If the hands are constantly cold, it is likely that a disease is behind the discomfort. A possible cause may be a circulatory disorder. The most common reason for a circulatory disorder is arteriosclerosis. Blood fats, blood clots or connective tissue accumulate in the vessels and constrict them. However, arteriosclerosis rarely occurs in the arm vessels.
In addition to arteriosclerosis, circulatory disorders can also be caused by pressure damage to nerves and blood vessels or by inflammatory vascular disease (thrombangiitis obliterans). In these cases, occlusions of the small arteries in the hands and feet occur particularly frequently.
Raynaud’s syndrome
Raynaud’s syndrome is often the result of such occlusion. This is an extreme form of circulatory disorder in which the hands and feet become bloodless and thus white and completely numb due to a sudden vascular spasm. Subsequently, the hands turn blue and finally red. In the long term, Raynaud’s syndrome can cause damage to the vessel walls or tissue death.
Low blood pressure and heart failure as the cause
Low blood pressure is also often the cause of cold fingers. If the blood pressure is low, the vessel walls pulsate only slightly and the parts of the body furthest from the heart are poorly supplied with blood. The hands are particularly affected by this deficient supply and therefore cool down quickly. In addition to cold hands, low blood pressure is also noticeable in the form of fatigue and concentration problems.
Low blood pressure occurs either when the vessels do not contract strongly enough or when the heart does not beat strongly enough. If the heart is weak (cardiac insufficiency), less blood is also pumped into the circulation. This, too, can lead to less blood flow to the hands and cause them to cool down.
In addition, tumors can also cause cold hands. Both benign and malignant tumors can disrupt blood flow by pressing on the vessels. Less blood flows through the constricted vessels and our hands are supplied with less heat.
Hypothyroidism as a cause
If there is a disorder in the hormonal system, it can influence our vascular circulation and thus cause cold hands. For example, people who suffer from hypothyroidism freeze particularly easily. This is because thyroid hormones influence, among other things, our blood circulation as well as our sensation of warmth and cold. In the long term, hypothyroidism can increase the risk of arteriosclerosis and other vascular diseases.
Autoimmune diseases as a cause
Autoimmune diseases are diseases in which the body’s own tissue is mistakenly not recognized by the immune system and is fought as a foreign body. Autoimmune diseases include connective tissue diseases, which are a possible cause of cold hands.
In scleroderma, for example, the connective tissue becomes thicker and thicker. This can lead to vascular constriction, which then results in worsened blood circulation. Typical signs of scleroderma are swollen and stiff hands and feet. In a later stage, the face can also be affected, which is noticeable in a rigid facial skin. Raynaud’s syndrome also frequently occurs with scleroderma.
Another autoimmune disease that can cause cold hands is rheumatoid arthritis. In this form of inflammatory joint disease, a feeling of coldness in the hands and feet can occur in addition to painful finger and foot joints, especially in the early stages.
Psychological causes
Our psyche can also influence our hormone balance and thus have an effect on the blood flow in our vessels. For example, everyone probably knows the feeling of getting cold hands from excitement. In moments of particular tension, the increased release of the hormones adrenaline and noradrenaline influences vascular expansion and thus blood flow.
People suffering from depression also often experience cold hands or cold feet. The depressed mood can change the hormone release as well as the activity of messenger substances in the brain. This can have an impact on a wide variety of bodily functions, including blood circulation as well as temperature sensation.