Cold feet should be experienced if it is caused by exposure to cold temperatures, such as at night or when being in an air-conditioned room. However, you should be alert if cold feet occur continuously. It can indicate a serious illness, such as anemia, diabetes, or hypothyroidism.
Cold feet that occur occasionally and are temporary are nothing to worry about. It is the body’s natural response to regulate body temperature. To overcome it, you just need to warm your feet, for example by wearing socks or a blanket.
However, if you experience cold feet continuously without a clear trigger, this condition may be a symptom of a disease that requires immediate treatment by a doctor.
Various Diseases That Can Cause Cold Feet
Constantly cold feet basically mean that the body has poor blood circulation. This condition is usually caused by the body being less active, for example sitting in a chair all day or sleeping too much.
An unhealthy lifestyle such as smoking can also cause blood circulation to be disrupted. As a result, the blood flow to the legs becomes inhibited and the legs feel colder than the rest of the body.
In addition to the above conditions, there are also some serious diseases that can trigger cold feet.
1. Anemia
Anemia is a condition when the body lacks red blood cells. Anemia is generally caused by iron deficiency. Anemia very often causes complaints of cold feet, especially when the condition of anemia is already severe.
2. Diabetes
In people with diabetes, high blood sugar levels can increase the risk of atherosclerosis or the narrowing of blood vessels by fat deposits. If this condition occurs in the blood vessels leading to the legs, then the blood flow to the legs becomes inhibited and causes the legs to be cold.
High and uncontrolled blood sugar levels can also cause diabetes complications in the form of nerve damage ( neuropathy ). When the nerves are disturbed, sufferers will experience cold feet because the nerves that detect the temperature in the feet do not function optimally.
3. Hypothyroidism
Hypothyroidism occurs when the body lacks thyroid hormone, which is the hormone that regulates the body’s metabolism. Because the body’s metabolism determines the heart rate and body temperature, a lack of thyroid hormone in the body can slow down blood circulation and cause cold feet.
4. Raynaud’s syndrome
Raynaud’s syndrome is a condition where the blood flow to the fingers, toes, ears, or nose is greatly reduced. This condition occurs due to the narrowing of blood vessels. Raynaud syndrome sufferers will feel the limbs become very cold and pale.
Raynaud’s syndrome usually relapses when the sufferer is in certain conditions, for example when exposed to cold temperatures or experiencing severe stress.
In addition to the four medical conditions above, there are several other conditions that can also cause cold feet, such as experiencing hypothermia or frostbite, dysmenorrhea, having a history of cold feet in the family, and using certain medications.
Older people also tend to lose the ability to regulate their body temperature well, so they often experience cold feet.