In most cases, the explanation for cold hands is quite simple: when the temperature drops, the blood vessels in our limbs constrict, reducing blood flow to them – ergo: our fingers feel cold. Normally, this condition should be corrected when you enter a warm room and your vessels expand again. If your fingers remain permanently cold, become numb or even turn blue, various diseases can be the cause. In the following you will find out all about possible causes and get practical tips on how to warm your cold hands better.
Iron deficiency: If there is not enough iron in your organism, your body compensates for this deficiency via the bloodstream. As a result, your perception of heat and cold can change. To find out whether you are suffering from iron deficiency, you should consult a doctor – after the blood test you will surely know more.
Thyroid hypofunction: Cold hands can also be hormonally favored, for example if your thyroid produces too few hormones and thus slows down your metabolic processes. Again, a doctor can provide information about whether you suffer from an underactive thyroid gland and prescribe appropriate medication.
Raynaud’s syndrome: If your fingertips turn pale and stand out clearly from the rest of your hand, you may have a functional circulatory disorder – your blood vessels constrict so much in response to the cold that your fingers turn white or even blue, become numb or tingle. In this case, you should consult a doctor!
Other ways that cold fingers can be caused include known causes – those that contribute to many other diseases: smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, lack of exercise, a mineral and/or nutrient deficiency, lack of sleep, heart failure, a low blood pressure, too much stress, depressive moods, permanent states of anxiety, hormone and metabolic disorders, thrombosis, malnutrition and taking certain medications. In most cases, you can fight the causes on your own.
Our hands freeze particularly quickly on cold days, especially when you are outdoors – and even more so when you are also pushing a stroller in front of you. Here’s an easy way to keep your fingers warm: with a special hand warmer that you can attach to all standard prams and buggies with sturdy snaps. The integrated fleece lining and the waterproof and windproof outer cover keep your hands protected from the cold at all times. Get the hand warmer here:
With an average temperature of 55 degrees Celsius, these special heat packs are also very suitable for protecting your hands from cooling down – for up to twelve hours. The pads, which are just 9.5 by 5.5 centimeters in size, fit in any jacket or trouser pocket, but can also be attached to gloves. They are activated as soon as you open the packaging and heat up to a comfortably warm temperature without the need for electricity, so that your hands stay warm all the time. Here are the mobile heat pads:
The only downside to the pads mentioned is that they cannot be reused and end up in the trash after use. If, for the sake of the environment, you value a hand warmer that can be charged, this device may be a better alternative for you: It not only looks like a power bank, it is one – but unlike the usual devices, there is one heat off. Depending on which temperature you prefer, the power bank can be heated to 45 (level one) or 60 degrees (level two) Celsius:
These heated gloves are significantly more expensive to buy, but are also electrically operated. Powered by a lithium battery, the inside can be heated in three stages: up to 35 (stage one), up to 42 (stage two) and up to 50 degrees Celsius (stage three) – this makes the gloves suitable for all outdoor activities: The fabric is breathable and yet water-repellent, and the integrated heating can be switched on and off at any time at the push of a button.
Instead of worrying about warm thoughts to warm up outdoors, you can also easily take a small thermal mug with you – it keeps hot drinks such as coffee or tea hot for up to four hours. The 360 degree opening allows you to drink the contents from each side or share it with another person. In any case, if you have cold hands, it can also help to warm yourself up from the inside with a nice hot drink. Then you can endure it outdoors much longer. Here you get the cup.
Of course, it always makes sense to carry a pair of ordinary gloves with you on cold days when you are out and about. This means you can protect your hands from the cold at all times – even if the protection usually doesn’t last long. But you can help here, for example, by using one of the warming gadgets mentioned above – thanks to the combination of lined gloves and an electrically or manually operated hand warmer, your cold hands should soon be a thing of the past. Here you will find a large selection of different models in different colors for him and her.
This article contains so-called affiliate links. There is more information here.
