Reasons You’re Always Cold

One of the most frequent complaints of patients, when they come to the hospital wards, is pain and cold. There are different reasons why people feel cold, especially due to infection or underlying medical condition. Regulation of body temperature often perceived as cold by people is a homeostatic method used by the body as a defensive response to infection and invasion by foreign bodies or micro-organisms.

People feel cold when they are exposed to harsh weather conditions for a prolonged period of time, because of the temperature regulatory mechanism applied by the body, when it is exposed to extreme weather conditions.  Some bacteria and another microorganism could also stimulate pyogenic reactions in form of fever and cold when they invade the human body.

7 Common Reasons You’re Always Cold

Feeling cold is one of the famous feelings we all experienced at different aspects of our lives. What if you find out that, there are a lot of other reasons, why you can be cold excluding been exposed to winter and harsh weather conditions. The most common reasons why people feel cold include:

  1. Anemia: This is a medical condition characterized by little red boy cells (erythrocytes) or reduced oxygen capacity of the erythrocytes present in the Erythrocytes are responsible for tissue perfusion and oxygenation of most vital organs of the body.Anemia is often characterized by reduced blood supply, jaundice, skin discoloration, and cold. There are different types of anemia depending on the etiology: iron deficiency, megaloblastic, hemolytic and pernicious anemia. Iron deficiency anemia is a type of anemia caused by reduced iron intake from diet or poor absorption by the digestive tracts. It is more complicated in pregnant women leading to an excessive appetite for un-edible things such as paper, this symptom in pregnant women is called PICA. Vitamin B12 is a vital nutrient needed for the absorption of folic acid and erythropoiesis ( red blood cell formation).

Disruption in the absorption process of this vitamin is the main etiology in the formation of pernicious anemia. Bone marrow infection or malfunction could also contribute to the development of pernicious anemia. Megaloblastic and microcytic anemia classified based on erythrocyte size.  Mechanisms that lead to lyse or destruction of red blood cells often leads to hemolytic anemia by a process called hemolysis, Anemic patients often experience symptoms such as tiredness, fatigue, weakness and cold in the hands and feet.

  1. Hypothyroidism: Thyroid gland is a butterfly-shaped organ located on our neck; it helps in regulation of body temperature and metabolism of digested foods. Excessive function and underperformance of this gland is called hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism respectively. Hyperthyroidism is a medical condition in which excessive thyroid hormones are produced in the human body contrary to reduced thyroid gland function experienced in hypothyroidism. In hypothyroidism, there is excessive sensitivity to cold temperature and slow metabolism which leads to weight gain. Dry skin, constipation, cold, and muscle ache are the common symptoms of hypothyroidism. The major etiology of hypothyroidism is an infection, it can be treated by thyroid hormone supplements.
  2. Raynaud Phenomenon: this is a medical condition that often affects the limbs, most especially the hand. It is caused by the reduced blood supply to the limbs and skin People with these diseases often experience symptoms such as cold, numbness, and discoloration of the toes and fingers. The symptoms worsen after an hour with a sharp tingling sensation and pain.There are different types of medications and pain relievers that can be used to alleviate this symptom.
  3. Nephrological Disorders: The kidney is a bean-shaped organ in the body that performs a lot of vital functions such as detoxification, elimination of waste products, homeostasis, erythropoiesis and vitamin D production. Reduce or impaired kidney function due to nephrological, metastatic or endocrinological disorders could lead to building up of toxic waste products in the body. Accumulation of these waste products, especially when it occurs concomitantly with other diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and anemia can lower the body’s core temperature, which leads to symptoms such as a cold. These disorders can be treated with different types of medications or kidney transplants in severe cases.
  4. Type 2 Diabetes: This is a glucose-related disease common in middle-aged people and characterized by hyperglycemia, polyuria, polydipsia, polyphagia, and This is one of the conditions that make people feel cold despite the warm temperature of their surroundings. Diabetic neuropathy is one of the common complications of type 2 diabetes which can leave you feeling chilly or cold, even in the summer. Type 2 diabetes is managed with lifestyle modifications such as proper diet, and consistent exercise, and medications.
  5. Peripheral Artery Diseases: These are types of diseases caused by occlusion of limb blood vessels by thrombus or embolus. It is often unilateral, people can experience cold, numbness, and pain in one part of the limbs, especially the leg. It is often caused by occlusion of blood vessels leading to restricted blood flow to the limbs. Medications such as pain relievers or vasodilators can be used in treating this diseases. In severe cases, it is advisable to perform a surgery on the occluded limbs.
  6. Anorexia Nervosa: The body burns more calories from fat oxidation compared to other classes of foods.  1g of fat releases 9 calories when oxidized higher than the number of calories expelled in the oxidation of carbohydrates and proteins. Reduced body fat leads to reduced metabolic activity and reduces the casting effect fats pads perform in the body. Anorexia Nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by excessive restriction in calorie intake leading to extreme low weight and body mass index. Individuals suffering from these disorders often have extremely low body fat percentage below the normal value necessary for optimal functioning of vital organs. The reduced body fats in these people are responsible for the increased sensitivity to cold, due to the loss of thermal effects produced by fat pads in the body.

 

There are different reasons why we feel cold, not just because of that sudden change in weather forecast or rain. If you feel cold frequently and it doesn’t stop on its own or wide conventional drugs, consult your nearest doctor.

References

Anon, (2018). [online] Available at: http://://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs138/en/ [Accessed 3 Feb. 2018]. [Accessed 5 Feb. 2018].

Kumar, P. and Clark, M. (n.d.). Kumar & Clark’s clinical medicine.

Management of diabetes at diabetes camps. American Diabetes Association. (1999). Diabetes Care, 22(1), pp.167-169.