Cold hands

introduction

Who doesn't know those cold hands or feet? Far more common concerns this problem Women. Because of their anatomical features, they have less warming muscles than men, more often have a something lower blood pressure and her body succumbs greater hormonal fluctuations.
Also Stressful situations (how fear) are known to lead to cold hands more often. Here, too, it is a physiological mechanism that the blood circulation is centralized (i.e. the outer limbs are less well supplied with blood in favor of the internal organs) so that we can cope with stress or the stress-inducing situation in the best possible way.
Some people complain noticeably often cold hands, But why is it like that? The skin on the hands is relative thinly coated, is sparse with warming Adipose tissue equipped and has a relative large surface.
Unfortunately, these circumstances mean that our Let your hands cool slightly and therefore feel cold. We typically know cold hands from the slightly cooler seasons. But the weather doesn't always play a role. Someone, who constantly suffers from cold hands, should consult a doctor because the list of possible causes is long.

causes

By far the most common cause of cold hands does not have a pathological character, but is simply based on the low temperatures in the environment.
The cold causes the vessels inside our hands to constrict and less blood flow.
The blood that transports heat is centralized in favor of our body core with the vital organs it contains. Clothing that is too thin, too little exercise and moisture at low temperatures make the hands cool down quickly.
Do you suffer from cold hands all year round, regardless of the weather? Then be sure to consult a doctor. For example, it could be caused by a circulatory disorder.
A well-known widespread disease that can cause cold hands is so-called arteriosclerosis. This is a deposit of blood lipids or connective tissue in the vessels, which leads to their narrowing. As a result of the decreasing vessel diameter, the blood flow decreases. The phalanxes of the fingers are now missing the warming blood flowing through them.
Low blood pressure or heart failure can also cause cold hands. If the heart lacks the power to carry the blood with strong beats to parts of the body far away from the heart, the affected parts are also less supplied with blood and cool down quickly.

Read more on this topic at: Symptoms of low blood pressure

Raynaud's syndrome is a special condition that affects the vascular system and causes cold hands. There is a convulsively reactive contraction of the blood vessels in the hands due to cold or stress. The cold fingers appear white, bloodless and numb in attacks. The change in hand color is typical, starting with white and going through blue to red (tricolor phenomenon) when the blood flow occurs again.
Another cause of cold hands, which can be caused by another organ in our body, is an underactive thyroid. The thyroid, a paired flat organ on the front of our neck, produces the thyroid hormones triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4). These influence the blood circulation and take part in the regulation of the energy, heat and cold balance of our body. The result of an underactive thyroid is reduced hormone production. The result: Our body runs on the back burner. Sick people therefore often suffer from cold hands.

Read more on the topic: Circulatory disorders of the hands

Also eating disorder can sometimes be a trigger for the Ice hands because: whoever is hungry, freezes. Because of the Nutritional deficiency It comes to Disorders of the body functions, of Metabolism as well as the Nervous and endocrine systems. Due to the lack of supply of energy suppliers that are in our food, the warming function during its combustion is omitted. Circulatory problems, but also the cold hands are the result.
With some Autoimmune diseaseswhich are characterized in that the body's own cells are viewed as foreign and attacked by their own body, like that chronic inflammatory rheumatism, it comes to permanent Inflammation of the joints. These are characterized by Pain, Swelling and Redness in the field of Finger and ankle joints out. Cold hands can also be a symptom.
Another condition from this category is one Connective tissue disease, the so-called Scleroderma. The problem here is Connective tissue thickeningwhich increasingly Constricts vessels, so the blood flow to the hands throttles and lets them cool down.
Last but not least, in addition to the physical causes mentioned above, it also has the psyche has a major impact on our heat balance. Under fear or stress Our vessels contract reflexively. So it happens that our hands freeze without it being cold.

