A vitamin B-12 deficiency can give you neurological symptoms including the feeling of cold hands and feet, numbness, or tingling. Vitamin B-12 is found naturally in meat and dairy products, and is important for maintaining healthy red blood cells.
Conditions that cause cold feet as a symptom
Autoimmune conditions (anemia). Heart disease. Hormonal changes (hypothyroidism). Narrow artery blockages or constricted blood vessels.
Cold feet may be your body's normal response to temperature, but it can sometimes be related to a medical condition that needs treatment. Diseases from diabetes to anemia can affect the temperature of your feet.
#1: You have poor circulation
Poor circulation is one of the most common causes of cold feet. When the temperature outside drops, your body works to keep your core warm. As a result, your blood vessels in your extremities constrict to limit circulation to the core part of your body.
One medical cause for cold feet is a condition called peripheral neuropathy, the term for damage to nerves outside of the brain and spinal cord. If your feet are cold and you feel a burning sensation — or you feel as if you are walking on a cloud — you might have peripheral neuropathy.
Doctors believe that MS can cause blood vessels in your hands and feet to overreact to cold temperatures. If you have MS, you may also be at risk for Raynaud's phenomenon, a condition in which your fingers and toes lose heat.
Poor circulation
This is one of the most common causes of cold feet. Poor circulation can make it difficult for enough warm blood to get to your feet regularly, keeping them cooler than the rest of your body.
One of the quickest ways to relieve cold feet is to soak them in a warm footbath. Filling a bathtub or basin with warm water and soaking the feet for 10 to 15 minutes may be enough to keep fresh blood circulating to the feet throughout the day.
The most common causes of poor circulation in the feet are obesity, diabetes, and heart conditions such as peripheral artery disease (PAD). Common symptoms of poor circulation include tingling, numbness, throbbing, pain and muscle cramps. Peripheral artery disease is a common cause of poor circulation in the legs.
Estrogen can lower women's body temperature, cause heat to dissipate and slow blood flow to the hands and feet, making them more sensitive to cold.
Diabetic neuropathy — cold or numb hands or feet — is a common sign of poor circulation in diabetes. However, according to United Kingdom-based Global Diabetes Community, you should alert your doctor if you experience these symptoms, as well: Pain when walking, particularly in calves, thighs, and buttocks.
Poor Circulation
Every time your heart beats, it sends blood throughout your body. But if you have a heart condition, smoke, or don't move around often, your circulation may be poor. This slows the flow of blood around your body and is one of the most common medical conditions that can trigger cold feet.
Alexandria, VA – Staying properly hydrated in winter months improves a person's circulation, which can help keep hands and toes warm on chilly days.
Poor circulation — caused by a heart problem, smoking, high blood pressure, Reynaud's disease or diabetes — is the most common cause of chronic cold feet, Tulpule says. Blocked or narrowed blood vessels makes it harder for blood to flow freely.
Poor circulation is when your blood vessels are constricted. This means there isn't enough blood getting to the feet to keep them warm. Cold feet and hands is a common sign of poor circulation, along with numbness or swelling in you extremities, muscle cramping, and fatigue.
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Its early symptoms typically include weakness and tingling sensations in the feet and legs, which can spread and paralyze the entire body. (Weakness to the point of paralysis is the hallmark feature of this condition.)
Cold hands and feet can be a result of iron deficiency anemia. People with anemia have poor blood circulation throughout their bodies because they don't have enough red blood cells to provide oxygen to their tissue.
Most often, you're in a cold environment, or blood flow to your leg is restricted by your position. If accompanied by pain, tingling, numbness, or weakness, consult a doctor. You may be suffering from a medical condition, like peripheral artery disease or peripheral neuropathy.
Specifically, vitamin B3 has been shown to reduce inflammation and increase circulation. People who always have cold hands and feet may want to consider a vitamin B supplement to improve blood flow and heart health.
Regular walking will help condition muscles and improve blood flow in the legs. Exercise will also help control other risk factors such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity and diabetes. Eating healthy foods can help lower high cholesterol levels and control diabetes.
Tingling, burning, or pain in your feet. Loss of sense of touch or ability to feel heat or cold very well. A change in the shape of your feet over time. Loss of hair on your toes, feet, and lower legs.