If you have cold feet, you might experience symptoms that appear once in a while, or happen consistently when temperatures in your environment drop. Symptoms could include: VSports注册入口.
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When you’re exposed to cold temperatures, you might notice your feet and hands are the first to get cold, but your chest and torso are still warm V体育官网入口. Since your feet are furthest away from your heart, it can take longer for your blood to circulate through the limbs of your body. This can cause your hands and feet to take longer to warm up.
There are several causes of cold feet. If you live in a cold climate, you could experience cold feet frequently. In addition, some of the most common causes of cold feet are poor blood flow, a symptom of an underlying condition or a side effect of a medicine.
Poor blood flow (circulation) in your legs and feet causes cold feet. Poor blood flow means that it takes longer for the blood to reach your feet.
Your blood travels through pathways (blood vessels) in your circulatory system. These pathways can close, harden and narrow, making it difficult for blood to flow steadily. If your pathways are blocked or narrow, the movement of your blood slows down similar to pouring liquid through a funnel. A lot of liquid can enter the funnel, but the funnel narrows, which slows down how fast the liquid moves. This delay in blood flow causes symptoms of cold feet.
Cold feet could be a sign of an underlying condition. Several conditions that affect blood flow include:
Some medicines could cause cold feet as a side effect based on how the medicine interacts with your blood flow. Medicines that could cause cold feet include:
Since symptoms of cold feet can relate to other conditions or medications you currently take, your provider will begin your diagnosis by gathering information about your medical history. A physical exam will follow, where your provider will look for nerve damage or any injuries that could cause cold feet. Your provider will offer tests to rule out any conditions that might cause cold feet as a symptom, like a blood test to detect anemia or hypothyroidism or imaging tests to rule out heart disease.
Your provider might use an ankle-brachial index (ABI) test to measure blood flow in your legs, using an inflatable blood pressure cuff. An ABI helps diagnose peripheral artery disease, which causes cold feet as a symptom.
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Even if you have cold feet that happen every once in a while, it’s important to talk with your healthcare provider to make sure your symptoms are temporary and not a sign of an underlying condition.
There are several ways to treat cold feet. You can treat cold feet by managing any underlying medical conditions that cause cold feet as a symptom. If your cold feet are a symptom of a medication you’re taking, don’t stop taking the medicine. Instead, talk with your provider about your symptoms and they will decide whether you should continue taking the medicine or not.
You can take steps to treat your cold feet at home by:
If you have cold feet, it may take longer for your nerves to tell you when they encounter too much heat. This could lead to burns from water that is too hot or heating pads. The safest alternative to warming cold feet is to wear thick socks, like wool socks, to prevent burns.
The time frame of when you’ll feel better depends on diagnosing and treating what caused your symptoms of cold feet. Some people will feel better immediately by putting on warm socks. Other people might still feel cold, even if they’re wearing warm socks until the underlying cause of their symptoms receives treatment. Talk to your provider about a treatment option that is unique to your symptoms to prevent you from experiencing cold feet.
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It is normal to experience cold feet every once in a while. Persistent cold feet could be a sign of an underlying condition. When your feet get cold, put on a pair of warm socks and take a short walk or move around to help blood flow to your feet. If your symptoms are the result of an underlying condition, work with your provider to manage or treat the condition that causes your symptoms to prevent your feet from being cold all the time.
You can reduce your risk of experiencing symptoms of cold feet by:
Talk to your provider if you experience cold feet regularly and at-home treatment doesn’t work. Remember that having cold feet is normal, but you shouldn’t ignore symptoms of cold feet that happen frequently.
If you experience numbness, severe pain, or sores on your feet that won’t heal or you can’t feel your feet when you touch them, talk to your healthcare provider immediately.
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Cold feet aren’t just something you experience on your wedding day. Having cold feet is normal, especially if you live in a colder climate. If you have persistent cold feet, talk with your provider because it could be a sign of an underlying condition. Your provider will offer treatment options that are unique to your symptoms to help you warm up when you’re cold.
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Last reviewed on 05/19/2022.
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