Cold Intolerance and Underlying Health Conditions: An Overview

Did you know that cold intolerance might be your body’s way of signaling an underlying health condition? While most people know the common reasons for cold intolerance, they tend to overlook the actual root cause of this problem. The human body has its own thermal regulation mechanism to produce and conserve heat through various processes. When normal thermoregulation gets disturbed by certain changes inside the body, an individual becomes cold intolerant. Metabolic rate, thyroxine hormone, and the hypothalamus in the brain play a vital part in the temperature regulation process. When these internal processes go off balance, the body is unable to produce or conserve heat as it normally does.

This article intends to delve deeper into the abnormalities or disease conditions that disturb normal body temperature maintenance leading to cold intolerance.

Circulation Issues & Injury:

Blood circulation plays a vital role in maintaining body temperature and improper or poor circulation can result in cold intolerance. Patients with traumatic injury or injury over a prolonged period of time in the hand/fingers may develop symptoms of coldness and pain. This may occur due to the formation of a blood clot within the artery, in the amputated region or possibly due to nerve damage. Another condition called Raynaud’s Phenomenon can also cause feelings of coldness in the hand because of artery contraction leading to lesser blood flow to the extremities. There are numerous causes contributing to this phenomenon which include emotional stress, occupational exposure, certain types of viral infections, and disorders of the deeper soft tissues.

Systemic Disorders:

Diabetic patients frequently experience cold sensitivity due to fluctuations in blood glucose level. Furthermore, nerve-related complications in diabetes can also trigger coldness in the extremities along with pain, when exposed to chilly weather. Some serious cardiac conditions may also present feelings of coldness due to reduced oxygen levels or when the volume of blood pumped out of the heart is low. In both cases, the blood flow to the outermost body, hands and feet is reduced to maintain oxygen levels in the vital organs as a natural safety mechanism.

Damage to the hypothalamus in the brain can also be a causative factor in cold intolerance. It serves as the command center in maintaining the overall body temperature and blood pressure regulation. Any injury, tumor or infection to this region impacts the production of thyroxine hormone levels or drops in blood pressure leading to feelings of cold hands and feet.

Decrease in thyroxine hormone secretion due to thyroid gland problems or hypothalamus disorders may lead to reduced metabolic rate which is essential for heat production. When the metabolic rate is reduced, the body’s ability to maintain temperature is lowered, causing chills even on a warm day.

In addition to these conditions, some nutritional deficiencies and anemia can also manifest as cold intolerance. Decrease in the number of red blood cells can potentially lead to lack of oxygen, posing a threat to vital organs. So, the body counteracts by reducing the blood flow to external organs (extremities, skin) and increasing flow to vital organs (lungs, heart). This is usually the reason an anemic person constantly feels cold.

Conclusion

It is common to feel cold during periods of illnesses, trauma and inflammation, starvation/dehydration, and one needs to take appropriate measures to conserve body heat. It can be done by consuming warm fluids, wearing insulation jackets, and maintaining a healthy lifestyle through balanced diet, exercise, and staying hydrated. Despite addressing these common issues, if you constantly feel cold for no apparent reason, it is advisable to consult a physician to rule out any possible underlying health issues. Prompt evaluation can help identify and treat the root cause early, preventing further complications.

References

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