Cold Hands and Feet

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from Brigham and Womens Stay Well Solutions Online

Chronic cold hands and feet most often are caused by circulatory problems associated with medical conditions. Cold hands and feet can affect men and women of any age, but they are somewhat more common among older adults.

In an older person, cold hands and feet can indicate hardening of the arteries. In a younger person, the condition might mean vasculitis, an inflammation of the blood vessels. When hardening of the arteries is the cause, physical exertion may bring on cold hands and feet, and rest may relieve the problem.

The most frequent but often misunderstood condition associated with cold hands and feet is a syndrome called Raynaud's phenomenon. Raynaud's is more common in women and may first appear between the ages of 20 and 50. Raynaud's may appear alone or be part of a more serious disease such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, scleroderma or other types of vasculitis. About half of all people with Raynaud's have it alone, while others have Raynaud's as part of a more serious illness.

Raynaud's doesn't cause cold hands and feet, however; it is triggered by exposure to cold or stress. Exposure to cold causes blanching and pain in the extremities of individuals with with Raynaud’s.

People who suffer Raynaud's phenomenon are fine until they are exposed to very cold weather or place their hands or feet in cold water. Normally, your hands and feet will return to normal temperature within minutes after you leave the cold behind. But people with Raynaud's sometimes have cold hands and feet up to an hour after their exposure ends. They may experience cold, pain or a stinging sensation in their hands and feet. Their hands and feet may even appear abnormal after exposure to cold -- they look white, then blue, then red. This occurs in reaction to the blood vessels in the extremities becoming constricted (narrowed) and then taking awhile to dilate (widen).

What to Do
See your physician to rule out a serious condition, such as a major circulatory problem or a connective tissue disease such as rheumatoid arthritis or scleroderma. People prone to cold hands and feet should be sure to wear warm gloves, socks and shoes in cold weather. They should also exercise care when exposing their hands to cold water by wearing special waterproof gloves. If you know you'll be going somewhere you'll be exposed to cold, wet weather, take an extra pair of gloves and warm shoes or boots in case the first pair gets wet.

Use Medicine Effectively
Medications can be used to treat cold hands and feet. Perhaps the most widely used medications are the class of drugs called calcium channel blockers. Aspirin also improves blood circulation. Beta blockers, on the other hand, could worsen this problem.

Self-care Steps for Cold Hands and Feet

• If you smoke, quit. Smoking can cause hardening of the arteries.
• Use warm gloves, shoes and socks.
• Limit your exposure to cold weather and cold water.
• Eat a low-cholesterol diet.
• Begin a graduated exercise regime with your physician's advice.

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A Show of Hands - Skin Care for Your Hands
By Kimberly Kolodzizejski

Wrinkles on your face aren’t the only way nature gives away your age. Your hands can be a more obvious age tattle than you think. Wrinkles, saggy skin and brown spots are all signs that even though the skin on your face looks young and radiant, your hands may be screaming “neglect!”

Sun damage can affect the skin of your hands even more quickly than protected facial skin. Your hands are constantly exposed to the sun and consequently brown spots tend to pop up in your late thirties or early forites. Previously known as "age spots", the nomer is only semi-correct as these are caused by sun exposure over the years and appear as we age, but are not just a result of getting older. While our facial moisturizers should, and most often do, contain the minimum SPF 15 sunscreen, most hand lotions do not. It is essential to apply a lotion with sunblock to your hands if you want to avoid the very same results of sun damage that occurs on your face.

Don’t be afraid to use the same moisturizer you use on your face on your hands when moisturizing your face. Using a mild exfoliating cleanser daily will slough off dead skin cells leaving your hands looking more radiant and feeling smoother and using your weekly lactic acid exfoliator will have the same affect on your hands as it does on your face. Using antioxidant serums and retinol creams can repair much of the damage caused by the sun.

So don’t sit on your hands when it comes to younger looking skin, daily skin care is essential to beautiful skin ~ hands down!