Q: Good morning Dr. I have a problem…I don’t know why my hands are always cold. Please help me out

A: Thanks for writing in!

Cold hands may not necessarily signify a problem. For instance, if the weather is very cold, in order to conserve warmth especially for the vital internal organs, the vessels on the skin constrict (become smaller) and thus allow less blood to pass through to the skin…locking the warmth on the inside around your key organs. This leads to cold extremities.

Some people respond to temperature changes more than others and so would also have this situation occur. However, cold extremities accompanied by colour changes ( like blue fingers) could signify a problem with circulation or the nerves. It may also point to tissue damage. Other symptoms in these cases may include numbness or tingling sensation.

Conditions that may lead to this include Raynaud’s Disease (which may be caused by smoking, injuries to the hands and feet, surgery etc), deficiency of iron or Vitamin B12, hypothyroidism (low levels of thyroid hormone in the body), Diabetes etc.

So, if your hands are persistently cold…and you don’t live on the North pole  please see your doctor to rule out other conditions. In the meantime, ensure that you drink sufficient water daily and try to increase your activity levels.

Have a good night y’all 😀