What Causes You to Feel Cold: Reveal the Facts

 

Feeling cold all the time can typically be associated with a vitamin deficiency, particularly low levels of vitamin B12 or iron. These essential nutrients play a significant role in maintaining your body's temperature regulation by making sure proper blood circulation and red blood cell production. Insufficient amounts of these vital may make you feel chill even in warm environments.

However, vitamin deficiency isn't the only culprit. Factors such as low body fat, poor circulation, or an underactive thyroid can also contribute to feeling cold. Additionally, dehydration, lack of sleep, and stress can disrupt your body's ability to regulate temperature. Even certain medications, like beta-blockers, may reduce blood flow to your extremities, making you feel colder. Understanding these factors can help you identify the root cause of your constant chills and guide you toward effective solutions. In this article we will discuss all these points nd suggest you to how to tackle this situation.

Key factors of causing cold intolerance

Here are the key causes of cold intolerance, you may experience include:

1.  Gender:

·        Research founded that, women have a tendency to feel colder during their menstrual cycle when their estrogen levels get higher.

·        According to a study, women are more on the verge of report feeling cold because of their physiology. Estrogen decreases blood flow to the normal limits.

2.  Age:

·        Elderly people are more susceptible to cold due to their slower metabolism and less production of heat.

·        Our body’s ability to keep heat declines about 60 years of age, consequential in a colder sensation.

·        As you get older, you may notice a decline in muscle mass, which can be a causative factor.

3.  Low fat:

·        Cholestrol, triglycerides, and other vital fatty acids help our organs protect and store energy.

·        Under weight individuals are likely to feel cold in normal condition, it is due to fat insulates the body.

·        A low BMI (body mass index) is commonly the result of calorie restriction, which can reduce body temperature and metabolism.

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4. Pregnancy:

·        Pregnant women are more on the verge of have poor blood circulation, anemia, mostly in their legs.

·        Consequently, pregnant women may intermittently experience having a chill, mainly in their feet and hands.

5. Dehydration:

·        Dehydrated body becomes more sensitive to temperature variations.

·        Water provides the main source of energy for metabolism. Having less water in your body can slower down your metabolic rate and chill you.

5. Deprived sleep:

·        Deprived or not enough sleep leads to releases stress hormones and causes a reduction in the activity of the hypothalamus, which is the brain’s control panel that controls body temperature.

·        Not enough sleep can make you more prone to the flu and other diseases.

6. Smoking:

·        Your internal body temperature is regulated by thermoregulator cells situated in your skin that detect cold and constrict your blood vessels and capillaries in a process known as vasoconstriction, slowing blood flow.

·        Individual who smoke, have more vasoconstriction, which cools their limits.

7.   Diet:

Individual who eat a lot of cold, water-dense foods may feel colder than others. Iced drinks, salads, and smoothies, are some examples of such diets.

8.Anxiety:

·        Individual who have anxiety issues, are more prone to feel cold than others.

·        This occurs because when you are anxious, your amygdala is activated, which causes your body to expend all its preserves and energy to keep you safe. While, amygdale is the part of your brain which is responsible for protect the body and respond to any danger. 

·        You feel cold because your body is focused on calming you down and lacks sufficient blood flow to keep you warm.

9. Thyroid:

·       Underactive thyroid or Hypothyroidism is a condition in which the thyroid gland produces less thyroid hormones.

·        Your thyroid gland is responsible for several metabolic processes, it is involved in your body temperature regulation.

·        Individual with hypothyroidism often experience coldness because their thyroid doesn’t produce enough thyroid hormone. As a result, your metabolism gets slow, resulting in the sensation of being cold.

10.      Low blood pressure:

·        Low blood pressure also called hypotension is another blood-related cause of coldness because individual with hypotension may have less oxygen flow to the organs.

11.        Diabetes:

·        Diabetic people have poor blood circulation, particularly in the extremities, which may cause cold feet and hands.

·        Furthermore, diabetes elevates the risk of heart disease and artery narrowing, which can both lead to cold feet and hands.

12.       Iron deficiency:

·        Iron deficiency or anemia is the most common nutritional deficiency, especially in women. It can lead several issues, such as chronic chills and cold.

13.       Deficiency of Vitamin B12:

·        Vitamin B12 is crucial for the production of RBCs (red blood cells) and the transport of oxygen.

·        Low red blood cells, results in vitamin B12 deficiency anemia.

·        This deficiency of vitamin B12 may lead to feeling cold or even chills.

14.      Astherosclerosis:

·        If you experience feeling of chills on one side of your body, this condition called astherosclerosis. In this condition cholesterol clogs your blood vessels.

·        Due to this condition, the blood supply to several organs may compromised and may lead to cold.

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15.       Raynaud’s syndrome

·        Raynaud’s syndrome is an unusual condition in which the blood vessels narrow or constrict when the fingers or toes when exposed to cold, leading to vasospasm, a temporary tightening of the blood vessels.

·        Raynaud's disease is more common in women and those living in colder climates.

 

16.      Spinal injury:

·        The spinal cord is mainly a sensing organ that is capable of sensing temperature, touch, and movement.

·        Individual who have had a spinal cord injury may experience difficult to feel cold and hot feelings because such an injury can damage their temperature sensors.

Enhancing vascular health to ease cold sensitivity

A nutritious diet and regular physical activity are essential for maintaining healthy blood vessels and promoting good circulation. Unhealthy habits like smoking, excessive alcohol use, inadequate stress management, and a lack of exercise can disrupt metabolic and biochemical processes, leading to poor circulation and compromised vascular health. These disruptions can cause reduced blood flow to the extremities, resulting in persistent feelings of coldness or chills.

To improve circulation and minimize cold sensitivity, adopt a diet rich in fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats such as omega-3 fatty acids found in fish and nuts. Incorporate regular physical activities like brisk walking, swimming, or yoga, which can enhance blood flow and improve blood vessel function. Managing stress effectively through practices like mindfulness, meditation, or deep breathing exercises is also crucial. Avoiding smoking and moderating alcohol intake can further support vascular health.

If you often feel cold or experience chills, consult with a healthcare provider to investigate potential underlying issues. Your doctor may suggest blood tests to rule out conditions like thyroid dysfunction or anemia that could be causing your symptoms. Identifying and treating any underlying health problems can help improve circulation and alleviate cold sensations.