Freezing feet in the cold season or in the warm season, but under the influence of cold - all this is understandable from a physiological point of view.
Heat generated by organs and muscles is carried to the surface of the skin by blood vessels and retained in the body by adipose tissue. If the fat layer is small, then at low ambient temperatures there is an intense heat loss, which happens in the limbs (arms and legs) - there is almost no fat layer there.
Heat loss occurs in the process of blood movement through the vessels - the distance to the lower extremities is greater than to other organs.
In addition, the blood vessels under the influence of cold constrict, the blood flow to the legs decreases, respectively, the amount of heat brought by the blood decreases, and the legs begin to freeze.
But why do feet get cold in a warm room? Is this normal or shouldn't it be? Of course, this indicates some violations. What is the reason, and what to do if such problems occur.
Let's try to answer these questions.
Feet get coldin the warmth of a he althy person
There are reasons why feet get cold even when warm, not related to illness:
- The habit of insulating feet (socks, slippers). The limbs, accustomed to a certain temperature, freeze without the usual "insulation" even in the room.
- The habit of tucking your legs under you when sitting, crossing, throwing one leg over the other and staying in that position for a long time. There is a feeling of numbness, cold due to impaired blood flow and insufficient supply of blood to the limbs.
- Wearing uncomfortable, tight shoes, high heels, tights and synthetic socks (feet get cold and sweaty).
- Long exposure to lower temperatures than the whole body: walking in wet shoes, on cold ground or water.
- Impaired thermoregulation in people with physical characteristics: tall, thin.
- Hormonal disorders in women during menopause: after excessive sweating, the body becomes cold (feet and hands get cold).
- Pregnancy affects heat transfer in the limbs (maintaining the temperature of the reproductive organs in certain numbers occurs due to a decrease in the blood supply to the capillaries of the legs).
- Excessive emotionality: in a stressful situation, blood vessels spasm, blood circulation is disturbed.
- Older age is often the cause of impaired blood supply to the limbs.
- Baby: thermoregulation mechanisms are not yet perfect.
All of the above points can be the answer to the question of why they are cold and sweatyfeet are warm. Many of these reasons are easily eliminated: hardening, the correct posture when sitting, comfortable shoes and, of course, according to the weather, an improvement in the state of the nervous system.
Feet get cold in warmth - pathological reasons
It is not always possible to explain the reasons why feet get cold even at home when it is warm by physiological conditions, weather, some temporary situation. A feeling of coldness in the extremities can signal abnormalities in the functioning of the organs. This condition may be associated with disorders in the work of the cardiovascular system, nervous system, and metabolic disorders.
- With diabetes, the vessels become thinner, blood clots often form, the limbs are not supplied with enough blood.
- Intermittent claudication is the result of atherosclerosis, when the lumen of blood vessels is disturbed due to plaques, the supply of blood to the limbs decreases.
- Hypertension, hypotension. Hypertension (pressure above normal) - due to vasospasm, blood supply is disturbed. Hypotension (low pressure) - blood moves through dilated vessels at insufficient speed. It comes in slowly, the temperature goes down.
- Varicose veins cause stagnation of blood, which leads to disruption of blood flow through the vessels.
- Vegetative-vascular dystonia (VVD): changes in vascular tone and blood circulation in tissues and organs.
- Raynaud's Syndrome: there is a circulatory disorder in the vessels of the extremities as a result of exposure to cold, emotional arousal.
Problems with blood vessels may be accompanied by:
- edema of limbs;
- pain;
- weakness, fatigue even at low loads;
- convulsions.
Neurological problems
The following neurological problems can be the reason why feet and hands get cold in warmth:
- intervertebral hernia of the lumbar spine (infringement of nerve endings, impaired blood supply to the lower extremities);
- impaired cerebral circulation (one of the accompanying conditions is cold extremities);
- some diseases of the peripheral nervous system are accompanied by impaired blood circulation in the vessels of the legs.
Problems of different nature
Why are warm feet cold in men and women of different ages? The reasons can be very diverse:
- Hypothyroidism: insufficient amounts of thyroid-stimulating hormone (thyroid hormone) are produced. Along with other symptoms (dry, pale skin, hair loss and brittleness, weakness, fatigue), the patient almost always has cold feet, he is chilly even in warm clothes.
- Side effects of drugs.
- Fungal diseases of the genitourinary system can provoke a decrease in vascular tone.
- Parasitic infections: Toxins released by parasites affect vascular tone and can cause vasospasm.
- Tendency to allergies: during an exacerbation of the disease, the speed of blood flow is disturbed andheat transfer.
- Dehydration of the body: there is a change in the water balance and, as a result, a violation of metabolic processes.
- Disturbances in the work of the cardiovascular system lead to a decrease in blood flow, which affects heat transfer processes in the limbs.
- Iron deficiency (low hemoglobin): a decrease in iron leads to insufficient oxygen supply to the body (hemoglobin carries oxygen), which leads to metabolic disorders.
- Fasting, strict diets: lack of energy affects heat transfer.
- The period of rehabilitation after frostbite: the limbs will freeze until the blood circulation is fully restored.
- Chronic fatigue condition.
Children's feet get cold when warm
Why do children's feet get very cold even when they are warm? The reason may be the same conditions of the body as in adults:
- impaired circulation as a result of illness;
- physical condition of the body (low weight, thinness);
- psychosomatic problems;
- avitaminosis;
- insufficient physical activity;
- violation of posture, leading to impaired blood supply to the limbs;
- metabolic disorder;
- allergy;
- Wrong shoes, clothes.
