What is the coldness of the body?

Arab Weather - Feeling cold in a way that differs from the surrounding people, or feeling hypersensitive to cold with body goose bumps while outside the house in a manner that exceeds the normal state is what is known as coldness of the body or extreme sensitivity to cold (English: Cold intolerance).

The coldness of the body or the extremities can be due to hypothermia, and this is considered a natural response of the body, as the body temperature is regulated in response to various internal and external changes. The pituitary gland is responsible for regulating body temperature. A number of different systems work together . The pituitary gland sends out signals to regulate energy production in a way that ensures that the temperature is kept within a normal range .

The coldness of the body signals the pituitary gland to stimulate metabolism through the thyroid gland, which works to produce the energy needed to warm the body . The body also responds to lowering its temperature by reducing the flow of blood, which is the main carrier of energy and warmth from the center of the body (the heart) to the rest of the organs . Therefore, the body reduces blood flow to the skin, which is considered a secondary organ, so that warmth and energy are transferred to the vital and major organs such as the brain, heart and lungs. Therefore, a person feels the coldness of the body and the coldness of the hands, feet, nose, and ears .

In addition to the pituitary and thyroid gland, the fats in the body act as a barrier to prevent heat leakage, in addition to being a source of energy when burned, which warms the body . But despite the existence of all these systems to prevent coldness of the body, some people suffer from coldness in a different way than others, and therefore it is possible that one of the following reasons is the reason for the coldness of the body .

Causes of a cold body

Being cold and making a double effort to warm the body can indicate poor overall physical health, and it can be a sign of a health problem . Among these reasons:

Anemia and coldness of the body

Anemia is the low number of red blood cells that results in a lack of the main means of transport that carries oxygen throughout the body. Anemia is accompanied by a group of symptoms such as :

• Exhaustion and feeling tired.
• Hair loss.
• Dizziness
• Headache.
• Difficulty concentrating.
• Paleness of the skin.

And other symptoms and signs that indicate the causes of anemia, whether it is due to blood loss through the menstrual cycle , or the digestive system , or through poor nutrition , or because of poor absorption and digestive problems.

Anorexia nervosa may cause the body to cool down

Loss of appetite nervous ( in English: Anorexia nervosa) is a disorder of respect to where the patient is suffering from extreme fear of weight gain, weight loss with food, and the deformation of the image seen by the patient himself. Where the patient sees himself as obese despite his below normal weight .

Patients with anorexia nervosa suffer from a frighteningly low food intake , and when they eat food they try to remove it from the body in any way, whether through vomiting or taking laxatives . Patients with anorexia nervosa suffer from coldness and cold intolerance due to the decrease in fat mass in their bodies . Patients with anorexia nervosa also suffer from other symptoms in addition to a cold body, which are :

• Impaired memory and ability to concentrate.
• Sensation of dizziness and weakness in the body in general.
• Menopause in women with anorexia nervosa.
• Hair loss, and brittle nails with breakage.
• Delayed wound healing.
• Fear of eating in front of people.
• Social isolation.
• Sleep disturbances and insomnia.
• Constipation and digestive upset.
• Coldness of the body caused by hypothyroidism

The thyroid gland plays an important role in regulating body temperature through metabolism and fat burning . And any disturbance in the secretion of thyroid hormone is accompanied by a disturbance in the body temperature of high or low . Hypothyroidism is accompanied by a wide range of symptoms due to the decrease in energy production in the body. These symptoms are led by coldness and intolerance to cold despite the moderate atmosphere, in addition to the following symptoms:

• General fatigue.
• Feeling depressed.
• Weakness and breakage of hair.
• Constipation.
• Menstrual disorder.
• Decreased heart rate.

Peripheral arterial disease and coldness of the body

Peripheral arterial disease occurs when plaque accumulates in the artery wall, or when atherosclerosis occurs in the artery wall, and this occurs in the peripheral arteries in the hands and feet . This accumulation causes a narrowing of the blood vessel, which leads to a decrease in blood flow to the area supplying the artery .

Peripheral arterial disease, which causes a lack of perfusion in the areas that feed it, the effect of this narrowing is more pronounced in cold weather . Where the cold works to narrow the blood vessel doubly, and the patient feels numbness or tingling, and pain in the area supplied by the artery . In cases of severe artery narrowing and complete blockage of the blood supply, this can lead to complete tissue damage and death .

Raynaud's syndrome may cause the body to become cold

As a natural response to cold, the body reduces blood flow to the skin and extremities, in exchange for directing warmth and energy more to the body's core and vital nerves . But when the contraction of the arteries is too much faster than usual, this is known as Renault syndrome ( in English: Raynaud's Disease) occurs as a result of the body 's response to cold or stress.

Severe and rapid constriction of the arteries leads to discolouration of the fingers as the normal pink skin turns pale white or blue . This effect lasts for 15 minutes and then the artery begins to relax and expand, but the occurrence of the color change due to the limited blood flow is accompanied by numbness or tingling . When normal blood flow is restored, the fingers can become red with a tingling sensation .

Raynaud's phenomenon is divided into:

Primary Raynaud's phenomenon: It affects a person without the presence of any other cause, and it occurs in one in 10 people in a different form and severity.

Secondary Raynaud's phenomenon: It occurs in conjunction with a chronic disease in the body such as SLE or rheumatoid arthritis . It occurs in one out of every 100 people with this chronic disease.

Coldness of the body due to problems with the pituitary gland

The pituitary gland is the primary center for regulating body temperature, so any defect or problem with it affects the feeling of warmth and coldness.

Coldness of the body caused by hypothermia

The body temperature drops below normal when exposed to severe cold for a long time, as the body loses its ability to heat or as a result of an infection in the blood, or severe infection in the body. This occurs more often in children and the elderly, as both suffer from low fat, and weak immunity to resistance compared Being young . Fever is a low temperature ( in English: Hypothermia) dangerous display needs to enter fast otherwise it can lead to death.

Diagnosis of coldness of the body

Coldness of the body or excessive sensitivity to cold may be normal in some people, as it is considered an increased response to cold by narrowing blood vessels and is found in women more . The cause of the cold can be one of the previously mentioned reasons, so the doctor takes the pathology and makes a clinical examination, and he may order a set of tests that help determine the diagnosis.

Cold body treatment

The treatment of coldness of the body varies according to the cause that leads to it , in cases where there is no cause for it and it is considered a physical nature, this can be dealt with by warming the body well, and gradually moving to a lower temperature.

Anemia is treated by treating the cause of it and treating the deficiency by administering the deficient component that leads to anemia, whether it is iron deficiency , vitamin B12 deficiency , or others.

Hypothyroidism is compensated for by taking thyroxine in pill form .

Treatment of peripheral arterial disease includes changing the lifestyle through exercise and stopping smoking. A vasodilator may be used , and in severe cases, the patient may need surgery .

Treatment for Raynaud's syndrome aims to prevent it from occurring or to reduce its impact if it does occur . This is done by keeping the limbs in a dry and warm atmosphere in addition to exercising and avoiding stress. It is also advised to avoid medicines containing the compound pseudoephedrine because it increases symptoms.

Treatments that help reduce arterial narrowing may be prescribed, but in severe cases that are uncontrollable and can lead to chronic finger damage, a doctor may recommend surgery.

Treatment for anorexia nervosa is based on two main parts , cognitive behavioral therapy and nutritional therapy , both of which work in an integrated way to improve self-image and provide the body with the necessary food to avoid severe complications of this disease.

Source: Medical