With the cold blast we are having at the moment, you  may be feeling it particularly in your feet or toes.

Your feet are prone to feeling cold, the problem affects everyone from time to time. 

On a chilly day, your body reacts to the drop in temperature by constricting the blood vessels in your feet. This keeps as much warm blood as possible circulating in your head and torso so that your vital organs can continue working properly.

The downside is numb toes!

Let’s be honest Ireland is not the hottest of places so chilly piggies are very common. 

Thankfully, there are plenty of ways to make your feet warmer during winter. By putting on a thicker pair of socks, placing a hot water bottle at the end of your bed or exercising, you should be able to banish that chilly feeling. 

Keeping your feet cosy is important, not least because doing so helps you to avoid foot problems such as chilblains, which can develop after prolonged exposure to the cold.

Cold feet are usually a temporary problem and nothing to worry about. But what if your feet always feel cold, even on warm days?

In that case, the problem could be caused by a medical condition.

Poor Circulation

Some people’s feet feel cold all the time due to poor circulation. It can be difficult for blood to be pumped to and from your feet efficiently because they’re so far away from your heart. 

If you have poor circulation in your feet, they won’t receive enough warmth from your blood so will be unable to maintain a normal temperature.

Sometimes poor circulation is linked to an unhealthy lifestyle – sitting too long at your desk or smoking may be to blame. 

However, the problem can stem from an underlying health condition, such as Peripheral Arterial Disease (a build-up of fatty deposits in the arteries). That’s why it’s crucial to get blood flow issues investigated.

Anaemia

You’re anaemic if you have too few red blood cells to supply your body with enough oxygen and warmth. 

Your feet – and other areas – may feel constantly cold. 

Other key symptoms include a lack of energy, breathlessness and pale skin.

A common form of the condition is iron-deficiency anaemia, which means your body doesn’t have sufficient iron to make as many red blood cells as you’d need to be healthy. 

This can result from a poor diet, heavy periods or pregnancy, for example. Taking iron supplements and eating more leafy greens, meat, etc. can help rectify the problem.

Hypothyroidism

Persistently cold feet are also associated with hypothyroidism. 

So what does that mean?

This means your thyroid gland doesn’t produce enough of the vital thyroid hormones. As a result, your body struggles to turn food into energy and its functions slow down. 

Your body may be unable to pump blood efficiently or maintain a normal temperature. Your feet will normally suffer. You may also find you can’t tolerate chilly weather.

Hypothyroidism can be treated with hormone tablets, you should contact your doctor.

Raynaud’s Disease

People with Raynaud’s Disease also struggle to cope with cold weather and often have cold feet. That’s because the small blood vessels in their feet or hands are very sensitive to drops in temperature. 

Those small blood vessels go into spasms, becoming excessively, painfully constricted.

Girls and young women are most likely to be affected by Raynaud’s. 

Severe cases may lead to ulceration and point to an underlying health condition, such as an autoimmune disease.

Diabetes

If your body struggles to regulate blood sugar levels due to diabetes, your circulation and nervous system could be compromised. 

Your feet may be cold all the time due to poor blood flow. 

Alternatively, nerve damage in your lower limbs may make you think your feet are cold when they’re actually warm, this is a form of peripheral neuropathy.

 Your feet may also be numb, and you might not notice foot problems such as injuries soon enough.

That’s one reason why regular diabetic foot checks are so important for your health.

As there are many possible reasons why your feet always feel cold, it’s important to seek professional help.

Talking to your podiatrist is an excellent starting point  as a podiatrist is a foot expert.

If you are worries about cold feet, Call us today on 0212021001

Or 

Click Here and one of the Achilles Foot Clinic Team will call you.