Why Am I Cold All the Time? 11 Common Causes, According to a Doctor
Can’t get comfortable because you’re always cold? Thomas Luft, DO, UnityPoint Health, explains the likely reasons you feel so chilly and what to do about it.
What is Cold Intolerance?
Cold intolerance is exactly what it sounds like. It’s when people feel colder than they should be.
Dr. Luft says, “Often, people come in and say, ‘My partner or spouse is complaining we have different internal thermostats.’ So, that's typically how people think about it. It’s usually in comparison to someone else in their home.”
11 Causes of Cold Intolerance
There are multiple reasons you might feel abnormally cold, from vitamin deficiencies to circulation problems. Here are the most common reasons you can’t warm up:
- Age: As you get older, changes in your blood vessels make cold intolerance more likely.
- Anxiety: Stress and anxiety make you feel cold. When your body goes into flight or fight mode, it accelerates adrenaline and pushes blood to your core, making your hands and feet feel chilly.
- Autoimmune conditions: Autoimmune diseases stir up inflammation in the body, including your blood vessels, which are narrowed. With less blood flow, your hands and feet may feel colder than usual.
- Blockages: When arteries in the legs have blockages, this reduces blood flow and makes you cold.
- Gender: Traditionally, women have less muscle mass than men and are more prone to cold intolerance for that reason.
- Low blood pressure: With this condition, less blood is circulating to your extremities, making you feel cold.
- Medications: Blood pressure medications, like blood thinners, make you feel cold by widening blood vessels and reducing blood flow to your hands and feet or throwing off your body’s ability to regulate its internal temperature. Some antidepressants, like selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), are linked to cold extremities.
- Pregnancy: Fluid shifts from pregnancy can make you cold. Dr. Luft says, “Women hold fluid in different parts of the body and that can impact circulation. Hormonal changes do it, as well.” However, feeling cold isn’t a definite sign of pregnancy.
- Thyroid disease: Some autoimmune conditions affect the thyroid gland, which plays a role in regulating body temperature. The thyroid gland also produces hormones that regulate your body's metabolism, including how you produce heat. When it isn't functioning well, it can lead to a condition called hypothyroidism, which makes you feel cold, tired and sluggish.
- Vascular conditions: Vascular conditions, such as Raynaud's Syndrome, makes hands and feet feel cold, numb and sometimes painful. It causes blood vessels to narrow and makes it hard for blood to get to those areas of the body.
- Vitamin deficiencies: An iron deficiency and low vitamin B12 can make you cold and cause cold feet. Both lead to reduced blood flow and circulation. Although, when your B12 is low, you’re more likely to feel numbness than cold in the hands and feet.
What Causes Low Body Temperature?
Low body temperature is commonly linked to hormonal problems and thyroid issues. A normal body temperature is 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit. Anything less than 96 is too low.
In addition to hormones and your thyroid, Dr. Luft says dehydration makes you cold.
“If you're dehydrated, your body works harder to circulate blood. To conserve energy and keep your organs warm, there’s reduced blood flow to your extremities, like your hands and feet, making them feel colder.”
What Illness Will Make You Cold?
“Any type of infection can cause a low body temperature, but it’s usually when it’s severe and your blood pressure is dropping that we start to worry,” Dr. Luft says.
Dehydration from infection, like the stomach flu, can make you feel cold, too. This is caused by the loss of fluids from diarrhea and vomiting.
Why are My Hands and Feet Always Cold?
If you’re constantly trying to warm up your hands and feet, you likely have a circulation issue.
“Raynaud’s Syndrome is common in this scenario. Your hands get really pale and change color. They’re not as red as they’d ordinarily be. In severe cases, they turn blue. We see cold hands and feet in people who smoke, too. They’re more susceptible to circulation problems. So are people with cardiovascular diseases,” Dr. Luft says.
Why Do I Get Cold After I Eat?
Your intestines work hard to help digest your food after you eat. You feel cold because more blood goes to your core than your extremities.
“The sensation is worse if you’re dehydrated, have iron-deficiency anemia, circulation problems or an infection,” Dr. Luft says.
Drinking alcohol causes cold feet, too. Dehydration, once again, is a culprit here, as well as dilated blood vessels.
“Initially, dilated blood vessels make you feel flushed. Then, because you have more blood going to your extremities, your temperature can actually get colder,” Dr. Luft says.
Low blood sugar is another common reason for feeling cold. When your blood sugar drops, your body can’t regulate its temperature. Your body might slow down some non-essential functions, like keeping your extremities warm, to conserve energy for important organs, like your brain. This can lead to feelings of coldness, especially in your hands and feet.
When to See a Doctor About Feeling Cold All the Time
If you consistently feel cold, even in warm environments, and it's not improving, talk to your doctor. This is especially true if you're also experiencing other symptoms like fatigue, weakness or weight loss. Your doctor can help identify any underlying medical conditions and recommend the right treatment to get you feeling better, faster.