therapy

Therapy for cold hands is based on the trigger or the Underlying disease. A change of lifestyle can relieve cold hands. Try on Luxury foods, how Cigarettes and alcohol, to renounce.
Make sure you get enough exercise and eat a healthy diet. Take care of one restful sleep, because whoever is tired, freezes. And try Avoid stress.
They rarely stand disease-causing factors as clearly as with Raynaud's Syndrome in the foreground. Because in this disease the main goal of therapy is Avoidance of the cold stimulusthat can trigger cold hands.
At Heart problems or Metabolic disorders, again Hypothyroidism, the targeted treatment measure is usually in medicinal form, in the foreground.
At a arteriosclerosis it is important to start therapy when the disease is still developing. As part of a blood test, the so-called LDL measured, often as bad cholesterol referred to as. This is necessary to determine if the patient's LDL level is too high. In this way, it can be ensured at an early stage that known risk factors are counteracted. For example, it should be a low-fat diets are followed, more physical activity carried out and refrain from smoking become. Existing calcifications can cause blood Anticoagulants (ASS, Clopidogrel or similar) can be used to prevent blood clots from forming.
Are medications responsible for your cold hands?, see your doctor! Together with you, he will work out the positive versus negative effects of the medication weigh up and, if necessary, prescribe you a new medication or reduce the dose of your current medication. In addition, there is sufficient, especially in cooler seasons heat protection in the form of thick, dry and warm clothing to prevent the hands and body from getting cold.

prophylaxis

There are a number of ways to give cold hands the go-ahead that can be easily incorporated into everyday life. In cooler temperatures, dress warm enough. Try that with the clothes to cover the entire body, for example with a long coat or knee socks. Above all, avoid doing this wet clothes. Because this generates evaporative cooling and leads to the Vessels contract and their hands get cold.
Also a heat supply from the outside in the form of a Hot water bottle or one Cherry stone pillow can fight cold hands. Incline your ice fingers frequently as you lead Gripping movements or one massage with your hands.
You can also go through from the inside spicy food, for example with chili that Blood circulation icrank your body. Preventive measures such as extensive are recommended Cardiovascular training in the form of to jog, swim or one Saunato avoid your cold hands.
After the sporty program, treat yourself to a so-called Alternating shower. She is hiring good workout for your vessels and is easy to perform. Take a warm shower for one minute and then five to ten seconds cold immediately afterwards. The alternating bath for the forearms is recommended, especially for cold hands.
Take care of adequate relaxation. Because in stressful situations our body pours, among other things adrenaline from which one Constriction of the vessels causes. The result is again cold hands with poor blood circulation. If you work a lot on the PC, make sure that your posture at the desk is not kinked. That is because this disrupts the blood flow to the hand. Keep your hands a little higher and make sure you get enough warm room temperature.

diagnosis

You should get your See a family doctorwhen getting cold hands especially all year round express regardless of the ambient temperature and if other symptoms such as skin changes or -discoloration, Swelling, pain, dizziness or general signs of illness occur.
The doctor will go into detail about her lifestyle, Their Pre-existing illness and your `s Living conditions consult. He will also be interested in when and how cold hands present themselves.
Then some physical exams carried out. The doctor will take care of your Look carefully at fingers and hands, Blood pressure- and Heart rate measurement to check your heart work and possibly your Listen to vessels with a stethoscope, as blood flowing through vascular constrictions Generated flow noisethat may be audible with the stethoscope.
The doctor may perform some special tests on you to further determine the cause of your cold hands. The so-called Cold challenge test is used to determine if a Raynaud's Syndrome present. Here the hands become cold for a few seconds at four degrees Ice water submerged. The vessels pull like spasms, possibly even painful together and create a Circulatory disorderso the test is positive.
For the detection of a circulatory disorder in the area of ​​the Arteries, serves as the final fist test. For two minutes, the fists are closed every second with the arms raised. It comes to blotchy skin pallor and a delayed refilling of the vessels after lowering the arms, this is an indication of an existing circulatory disorder.
This examination can be supplemented by the Allen testwhere for a moment both of them Arm arteries on the wrist be squeezed to reduce the blood supply to the fingers. The hand turns white. After releasing one of the two vessels, the blood supply is partially resumed and the hand appears to be supplied with normal blood again after about five to seven seconds. If the hand remains white, this is an indication of a Circulatory disorder of the affected vessel. In addition, if you have cold hands, the blood can be tested to identify inflammation or certain diseases, such as rheumatism or one Hypothyroidism, to discover. Other options for diagnosing cold hands are imaging procedures, such as a Ultrasonic or X-rays with contrast media, which can make the vascular system with its constrictions visible.

