It doesn’t matter if it’s lovely warm spring, or cold winter, you always feel like your hands and feet will freeze. Warm socks and fluffy sweaters don’t help, your feet are beyond help, it seems. Yes, winter is living hell, and the only way you can enjoy it is if you’re covered with a dozen blankets and have a cup of steaming hot chocolate in your hands. Sounds familiar, doesn’t it? Well, there may be a good reason you’re feeling that way.
Poor Circulation
Poor circulation may lead to really big problems, much bigger than cold feet and hands, but luckily it can be improved in a few simple ways. To check whether your circulation really is poor, place a finger on your lower leg, somewhere above your ankle and when you pull it back the skin should bounce back immediately. If that doesn’t happen, it means that your body retains water and that you have problems with circulation. Omega-3 oils, ginkgo biloba supplements, moderate exercise and massage can help you improve circulation and feel warmer.
Raynaud’s Disease
If your sensitivity to cold seems to be a bit extreme, don’t wait to go to the doctor’s and check up on your health. Raynaud’s disease is not a serious condition, but it can complicate your life. If your extremities are so cold that they turn white or blue, you could be suffering from it. Depending on how serious it is, treatment may include wearing layers and extra gloves and socks, to taking medicine to widen your blood vessels.
Hypothyroidism
Another reason for your cold feet and hands (and if you feel cold to the core no matter what) could be your thyroid gland. Just below Adam’s apple in your neck this gland produces hormones which help body’s cells create energy by converting oxygen and calories into it. If your thyroid is working slowly or perhaps not at all, it may be the reason you’re feeling cold all the time. Hypothryoidism is the name of this condition and other symptoms that help you and your doctor identify it are thinning hair, sluggishness, an increase in weight, and heavier and longer periods. It is more common in women than men, and it can strike at any time, usually at puberty or after pregnancy, but it most often occurs at the menopause. You will need hormone pills to treat it, but first do a test to see whether you have it.
Anemia
Anemia has several forms with the most common one being iron deficiency anemia‚ which means that you don’t have enough hemoglobin or red blood cells to get oxygen to your bodily tissues. It is one of the reasons you have poor circulation and end up wearing a fur-lined parka the minute the wind blows. If your skin is very pale, you get tired easily, and suffer from dizziness, you should see a doctor and do a blood test.
While being cold all the time can be annoying for you and funny for your friends (they’ll stop taking you seriously after a while and keep offering you blankets on warm, sunny days), remember that it can indicate a serious health condition. Keep warm, wear layers, exercise, and wait for warm summer days to soak in some sunshine. After all, a bit of vitamin D and warmth can keep you healthy throughout winter days.
