Current:Home > ScamsAre your hands always cold? Some answers why-DB Wealth Institute B2 Expert Reviews
Are your hands always cold? Some answers why
View Date:2024-12-25 10:41:18
It’s completely healthy for your hands to feel cold from time to time. Whether you’re walking around outside during the chilly winter months, or sitting in a cool, air-conditioned room in the summer, cold hands are often a response to a temperature change in your environment.
Experiencing cold hands is usually not a cause for concern. However, if you notice that your hands are feeling cold all of the time, cold hands may indicate the presence of an underlying medical condition.
Do cold hands mean you are sick?
When your hands are cold, the vessels that supply blood to your hands and fingers constrict. “If you're in cold, frigid temperatures,” or if you find yourself handling cold items, such as foods from a kitchen freezer, “one would expect that your hands will feel cold,” says Dr. Ernestine A. Wright, an internal medicine physician and a primary care physician at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore.
For most people, cold hands shouldn’t set off alarm bells. Often, they’re just a temporary result of being in a cold space. However, there are a few signs that may indicate your cold hands are the result of a more serious health condition.
If your cold hands are persisting despite being indoors and the rest of your body being warm, speak with a physician, says Wright.
Additionally, if your cold hands are accompanied by any symptoms of pain or ulceration of the fingertips, it is necessary that you consult a physician, says Dr. Hisham Awan, an orthopedic surgeon and director of the Hand and Upper Extremity Center at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.
The more you know:Dry skin a problem for you in the winter? These dermatologists have you covered.
Why are my hands always cold?
According to the Cleveland Clinic, medical conditions that can cause cold hands include:
- Raynaud’s syndrome
- Hyperthyroidism
- Peripheral artery disease (PAD)
- Lupus
- Scleroderma
Raynaud’s syndrome is one of the most common causes of cold hands, according to the American Society for Surgery of the Hand. It is a disorder that causes the blood vessels that flow through the hands to spasm, Awan says. As blood flow becomes more restricted, hands will become cold.
Raynaud’s syndrome can be triggered by cold temperatures, stress and habitual activities that involve using your hands, such as playing an instrument or typing on a computer, Wright says.
In case you missed:What are sound baths and why do some people swear by them?
How to warm up cold hands
If you struggle with chronically cold hands, there are a few general measures you can take to manage your symptoms.
First, you should always try to minimize exposure to cold temperatures. If you know you will be in a cold environment, no matter if it’s bracing the outside weather, or simply picking up cold foods at a supermarket, wear protective gloves or mittens, says Wright.
To warm your hands up, place “your hands in warm water for about five to 15 minutes” until the cold feeling has dissipated, Wright says.
It’s important to note that treatment will vary according to the root cause of your symptoms. Consult your primary care physician to determine the right course of treatment for you.
veryGood! (92571)
Related
- 2025 NFL mock draft: QBs Shedeur Sanders, Cam Ward crack top five
- Leaders and Activists at COP27 Say the Gender Gap in Climate Action is Being Bridged Too Slowly
- Denver psychedelics conference attracts thousands
- Harry Styles Reacts to Tennis Star Elina Monfils Giving Up Concert Tickets Amid Wimbledon Run
- The Best Gifts for People Who Don’t Want Anything
- What’s Good for Birds Is Good for People and the Planet. But More Than Half of Bird Species in the U.S. Are in Decline
- Inside Clean Energy: A Dirty Scandal for a Clean Energy Leader
- The marketing whiz behind chia pets and their iconic commercials has died
- The Cowboys, claiming to be 'all in' prior to Dak Prescott's injury, are in a rare spot: Irrelevance
- Reddit says new accessibility tools for moderators are coming. Mods are skeptical
Ranking
- Study finds Wisconsin voters approved a record number of school referenda
- Lung Cancer in Nonsmokers? Study Identifies Air Pollution as a Trigger
- Who Were the Worst Climate Polluters in the US in 2021?
- Netflix's pop-up eatery serves up an alternate reality as Hollywood grinds to a halt
- NASCAR Hall of Fame driver Bobby Allison dies at 86
- Reneé Rapp Leaving The Sex Lives Of College Girls Amid Season 3
- How fast can the auto industry go electric? Debate rages as the U.S. sets new rules
- RHONY's Kelly Bensimon Is Engaged to Scott Litner: See Her Ring
Recommendation
-
Texas’ 90,000 DACA recipients can sign up for Affordable Care Act coverage — for now
-
Home Workout Brand LIT Method Will Transform the Way You Think About the Gym
-
After Two Decades of Controversy, the EPA Uses Its ‘Veto’ Power to Kill the Pebble Mine in Southwest Alaska
-
Why building public transit in the US costs so much
-
Sofia Richie Reveals 5-Month-Old Daughter Eloise Has a Real Phone
-
Tom Cruise and Son Connor Cruise Make Rare Joint Outing Together in NYC
-
Meta leans on 'wisdom of crowds' in AI model release
-
This electric flying taxi has been approved for takeoff — sort of