If your fingers get cold and cold while walking in low air temperatures, this is quite normal: the body first sends more blood and, accordingly, heat to the vital organs (heart, brain, lungs ). However, constantly cold fingers that do not get warm even in the heat may indicate the presence of certain diseases or problems.
Estet-portal.com will tell you more about the causes of constantly cold fingers in this article.
Diseases that can cause cold fingers
Raynaud's Syndrome
Cold fingers – a typical symptom of Raynaud's syndrome, which manifests itself in the narrowing of the blood vessels of the fingers, as well as the legs, ears and nose in response to cold or emotional stress.
In this case, the fingers may turn white, turn blue, the blood flow to them decreases or even stops. However, as blood flow is restored, the fingers turn red. During an attack, you may feel cold, numb, tingling, or pain in your fingers.
Subscribe to our page on Instagram!
The cause of Raynaud's syndrome has not been established, but the disease is not life-threatening.
Autoimmune diseases
Sometimes Raynaud's syndrome, which is a symptom of cold fingers, can be caused by another condition. For example:
- lupus, in which the immune system attacks its own tissues;
- scleroderma, which causes hardening and scarring of the skin and connective tissues;
- rheumatoid arthritis;
- and other autoimmune diseases.
This Raynaud's syndrome is called secondary, you can get rid of it by curing the disease that caused the syndrome.
Subscribe to our page on Facebook!
Anemia
Anemia and associated cold fingers are the result of a lack of red blood cells or low levels of hemoglobin in the blood. With anemia, the supply of oxygen to the body is reduced, causing the hands to become cold. Possible causes of anemia:
- lack of iron in the diet;
- blood loss (with ulcers, menstruation, gastrointestinal bleeding);
- cancer;
- Gastrointestinal disorders (e.g. Crohn's disease).
Disease of the skin of the hands: features of the clinical picture
In addition to cold fingers, anemia also is manifested by the following symptoms:
- fatigue;
- dizziness;
- breathing difficulties;
- skin pallor.
Low blood pressure
Hypotension, i.e. low blood pressure, can occur for a variety of reasons, including:
- dehydration;
- blood loss;
- medication;
- endocrine disorders.
When blood pressure is lower than necessary, blood vessels direct blood from the extremities to the internal organs, resulting in cold fingers.
Other symptoms of low blood pressure:
- dizziness;
- blurred vision;
- fatigue;
- nausea;
- weakness;
- confusion.
You should definitely consult a doctor with this problem.
Hypothyroidism
When the thyroid gland is disturbed, cold fingers – not uncommon.
If the thyroid gland, which can be called the body's thermostat, is not active enough, most body functions slow down and appear:
Cold fingers – other causes of lack of heat in the extremities
Impaired blood circulation
This is the most common cause of cold fingers. Circulatory problems occur when the flow of nutrient-rich blood is reduced as a result of the heart not pumping well (in the case of heart failure), or physical obstruction to blood flow (cholesterol plaques in the vessels), or other causes. If the heart cannot properly pump blood throughout the body, the legs and arms feel cold, numb, or tingly because the limbs are farthest from the heart.
Vitamin B12 deficiency
Vitamin B12, which is found in meat, eggs and dairy products, is actively involved in the formation of red blood cells. Deficiency of this vitamin leads to suppression of the production of red blood cells (and later to anemia). This cause of cold fingers is most often characteristic of vegetarians, as well as people over 50 years of age (due to impaired absorption of vitamins from food).
Stress
Stress leads to a surge of adrenaline, causing the vessels in the extremities to constrict and the fingers and toes to become cold. After the disappearance of the stressful situation, the temperature of the fingers returns to normal.
Medications
Cold fingers are often the result of medications that constrict blood vessels, namely the arteries. Such drugs include, for example:
- beta-blockers (designed to regulate blood pressure);
- Migraine medicines;
- anticancer drugs;
- decongestants.
Smoking
Smoking also constricts blood vessels, cold fingers may be due to the formation of plaques in the arteries.
Cold fingers can be a completely harmless, non-life-threatening phenomenon, but in some cases, this symptom can hide quite serious disorders of the body. A doctor can most accurately determine the cause of cold fingers.
More useful information on our channel in Youtube:
Add a comment