Cold feet and hands - what could be the causes of this ailment? Always cold feet and hands can be the result of wearing socks with a tight cuff or buckling your watch strap too tight. Cold, and sometimes even icy hands and feet can also indicate diseases, the most serious of which are those of the circulatory system. Find out what are the causes of cold feet and hands.

Cold feet and handsmost often appear outside in autumn and winter, when the ambient temperature drops. Then the small arterioles of the feet and hands contract, and then their ischemia occurs. You may then notice that your fingers turn pale first, then waxy white. In addition, when it is cold, the circulatory system tries to keep the internal organs at the right temperature. Therefore, there is an increased transport of blood to the chest and abdomen. As a result, there is a reduction in blood flow through the blood vessels supplying the lower and upper limbs, which intensifies the feeling of cold.

However, such a temporary cooling of the feet and hands is not a cause for concern. However, ifcold feet and handsbother you all year round, even in summer, it may indicate serious ailments.

Cold feet and hands - causes. Socks with tight welt

Socks with tight ribbing, knee socks that cut into the skin of the legs, and hold-ups can restrict or even block blood flow below the pressure, which makes the feet feel cold. A similar effect is achieved by too tight gloves, bracelets or a watch strap that is too tightly fastened.

Therefore, it is best to choose socks that have wide and not too tight cuffs and tights marked with a spiral pattern surrounding the calf. On the other hand, when fastening the watch, remember that your finger should fit between the strap and your wrist.

Read also: Why am I still cold? 8 reasons you often feel cold

Cold feet and hands - causes. Constantly sitting and standing

Staying in one position for a long time - sitting or standing - can also contribute to the feeling of cold feet, because then the blood flow is disturbed. To prevent this from happening, transfer weight from leg to leg or during prolonged standingclimb on your toes, and during long hours of sitting, it is better not to put your feet on your feet, but to do foot exercises from time to time.

Cold feet and hands - causes. Stress

In stressful situations, an increased amount of adrenaline is released, which concentrates the circulation around the organs necessary for survival, i.e. the heart and the brain. The consequence is a reduction in blood flow through the blood vessels that supply the skin of the legs and arms, which causes a feeling of cold.

Cold feet and hands - causes. Drugs and chemicals

Cold hands and feet may also appear in people taking certain medications - primarily beta-blockers, ergot derivatives, oral contraceptives, cytostatics, interferon.

Cold limbs also occur with poisoning with lead, thallium and other chemicals.

Cold feet and hands - causes. Cigarettes

Nicotine causes the blood vessels to contract, and as a result, the blood supply to the fingers and toes decreases, which reduces their temperature.

Cold hands and feet - what diseases can they indicate?

Cold feet and hands usually indicate problems with blood circulation-most often deep vein thrombosis. It is a very serious disease that causes it has been asymptomatic for many years. Blood clots that form in the veins of the legs gradually increase in size and then suddenly break off and flow with the blood into the main vessels in the lungs. There they can create an embolism that can lead to death.

Other cardiological causes of cold feet and hands can be:

  • atherosclerosis - as a result of the accumulation of cholesterol deposits, the endothelium of blood vessels is damaged, and further their narrowing and impediment to blood flow;
  • Buerger's disease (thromboembolic vasculitis);
  • Takayasu's disease (Takayasu's arteritis, i.e. heartless disease);
  • diseases of the hematopoietic system, such as: leukemia, multiple myeloma, lymphomas, polycythemia vera, thrombocytopenia;
  • iron deficiency anemia - hindered transport of oxygen results in ischemia and the feeling of cold feet and elephants;
  • Raynaud's disease - a cardiovascular disease involving spasm, under the influence of stress or cold, of arterioles that supply blood to the fingers and toes. Hands and feet first turn waxy white, then turn purple, numb and redden;
  • hypotension (hypotension).

Other possible causes of cold feet and hands are:

  • compression syndromes of nerves and vessels, e.g. carpal tunnel syndrome - as a resultpressure on the vessels and the nerve passing through the carpal tunnel leads to limb ischemia, and thus - the feeling of cold. The accompanying symptoms are numbness or tingling and pain in the hand;
  • hypothyroidism;
  • systemic connective tissue diseases, such as: visceral lupus, systemic scleroderma, rheumatoid arthritis, dermatomyositis;
  • diabetes;
  • infectious diseases, e.g. viral hepatitis;
  • pulmonary edema.

Category:

He alth