying disease. It's a fairly common condition. When your hands and feet naturally tend to get cold, you may just need to take extra precautions in cold weather to protect them.
But if your cold feet and hands are constantly bothersome, or if you notice additional symptoms, such as color changes in your fingers, there are more things you can do.
Here's what to know about cold feet and hands, and what you can do about it.
Some people work, live, or play in very cold environments. Meat packers or others who spend time in freezers, military personnel, mountain climbers, hunters, utility linemen, and rescue workers are some of the people who need special protective clothing to keep them as warm as possible.
Being in a very cold environment carries the danger of frostbite and permanent damage to hands and feet. In addition, there's a danger that the ability to work emergency equipment will be impaired by extreme cold.
Ongoing research is looking at whether working in a constantly cold environment helps you to become more accustomed to it and to avoid injury. According to the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS), some people can develop a tolerance for cold. Fishermen, for example, can work with their bare hands in extremely cold weather.
The CCOHS notes that women are at more risk of cold injury because their hands and feet cool faster.
No matter what's causing your cold feet and hands, it's important for your comfort to warm them up. Here are some remedies:
We asked an expert for additional tips to help with cold hands and feet. Wendy Slate is a Certified Hand Therapist with 38 years of experience. She founded Cape Cod Hand and Upper Extremity Therapy 16 years ago, and has worked with many people who have Raynaud's.
Next, let's look more closely at specific health conditions that could be behind constantly cold feet and hands. This includes Reynaud's syndrome and other conditions that can affect blood circulation.
Many factors can make your hands and feet cold. Your own body has a baseline and its natural response to cold temperatures.
The most common health-related conditions that can cause coldness in your limbs are related to poor blood circulation or nerve damage in your hands or feet.
Here are some of the possibilities:
Anemia is a condition where you have fewer healthy and properly functioning red blood cells than normal. It's usually caused by an iron deficiency.
When you have an iron deficiency, your red blood cells may not have enough hemoglobin (iron-rich protein) to transport oxygen from your lungs to the rest of your body. The result can be cold fingers and toes.
A blood test can determine if your blood has low levels of iron. Eating more foods that are iron-rich (such as leafy greens) and taking iron supplements can help relieve your cold hands and feet.
When your arteries are narrowed or dysfunctional, it reduces blood flow to your legs and feet. There are several types of arterial disease.
Peripheral artery disease (PAD) affects an estimated one third of people over 50 years old who have diabetes mellitus. PAD typically causes arterial wall damage in the lower extremities when buildup of plaque on the walls of blood vessels causes them to narrow.
Primary pulmonary hypertension, which damages the arteries of the lungs, often involves Raynaud's.
PAD symptoms in addition to cold feet include:
Primary pulmonary hypertension symptoms include:
If you have any of these symptoms, along with cold hands and feet, see your doctor. Treating arterial disease early can lead to a better outcome.
It's 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 wounds that you might not feel, but could become infected.
Hypothyroidism is a condition where your thyroid is underactive and doesn't produce enough thyroid hormones to keep your body's metabolic functions running properly. It affects more women than men, and is common over age 60.
Feeling cold is one of the symptoms of hypothyroidism. Other symptoms include fatigue, joint pain and stiffness, dry skin, thinning hair, and depression.
A doctor can determine if you have hypothyroidism with blood testing. The main treatment is a synthetic hormone supplement, taken daily.
Raynaud's syndrome, also known as Raynaud's phenomenon or Raynaud's disease, is a condition that makes your fingers or sometimes other parts of your body feel cold or numb. It results from the narrowing of arteries in your hands or feet, which stops the blood from having normal circulation.
Raynaud's may cause your fingers to change color, turning white, blue, or red. When your blood circulation becomes normal, your hands may tingle, throb, or swell.
Raynaud's is triggered by cold temperatures or stress. The exact cause of Raynaud's isn't fully understood. Raynaud's is divided into two main types. Most people have primary Raynaud's, which is called Raynaud's disease.
When another medical condition causes Raynaud's, it's called secondary Raynaud's, which is also called Raynaud's phenomenon.
Treatments for Raynaud's include drugs that improve your circulation and widen your blood vessels. But many people don't need any treatment.
For some people who experience severe Raynaud's, talking with a doctor about medicines like those for erectile dysfunction and topical nitroglycerin cream might be useful.
Here are some causes of secondary Raynaud's:
A vitamin B-12 deficiency can give you neurological symptoms including the feeling of cold hands and feet, numbness, or tingling.
Vitamin B-12 is found naturally in meat and dairy products, and is important for maintaining healthy red blood cells. Your body doesn't make vitamin B-12, so you need to get it from the foods you eat.
Other symptoms of a vitamin B-12 deficiency include:
A blood test can indicate vitamin B-12 deficiency. Treatments can include your taking an oral supplement, receiving vitamin B-12 injections, and changes to your diet.
Smoking tobacco causes injury to your blood vessels throughout the body, which then become narrowed, and can contribute to cold fingers and toes.
Over time, smoking can damage the blood vessels in your heart, making it harder for your heart to pump blood through your body. This especially affects your legs and feet.
Get help to quit smoking. There are trained professionals, therapies, and even apps that can help you monitor your own progress.
Other factors that may lead to cold hands and feet include your age, family history, and some medications. In addition:
Babies lose body heat more rapidly in the cold because they have a large body surface area compared to their weight. They may not have a lot of fat under their skin as insulation. Also, their natural body temperature regulation is not fully developed.
Older people lose the ability to regulate their body temperature well. The blood vessels in their extremities don't constrict as easily to keep their core warm.
The metabolism tends to slow with age, and this can contribute as well. They may have an increased risk of cold extremities because of chronic conditions and medications.
If you have cold hands and feet all the time, no matter what the weather is outside or temperature around you, see your doctor. There may be an underlying disease or condition that needs to be treated.
If you have additional symptoms, such as fingers or toes that change color, trouble breathing, or hand or leg pain, see a doctor.