blood circulation – Hello Doctor

Why do women get cold more easily than men?

April 8th, 2019 by The Hello Doctor Team

There’s a reason why men are always draping their coats over women’s shoulders in movies, and often in real life. And no, it’s not (just) in the name of romance. Turns out that on average, women are more sensitive to the cold than men are.

One of the main ways your body regulates temperature is through the blood vessels. When you feel hot, the blood vessels in your skin dilate (get wider) to release heat through your skin. When you feel cold, your blood vessels contract (get narrower) to retain heat. A person’s regular body temperature is 37 degrees, but it can go up or down by a degree during the day.

Men and women are generally able to keep a constant, safe core (internal) temperature, despite fluctuating external temperatures. However, even though our core temperatures are the same, the temperature of our skin may differ, and this is where the differences between men and women come in.

A study published in The Lancet found that women’s hand temperatures are approximately three degrees lower than men. The common reasons: differences in size, weight and body proportions. Together, these all affect the way we’re able to retain heat.

The colder, fairer sex

Women have more body fat

Although you’d think extra kilos would keep you toasty, for women, that’s not always the case. Fat helps protect your organs, but it can also restrict blood flow. This brings on the chills. Women also have less muscle mass and lose heat faster from their skin than men because they’re naturally smaller.

Women have slower metabolic rates

Your metabolism is the rate at which your body can burn fuel, and a man’s metabolic rate is about 23% higher than a woman’s. For women, this is a downer for two reasons. One, this means women gain weight more easily than men because they can’t burn food as fast. And two, a woman’s body is often colder because the longer it takes fuel to burn, the less heat it can create to keep you warm.

Women have “lady problems”

Besides the painful side-effects that come with menstruation, like cramps and headaches, a woman’s temperature is also affected at that time of the month. Their body temperature fluctuates due to increasing and decreasing hormone levels. This means women feel chillier or warmer at different times during the month. Due to its effects on hormones, birth control can also trigger changes in body temperature.

Good to know

Feeling cold is usually harmless, but if you’re frosty all the time to the point of discomfort, it could be related to another condition. Some other signs that may be clues to a cold-related condition include:

constant chills
you sweat more or less than usual.
your nails turn blue or dark.
you feel colder than normal quite often.
your skin is brittle or very dry.

If this is you, why not chat to one of our doctors, so you can get the right treatment to help warm up those joints.

References:

Cold hands? It could be Raynaud’s phenomenon

November 30th, 2018 by The Hello Doctor Team

Commonly known as RP, Raynaud’s phenomenon is a condition where the blood vessels in your fingers and toes overreact to cold temperatures or stress. RP may also affect other areas of your body like your nose, lips, ears and even nipples.

For many people, RP isn’t a serious condition, but for some, the reduced blood flow can cause damage. Key symptoms include:

Cold fingers and toes.
Temperature changes in your skin in response to cold or stress.
A numb, prickly feeling or stinging pain when warming up feeling stress relief.

RP also results in vasospasm. This is the discolouration of fingers or toes after exposure to changes in temperature or emotional events. A three-step skin discolouration sequence happens as the blood vessels slow down the blood flow to the tissues. First, the fingers and toes turn white because of the lack of blood flow. Then, they turn blue because of the lack of oxygen. Finally, the blood vessels reopen and blood gushes in, causing your fingers and toes to become red. It takes about 15 minutes for normal blood flow to return to the affected areas.

Types of RP

There are two types of RP, primary and secondary. Primary Raynaud’s phenomenon occurs with no underlying condition and the symptoms are usually mild. Secondary Raynaud’s is less common and happens as a result of another condition, the most common of which are those that affect your body’s connective tissues, like rheumatoid arthritis or lupus. Secondary RP has more serious symptoms, which sometimes may also include skin sores.

Who gets RP?

Approximately one in 10 people may have some form of Raynaud’s phenomenon, specifically, primary RP.
The symptoms for primary RP usually appear between the ages of 15 and 25. Secondary RP symptoms start after 35.
Women are more likely than men to have the syndrome.
Having carpal tunnel syndrome and working frequently with vibrating heavy machinery, such as jackhammers, increases your risk of RP.
Using medication to treat cancer, high blood pressure and migraines, can all increase your risk of RP.

How is it treated?

Treatment for RP is aimed at limiting the symptoms and/or preventing attacks.
Keeping your hands and feet warm and dry, controlling stress and getting enough exercise can help with this.
Your doctor might suggest that you avoid certain over-the-counter drugs that could irritate your blood vessels.
For Secondary RP, you may be given a cream to treat sores and blood pressure medication to relax your blood vessels.
If your condition is so severe that you’re at risk of losing your fingers or toes, you might need surgery. This may involve cutting the nerves that lead to your blood vessels in your skin to limit how much they open and close. An injection may also be used to insert drugs into your hands and feet to block those nerves.

References:

Why do you have cold feet?

October 22nd, 2018 by The Hello Doctor Team

If your feet are chilly, the simplest reason is a lack of warmth. But if bundling up in thick socks doesn’t help to defrost your feet, there may be another cause.

Poor circulation

One of the most common causes of cold feet is poor circulation (slow blood flow). Poor circulation makes it difficult for enough warm blood to reach your feet regularly. This keeps your feet cooler than the rest of your body.

Circulation problems can stem from a heart condition. If your heart isn’t functioning properly, it struggles to pump blood throughout your body quickly enough. Poor circulation can also be triggered by an inactive lifestyle. For example, a job where you sit at a desk all day.

Anaemia

Anaemia develops if you don’t have enough red blood cells to carry oxygen throughout your body. Other symptoms include fatigue, pale skin and an irregular heartbeat.

Anaemia and specifically, iron-deficiency anaemia, is fairly common. It’s usually treated with adjustments to your diet and taking iron supplements.

Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes

Diabetes is a disease where the body’s ability to produce or respond to a hormone called insulin becomes abnormal. This can cause large amounts of glucose (sugar) in the blood. Symptoms of diabetes include numbness and tingling in the feet, and cold feet. High levels of blood sugar can cause nerve damage (neuropathy). Nerve damage can bring on the sensation of cold feet that don’t feel cold to the touch. This is usually because the nerves that detect temperature aren’t working properly. The symptoms are usually worse at night.

Hypothyroidism

When your thyroid gland doesn’t make enough thyroid hormone, you can end up with hypothyroidism. This condition messes with your metabolism, which controls your heartbeat and body temperature. When there’s an interference with your body temperature and heartbeat, your body may have poor circulation which then causes cold feet.

Treatment

Cold feet treatment depends on the root of the problem. Generally, your doctor may suggest regular exercise to improve circulation. Exercise can help treat other conditions related to cold feet, like heart condition and blood sugar control. He may write out a prescription for medication or supplements. Your doctor will also usually check for nerve damage and blood tests. He’ll be looking for anaemia, hypothyroidism and diabetes. Don’t try any treatments without talking to your doctor.

See your doctor immediately if you experience cold feet along with:

Fatigue
Joint pain.
Weight changes.
Fever.
Sores on your fingers or toes that takes a long time to heal.
Any changes in your skin.
A cold sensation yet your skin doesn’t feel cold to the touch.
Feeling cold even when you’re in a warm space.