So we can see the elderly have slower metabolisms, they don't produce enough heat from their own body, they are also frequently affected by poor circulation and are thus prone to cold hands, feet and extremities.
Cold hands and feet
When an elderly adult's blood is not properly circulating, the temperature of their extremities tends to fluctuate. The blood vessels in those areas constrict in efforts to retain body heat, which results in cold hands and feet.
Usually, having cold hands is just one of the ways the body tries to control its temperature and shouldn't be cause for concern. However, persistently cold hands — particularly with skin color changes — could be a warning sign of nerve damage, blood flow problems, or tissue damage in the hands or fingers.
Cold hands are often a sign that your body is trying to maintain its regular body temperature. Always having cold hands, however, could mean there's a problem with your blood flow or the blood vessels in your hands.
Cold hands usually mean that not enough blood is going to your hands. Your body protects vital organs like your heart, brain, and lungs by making more blood flow to them and away from your hands. If your hands get cold often—or turn red, purple, blue, and start to feel numb—it may be a sign of poor circulation.
People with heart failure may find that they often feel cold in their arms, hands, feet, and legs (the extremities). This happens because the body is circulating most of the available blood to the brain and other vital organs to compensate for the failing heart's inability to pump enough blood to the entire body.
Low blood pressure
If your blood pressure gets too low, your body directs blood away from your extremities and toward the critical organs in your core. This can leave hands and feet feeling cold.
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.
Cold hands and feet
A vitamin B-12 deficiency can lead to the feeling of cold hands and feet, numbness, or tingling. Unfortunately, up to 15% of the general population is deficient in this important vitamin. To boost your intake of vitamin B12, consume more meat, poultry, eggs, milk, and other dairy products.
If your hands and feet stay cold, perhaps even numb, it's an almost sure sign you have poor circulation. While decreased blood flow can be a symptom of several medical problems, one of the most common is diabetes.
It is concluded that cold hands and feet are common among hypertensive patients and may be aggravated by treatment with not only beta-blockers but also diuretics.
One of the most common symptoms of anemia is cold hands and feet, as not having enough red blood cells may cause the body to struggle to transport blood to them.
It is very common for people living in the mid to later stages of dementia to feel cold.
A magnesium deficiency can cause your muscles to tense up which, in turn, causes the diameter of your arteries to decrease, thus decreasing blood flow, resulting in cold hands and feet. Increasing your magnesium intake can help the blood vessels dilate, allowing blood to flow to the fingers and toes.
Can low vitamin D cause you to feel cold? Instead, vitamin D deficiencies typically result in rickets and other bone deficiencies. [10] While these conditions can lead to feelings of coldness, they don't seem to play as direct a role in thermoregulation as the B vitamins.
Without enough B12, you might not have enough healthy red blood cells to move oxygen around your body (anemia). That can leave you shivering and cold, especially in your hands and feet.
People who have anemia, diabetes, lupus, scleroderma, thyroid disease, poor circulation or nervous system disorders may be more susceptible to having cold hands. And for many otherwise healthy people, it simply represents their body's natural response to a cold environment, and likely isn't a cause for concern.
Your heart may beat fast. You may sweat. Or your skin might turn cold and clammy. Moderate hypoglycemia often makes people feel short-tempered, nervous, afraid, or confused.
Anemia. In this common blood disorder, lack of oxygen in the blood can lead to cold hands. Blood clot. If a blood clot travels to an artery supplying an arm or leg, it could cause the sudden onset of cold or pain.
The tips of the fingers, toes, ears and nose may become cold and bluish in color. Cyanosis arises because the blood that is low in oxygen is a dark bluish-red colour that can change the appearance of the skin from a pinky red to a bluish colour.