Cold feet at night | Cold feet

Cold feet at night

Cold feet can be a common cause of problems falling asleep. The core body temperature, which is normally around 36-37°C at rest for an adult, should be around 0.5°C below the value during the day for optimal sleep. However, to allow the core body temperature to cool slightly, the blood must flow from the center of the body to the periphery to the hands and feet. However, this is not possible with vascular constrictions in the outermost limbs such as the feet and toes, and the heat cannot be dissipated to the outside. It is now difficult to fall asleep.

Diagnosis

In order to find out whether behind the cold feet there is a normal (physiological) body reaction to a cold stimulus, wetness or too tight shoes or a reaction with disease value, the development of the cold feet themselves should first be observed. Here it is important to find out in which situations the cold feet occur and whether the reaction is normal (physiological). For example, ice-cold feet while wearing woollen socks and thermal insoles in moderate climates would be an unphysiological body reaction that should be investigated by a physician.

In addition, a physician should be consulted in case of skin changes, such as color changes or wounds that do not heal, as well as pain, cramps or high fever.The doctor can now measure the so-called recapillarization time after a detailed questioning about the patient’s symptoms, as well as any pre-existing illnesses and the patient’s intake of vasoconstrictive medication (anamnesis). During this process, the patient’s fingernail or toenail is pressed lightly so that the blood flow is stopped and the corresponding area becomes pale. Then the pressure is released and the time until rosy is determined, which physiological way should not exceed 2 seconds.

Furthermore, the blood circulation of the foot can be easily checked by palpating (palpating) the foot pulses as well as the pulses in the knee and hip area (strength, character, regularity). Based on the ankle-arm index (ABI), the severity of a possibly existing arterial vascular occlusive disease (PAVK) can be determined by means of a so-called Doppler ultrasound and a blood pressure measurement. Furthermore, the general blood pressure measurement is an important diagnostic criterion to detect low blood pressure (hypotension). In addition, hormonal examinations, for example the collection of thyroid gland values, play a decisive role in finding the cause of the long-term and disproportionate existence of cold feet.