Symptoms

So it is mostly normal for hands to get cold.
However, there can be more than a normal body function behind permanently cold hands and feet. Especially when both of them take a particularly long time to warm up again or it becomes excessively painful to get into warmth with cold hands, you can clarify whether the cause is, for example, a Vascular disease is.
With some diseases it also happens that individual fingers turn whitish, bluish and discolor reddish (Tricolor phenomenon). This then suggests that the Blood circulation just this finger is disturbed and occurs, for example, with that Raynaud's Syndrome in which small vessels cramp. If the underlying blood pressure is low, those affected also report, for example dizziness, paleness, a fast pulse, a headache or fatigue. Cold hands can also result from vascular calcification (arteriosclerosis), since the interior of the vessel is narrowed here. It often joins hands and feet Diabetics noticeable and there are typical signs of a decreased blood supply With cold, paleness and possibly even Pain. Become Finger blue, this indicates that the tissue too little oxygen if an undersupply lasts too long, nerve, muscle and connective tissue structures can also be permanently damaged. Depending on how old a patient is, what kind of previous illnesses they have or in which situations the complaints occur, it can be further diagnosed whether and in which system of the body a disease is present.

Cold hands with a fever

A classic fever characterized initially by severe freezing, mostly in the form of almost everyone familiar chills out. The infection caused in central nervous system, ours brain, one Increase in the so-called target value of our core body temperature. This is usually around 37 degrees.
Has the value increased, as it did with fever happens, our current body temperature is below and the Body feels that it is too cold. He's freezing. To compensate for this problem, be Vesselsfarthest from the center of the body contracted in favor of the internal organsin order to maintain their function and to prevent cooling down.
It is this reaction that is common in fever cold hands and feet, at the same time hot trunk and head. Here offer themselves thick socks, sufficient clothing and warm drinks on. When the fever has reached its peak, one is in Sweating stage. Are at this stage cold hands mostly gone. It should be on slight loose and not too warm dress as well as a thin blanket change.

Cold hands and cold feet

Also at cold feet is this Wide range of causes.
Cold hands often have causes that also apply to the feet. Cold, wet or insufficiently warm footwear or even one to tight footwear are sometimes responsible for your cold feet. So make sure you have one, especially on cold days Pair of shoes and thick socks. A Circulatory disorder of the legs and feet, the so-called peripheral arterial disease, in which those affected usually suffer from the symptoms all year round regardless of the ambient temperature, can also be responsible for the cold feet.
But also that already mentioned above Raynaud's syndrome can make itself felt with cold feet. At the diabetes, popularly known as diabetes, is common among patients Numbness as well as feeling cold in the feet with warm skin at the same time. Diabetics often suffer from very high Blood sugar levels. When the sugar is broken down, there is more and more input here, to a large extent toxic degradation product which is located in the annoy deposits and contributes to their destruction. Therefore, as a diabetic, make every effort to control your blood sugar properly! Because nerves that have already been damaged can no longer be repaired.
Look for see a doctor or clinic immediately on when your Feet or legs suddenly cold, pale and painful become! It can be a so-called embolism, a vascular occlusion through a Blood clots, act. If left untreated, this can be up to Loss of the affected leg section. Join the Pain, the Discoloration and the Feeling cold if you add swelling of the feet, it may be deep vein thrombosis. A blood clot has formed within the vascular system, which obstructs the blood flow and thus allows the feet to cool down. Here, too, you should immediately consult a doctor in order to initiate diagnosis and treatment as quickly as possible!

Please also read our topic: Kold feet

forecast

Having cold hands every now and then is usually harmless. Otherwise, a prognosis depends heavily on that Type of disease from and to the Expression this. Is it a Circulatory disorder one must take note of every tissue in the body with oxygen and many others Needs to be supplied with nutrients. If this supply fails completely and lasts too long, tissue dies. Also one Undersupplythat can last too long Consequential damage entail. It can be too Nerve damage that come with then Sensory disturbances can go along or to Damage to muscles. Hormonally induced coldness, like one Hypothyroidism, can usually be done well with the gift of Replacement hormones in tablet form and therefore pose no risk of permanent damage. It must be said here, however, that the thyroid controls a large number of processes in the body and it is therefore necessary to treat hypofunction.