Cold Feet: 6 Medical Causes and Home Remedies
Feeling cold in your feet from time to time
is usually normal, especially when the weather is getting cold and
you’re not wearing warm enough footwear. After all, our feet are the
farthest point from the heart in our body and coincidentally, they’re
also the body part that always touches the cold ground, so it’s expected
that the feet are the first body part to be affected by the cold.
That said, in certain cases, people suffer
from persistently cold feet and even at the peak of the summer heat,
they feel like their feet are always cold. If your feet seem to be cold
all the time, be aware that it can be a symptom of several underlying
health conditions or even a sign of chronic stress. Learn about the
medical causes of cold feet, as well as several useful tips that should
help warm up your feet in this useful guide.
1. Blood Circulation Issues
Patient with Reynaud Syndrome
One of the most common causes of cold feet is poor blood circulation, as
people with circulation issues may not get enough warm blood in their
feet. There are many reasons why someone may have poor circulation, here
are the most common ones associated with cold extremities:
Lack of physical activity, working at a desk for long periods of
time, and a sedentary lifestyle, in general, are capable of reducing
blood circulation in the legs.
High cholesterol and atherosclerosis cause plaques in the blood
vessels, which become barriers that can make it more difficult for the
blood to reach the extremities. As Danielle DesPres, DPM, a Foot &
Ankle Surgeon & Podiatrist in NYC stated in an interview, "The
arteries in your feet are the smallest which means they are most likely
to be affected first. When these arteries are blocked, you could
experience cold and sometimes painful feet."
Smoking can affect circulation as well, as nicotine has been shown
in studies to cause premature atherosclerosis in various blood vessels,
including those in the feet.
Certain heart conditions, as well as rarer conditions like Buerger's
Disease, which leads to blood clots inside the blood vessels, as well as
Raynaud's disease, a rare condition where blood supply is temporarily
cut off to the hands and feet in response to cold or stress, can
likewise cause cold feet.
2. Nerve Disorders
Another type of disorder that can manifest
itself through cold feet are certain nerve disorders generally termed as
peripheral neuropathy. This type of nerve damage in the feet can be
caused by trauma, frostbite, injury, or a number of medical conditions
like infections, hereditary diseases, as well as kidney and liver
damage.
When the nerve tissue becomes inflamed or damaged, it malfunctions and
stops transmitting the right feelings to our brain. As a result,
patients feel cold in their feet even when the temperature of the
surroundings is fine. Patients suffering from this condition may also
experience other out-of-place sensations, such as burning, numbness,
tingling, and prickling in the feet.
3. Anemia
Anemia is a condition that occurs when not
enough oxygen-carrying red blood cells are being delivered to your
body's cells and organs. Our muscles and other tissues require oxygen to
produce energy and stay warm, and since the amount of oxygen in the
blood of people with anemia is lower than it should be, patients often
feel that their feet and hands are chronically cold.
Other symptoms of anemia include fatigue, shortness of breath,
headaches, and pale skin, but only a blood test can definitively say if
you're anemic, so make sure to talk to your health provider if you
experience similar concerns.
4. Diabetes
Diabetics often experience persistently
cold hands and feet, too, and there are two ways in which the condition
can bring about this symptom. Firstly, diabetes patients may have issues
with blood circulation. High blood sugar can result in the narrowing of
the blood vessels which, in turn, affects the blood supply to the
extremities.
Secondly, diabetic patients can develop a condition called diabetic
peripheral neuropathy, a type of nerve damage most common in the feet.
Diabetic neuropathy is more widespread among type 2 diabetes patients,
and about half of them develop the condition compared to around 20% in
type 1 diabetes patients.
Nerve damage due to diabetes occurs when blood sugar levels are high for
long periods of time, especially in untreated patients that don't even
realize that they have the condition. Since diabetic nerve damage cannot
be cured, it's crucial to diagnose the condition early and prevent the
nerve damage altogether. This is especially important in high-risk
groups, such as the elderly, people with cardiovascular issues, and
overweight individuals, to name a few.
5. Thyroid Issues
Our thyroid gland controls several key
functions in the human body, and an underactive thyroid, a condition
called hypothyroidism, is known to manifest itself through cold feet and
hands. This is because thyroid hormones play an important role in
regulating metabolism, and an underactive thyroid, in turn, worsens
blood circulation, decreases the heartbeat, and lowers the body
temperature.
Any of the above-mentioned functions can potentially lead to cold feet,
and because hypothyroid patients are more sensitive to temperature
changes, the symptom is considered to be a common sign of the condition.
6. Anxiety and high stress
Unfortunately, we've all experienced a
great deal of stress due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and other
global and local events this year. As a result, anxiety and depression
rates worldwide have skyrocketed. And while we're all aware of the
emotional and mental toll these conditions may cause, the physical
effects of anxiety and stress often go unnoticed.
One of such effects can be cold feet, experts say. When we're stressed,
our body produces adrenaline into the bloodstream as part of the fight
or flight response. Adrenaline makes the peripheral blood vessels
constrict in order to make the body save energy, and this naturally
decreases one's circulation and may cause cold hands and feet.
Relaxation and plenty of healthy sleep are necessary for our body to
switch gears and return to normal.
Tips to Warm Up Your Feet
As you can see, there is a wide range of
health conditions that can cause chronically cold feet, and if this is a
persistent symptom for you or someone you know, it's best advised to
see a doctor and get diagnosed properly. If, however, cold feet are only
an occasional issue or you need a quick fix for your problem, we have
listed a few practical tips that will help you improve blood circulation
in the feet and warm them up, here they are:
Massage your feet to improve blood circulation.
The quickest way to warm up and relax your feet is by taking a warm
foot bath. We have several tips on how to do a foot bath and recipes to
address different concerns in the article DIY Foot Soaks.
Make sure your footwear isn't too tight and switch to looser
footwear like slippers or thick wool socks at home to maintain healthy
circulation.
Exercise really helps improve the blood flow to the hands and feet,
too. Take a walk, jog, or do a few jumping jacks throughout the day if
you have a sedentary lifestyle, for example, to improve the circulation.
Any exercise will be beneficial.
If you have trouble sleeping because your feet get too cold, try
placing a hot water bottle or a heating pad at the foot of the bed
before bedtime.
Lastly, always keep those feet warm by wearing warm socks and
slippers, and cover them with a blanket if you're sitting for a long
time.