It should be borne in mind that the physiological characteristics of the child's body play a big role in heat exchange processes:
- The thermoregulation of a newborn is not yet perfect, so hecan get cold at a temperature comfortable for an adult;
- there is almost no fat layer in the limbs of the child, the muscle mass is small.
Parents' task is to analyze situations when a child's warm feet temperature is much lower than body temperature, try to understand what they are connected with, and if you haven't found the answer to this question on your own, consult a pediatrician.
What will help get rid of the symptom of "cold feet"
If cold feet cause discomfort, interfere with the normal functioning of the body, you should try to get rid of the factors provoking this condition:
- any kind of alcohol (affects vascular tone);
- smoking (the lumen of blood vessels narrows, heat transfer is disturbed);
- low physical activity;
- overweight;
- wrong and excessive nutrition;
- wearing tight clothes and shoes;
- Incorrect walking and sitting postures.
Traditional medicine to help "cold feet"
Why do feet get cold when warm? What to do? Folk methods contain many recommendations on how to act in such cases, because the problem is not new, a person has been familiar with it for a long time. Consider methods based on the impact on the biologically active points of the feet.
- Rubbing feet with apple cider vinegar (6%), vodka, triple cologne. This method helps to dilate blood vessels, improves blood flow. First you need to perform a foot massage (until a feeling of warmth appears),rub ankles, fingers. Then rub the selected product well, put on socks.
- Mustard (powder) add to hot water and warm your feet until the water cools. After putting on woolen socks (the villi affect the points of the sole).
- Pour dry mustard or red pepper into cotton socks, put them on (wipe your feet dry), put on another socks on top. It is good to carry out the procedure at night.
- Prepare a tincture of 200 ml of vodka and 2 teaspoons of red pepper (keep 10 days in a dark place), rub into the feet at night. Be sure to wear socks.
- Use a warming cream to warm the feet: add fir oil to any neutral cream, rub into the feet until absorbed, put on warm socks.
- Heating legs over hot boiled potatoes: put a plank on the pan, legs on it, wrap and sit for half an hour.
- Foot baths. Prepare a decoction of spruce or pine needles, warm the legs for half an hour, then keep them warm.
From 3 or 4 bags of green tea, prepare a hot infusion in 1-2 liters of water (10 minutes), warm your feet until the infusion cools. Wrap up.
Decoction and tea recipes
A variety of teas will help improve blood circulation.
Ginger tea: stir half a teaspoon of ground ginger into 250 ml of boiling water, soak for 15 minutes. Drink hot with a slice of lemon in the morning (on an empty stomach) and in the evening (an hour before bedtime).
Ginger tea: when brewing black tea, add fresh ginger to the cup (grated) orpowder - half a teaspoon. You can add ground nutmeg along with ginger (to taste).
Dandelion drink: fresh or dried dandelion flowers (1 teaspoon) steep in a glass of boiling water for 5 minutes. Drink two glasses a day (morning and afternoon, regardless of meals).
Drink from hawthorn: a teaspoon of dry (crushed) hawthorn fruits insist in a glass of boiling water for 5 minutes, add honey and drink as tea.
Exercise to improve blood circulation in the legs
Why do feet get cold at home in the heat, we figured it out. Something needs to be done about this problem. Among the many exercises to improve blood circulation in the legs, you can always choose the right ones for yourself and perform them, which is very important, systematically (in the morning and in the evening). When performing, concentrate on the muscles of the legs.
Exercise 1 (to restore blood circulation in the capillaries): lying on your back (on the floor), put a roller under your neck, raise your legs and arms up at a right angle. Perform vibrating movements of the arms and legs (shake), without bending them, from one to three minutes.
Exercise 2. Standing, roll from toe to heel with both feet (20-30 times).
Exercise 3. Sitting on a chair, stretch your straight leg forward, move your toes up and down (10-20 times).
Exercise 4. Performed similarly to the previous one, only move the foot.
Exercise 5. Lying on your back (on the floor), stretch your arms along the body. Pull alternately the socks of the legs towards you (10-15 timeseach foot).
Exercise 6. Perform half-squats, straining the muscles of the legs (10-15 times).
Exercise 7. Walk on the outside of the foot (1-2 minutes).
Exercise 8. Goose walk.
Exercise 9. Lying on your stomach (on the floor), put your hands under your head, bend your knees. Perform rocking movements from side to side (1-2 minutes).
Exercise 10. Lying on your back, raise your straight legs and lean them against the wall, bring your buttocks as close as possible to the wall. Stay in this position for 5 minutes.
Exercise 11. Sitting on a chair (the back rests against the back of the chair), raise straight legs parallel to the floor, move the legs as if swimming.
Exercise 11. Pick up small objects lying on the floor with your toes.
Exercise 12. Standing on your toes, reach straight up with your arms, trying to stretch your spine as much as possible (on the count from 30 to 60).
The execution order can be chosen arbitrarily. With the systematic implementation of the exercises, a feeling of lightness in the legs will appear, the feeling of cold in the feet will gradually disappear.
Prevention
In order not to run into a problem when feet get cold in the heat, one should engage in prevention from childhood:
- walk barefoot on the ground, on pebbles, stones, sand, grass;
- at home more often walk without slippers;
- carry out a foot massage using a massage mat, a special massager;
- do not insulate your legs unnecessarily (dress for the weather);
- bephysically active in any weather;
- carry out hardening procedures: contrast shower, contrast foot baths;
- maintain the correct body position when walking, in a sitting position (the legs should have support);
- cycling, swimming, skiing, walking;
- include foods containing fatty acids (fatty fish, flaxseed and flaxseed oil, nuts, seeds) in the diet.
These measures, if carried out in the system, will help both children and adults feel comfortable in any weather.
