Cold feet & cold hands: Causes and treatment options

Cold feet and cold hands can be signs of health problems. Smokers often complain about constantly cold hands and feet because the circulation no longer works well enough to adequately supply blood to hands and feet. To ease your worries, we want to clarify possible causes and treatment options here.

Our body is designed to maintain a temperature of 37 °C continuously. At this body temperature, all metabolic processes can run optimally. If we get cold, for example, our body tries to maintain its operating temperature. To keep the 37 °C in the torso, where most metabolic processes occur, the blood supply to hands and feet is reduced. Less blood reaches the extremities, so more stays in the warm torso, reducing heat loss.

This is also why women more often have cold hands and feet. Their bodies tend to conserve heat centrally to protect a possible unborn child. Additionally, women have less muscle and thinner skin, which causes heat to be lost faster. 

By the way, if you have a warm head despite cold hands and feet, this is initially a good sign. Like our body, the head should maintain operating temperature to function properly. This indicates that the thermoregulation of your body is working well.

 

As we can see, the cause of cold feet can simply be the temperature. However, if your feet are always cold even in summer, a disease may be the cause. Cold hands and feet can be symptoms of the following diseases:

• diabetes
• anemia
• arteriosclerosis
• hypothyroidism
• depression
• eating disorders
• nerve damage
• low blood pressure

If you notice cold hands and feet more frequently without an obvious reason like general cold, you should see a doctor. They can rule out typical diseases that cause cold extremities. Then you will know that no illness underlies these symptoms. 

 

If you have seen a doctor and they could not find a cause such as a disease for the cold hands and feet, you can try to address the cold hands and feet on your own. 

In winter, you should for example dress warmly. If your body notices too much heat loss, it can reduce blood flow to hands and feet, causing them to cool noticeably. Shoes that are too tight can be another reason why your feet feel cold. A thick shoe sole can shield against cold from the ground.

Increased movement can stimulate blood circulation to the extremities. In winter, a short walk can warm your feet again. 

Crossing or overlapping your legs inhibits blood circulation, so you should avoid this with cold feet.

Too much coffee and alcohol promote cold hands and feet. Mulled wine at the Christmas market may seem like a promising way to get warm at first glance. However, the alcohol in mulled wine dilates blood vessels, causing the body to lose more heat and thus reduce blood flow to the extremities. 

Foot massages and rising foot baths according to Kneipp can help stimulate blood circulation in the feet. This may help them thermoregulate better.

For cold feet in bed, warming creams can help, which for example stimulate blood circulation through essential oils. Contrast showers are another way the body might improve its own thermoregulation.

By the way, you should of course avoid smoking. Smokers and alcoholics often have cold hands and feet. In smokers, blood vessels clog, reducing blood flow to the extremities.

 

First, you should see a doctor to rule out diseases as a cause. Afterwards, there can be many reasons for cold hands. You can try the following points:

• more sleep and less stress
• balanced diet
• hand massages and possibly warming creams
• dress warmly in winter
• limit coffee consumption
• avoid alcohol and cigarettes
  
  

There can be many causes. Your hands can get cold due to illnesses like diabetes. However, most often hands get cold to reduce the loss of body heat. In winter, cold hands often indicate that your body wants to conserve heat. In that case, dressing warmer helps.

For cold feet in bed, you can try foot massages,Contrast showersTry warming creams or rising foot baths. Foot massages and warming creams can acutely promote blood circulation in the feet. Contrast showers and foot baths aim to improve the thermoregulation of the feet, although their effectiveness is not proven.