Cold hands can have an obvious cause, such as cold weather or a cold object you just handled. However, if you have this problem often, always or in certain situations, there may be reason to worry about your health. If you have cold hands, learn to diagnose the potential problems causing this symptom.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Diagnosing the Problems That Cause Cold Hands
Step 1. Get tested for anemia
This condition is one that can cause unusually low hand temperatures. "Anemia" is a general term that describes a health problem in which you do not have enough red blood cells to carry oxygen to all parts of the body. Symptoms include fatigue, weakness, pale complexion, tachycardia with possible arrhythmia, shortness of breath, dizziness, fainting, cold hands and feet.
- Almost all cases of anemia can be diagnosed with one or more blood tests and treated. Your doctor will check your hemoglobin and hematocrit levels.
- If you have really cold hands and other symptoms associated with anemia, call your doctor right away and report the situation.
Step 2. Find out if you have diabetes
This very common condition causes problems in regulating blood sugar. Diabetics can have very high (hyperglycemia) or very low (hypoglycemia) blood sugar levels. Very cold hands are often a sign of low blood sugar or diabetes.
- The most common symptoms of diabetes include very frequent urination, feelings of severe thirst or hunger, fatigue, slow wound regeneration, blurred vision, unexplained weight loss, pain or numbness in the hands. If you have not been diagnosed with diabetes but are experiencing these symptoms, consult your doctor and request a test such as a fasting glucose test or HBA1C.
- If you have been diagnosed with diabetes, see your doctor right away if you feel your hands are very cold.
Step 3. Determine if you have frostbite, mild or advanced
A mild frostbite causes cold, red skin with tingling or stinging sensations. The more advanced stage causes the skin to whiten, which can even start to feel warm.
- You can treat a mild frostbite by protecting yourself from the cold and warming the affected area. This problem does not damage the skin permanently.
- In the advanced stage, there are signs of damage. Blisters may appear and the skin may peel after warming the area.
- Severe frostbite can cause permanent damage, so if you suspect your skin may be frozen, see a doctor right away.
Step 4. Get tested for Buerger's disease
Also known as thrombangiitis obliterans, this is a rare condition in which the arteries and veins in the arms, legs, hands and feet are inflamed, swollen and can be blocked with tiny blood clots. Symptoms include pain and tenderness in the hands and feet, especially when using them. The fingers may turn white or light blue. They can hurt you if it's cold and take a long time to warm up.
This pathology is almost always linked to smoking or the use of tobacco products
Step 5. Get tested for systemic lupus erythematosus
This autoimmune and inflammatory condition can affect various parts of the body, including the joints, skin, kidneys, red blood cells, brain, heart, and lungs. In many cases of lupus, irritation appears on the nose and cheeks. Sufferers may also experience joint pain, swelling, and hardness, and their fingers may turn blue and cold when exposed to freezing temperatures or during times of stress. Other symptoms include shortness of breath, dry eyes, fatigue, and fever.
Diagnosis is difficult and often requires many tests, including blood tests, urine tests, diagnostic imaging, and biopsies of the organs or tissues involved
Step 6. Determine if you have Raynaud's syndrome
This condition mainly affects women and causes numbness and abnormal cold in the hands and feet, following low temperatures or stress. In detail, the disease causes spasms in the blood vessels of the hands and feet when exposed to cold or stress.
- There is no diagnostic test to confirm Raynaud's syndrome. It is often diagnosed by exclusion, that is, when all other possible causes of the problem have been ruled out.
- Treatments for this condition include patient education, measurements to maintain normal body temperature, drug therapies with calcium channel inhibitors, and behavioral therapies. Your doctor may prescribe slow-release or long-acting preparations of calcium channel inhibitors, such as nifedipine or amlodipine.
- Side effects associated with calcium channel inhibitors include headache, dizziness, redness, rapid heartbeat, and swelling.
Step 7. Get tested for scleroderma
This is a rare disorder in which the skin and connective tissues harden and contract. It affects the skin, particularly that of the fingers and toes, in almost all patients. One of the characteristic symptoms is numbness and the feeling of cold in the fingers due to cold temperatures and stress. Other symptoms include areas of the skin that become hard and contracted, heartburn, difficulty in absorbing nutrients and nutritional deficiencies, more rarely heart, lung and kidney problems.
Scleroderma is difficult to diagnose because there is no test that can do it and it is a rather rare condition
Part 2 of 3: Consider Other Potential Symptoms
Step 1. Notice if your hands are discolored
One of the symptoms of conditions that cause cold hands is skin discoloration. You may have white, white-purple, red, purple, blue, or white-yellow hands.
Your hands can be hard or pale
Step 2. Pay attention to any strange sensations in the hand
If the only symptom isn't cold temperature, you may experience one of the following sensations:
- Ache.
- Pulsation.
- Burning.
- Tingling.
- Numbness or loss of sensation.
- You can also feel these sensations in other parts of the body, such as the legs, feet, toes, face or earlobes.
Step 3. Notice if you have blisters
In some cases, cold hands can be accompanied by injuries. Look for blisters and ulcers on your hands and fingers. They can also become swollen or hurt.
Blisters can also appear on the feet
Step 4. Watch out for irritation
Some conditions that cause cold hands can cause rashes, scaly patches, bumps, or bumps. These areas can also bleed, itch, or burn.
Step 5. Monitor body changes
If cold hands are linked to changes in the body, they can indicate undiagnosed pathologies. Notice if your weight changes, possibly due to diabetes or hypothyroidism, accompanied by excessive hunger and thirst. Another possible symptom is fatigue.
Frequent urination, joint and muscle pain, depression and blurred vision can also be symptoms of health problems
Part 3 of 3: Treating Cold Hands
Step 1. Visit your doctor
If your hands get unusually cold for no apparent reason, see your doctor as soon as possible. Ask for more information on the conditions described in this article.
- Take note of your symptoms and report them to your doctor.
- Make sure you get your thyroid checked. Thyroid disorders, such as hypothyroidism, can cool the temperature of the whole body, not just the hands, but are still worth checking.
Step 2. Decide whether to go to the emergency room
If you have any symptoms besides cold hands, you should go to the hospital right away. Frostbite requires immediate medical attention, so call an ambulance in this case. If you have white or hardened areas on your hands, or if the white areas have thawed, go to the emergency room right away.
- If your hands have been cold and wet for more than an hour, go to the emergency room.
- If your hands hurt, go to the hospital.
Step 3. Be aware that treatments depend on the problem causing the symptoms
Since cold hands can be linked to various medical conditions, the treatments are different accordingly. In some cases, quitting smoking may be enough, such as Buerger's disease, in others you will need to take medications to dilate blood vessels and relieve symptoms of Raynaud's phenomenon, in order to manage your diabetes. Your doctor will tell you which therapy to follow.
