Freezing is an absolutely natural reaction of the body to unhealthy cold, which could weaken the immune system. It only becomes problematic when it occurs disproportionately. Then one speaks of the so-called cold sensitivity.
What is freezing (cold sensitivity)?
If there is no reason for such severe freezing, sensitivity to cold can also be the sign of an underlying disease, which is usually an infection. Freezing is the body’s response to cold air. The muscles move jerkily and one shivers more or less severely; the blood circulation is no longer able to warm the outermost extremities such as fingers, nose, ears and toes, these become ice cold. If there is no reason for such severe freezing, the sensitivity to cold can also be the sign of an underlying disease, which is usually an infection. Freezing is felt as uncomfortable even when it is appropriate – after all, the feeling should also indicate that it is time to warm up and leave the cold, as it could become harmful to the immune system and health.
Causes
Freezing as an observation that is not harmful to health occurs when the environment is cold and you are not properly clothed. However, it is also a common accompaniment of illnesses that entail fever. Freezing occurs, for example, during severe colds, flu-like infections, influenza and similar infectious diseases. Cold sensitivity can also herald infections that are not related to the throat, nose and ears: When bacteria and viruses spread, they often entail freezing as well. Excessive sensitivity to cold may also be due to a general circulatory disorder. This can be due to low blood pressure, iron deficiency, anemia or medication. Some chemotherapies for cancer patients also cause freezing, such as the drug 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) for colorectal cancer and its metastases.
Diseases with this symptom
- Infection
- Hypotension
- Anorexia
- Cold
- Hypothermia
- Cachexia
- Flu
- Circulatory problems
- Hypothyroidism
Diagnosis
Cold sensitivity is easy to diagnose if you want to determine whether you are more cold than other people. It is important to dress properly, otherwise you hardly need to wonder about stronger sensitivity to cold. However, if you then feel the cold faster or more intensely than all other people, you can assume that you actually freeze more easily. Freezing during an infectious disease is also easy to detect: Even when sensitivity to cold should not actually be a problem, you will still freeze and often shiver. The doctor will identify the cause of freezing by testing the functions of the circulatory system or the blood, as well as by examining the patient for pathogens that may result in an infectious disease, which are often accompanied by freezing.
When should you go to the doctor?
Freezing is considered a very subjective sensation. Those who feel cold initially avoid cold environments, dress warmer, or “bundle up.” Going to the doctor for freezing or sensitivity to cold seems excessive to many people. As subjective as the feeling of being cold is, there are definitely reasons to go to the doctor about it. Unless the shivering is due to a cold ambient temperature, it should be considered a symptom of a physical cause. For example, pronounced sensitivity to cold can be the sign of an illness, usually an infection. This can be a cold, but also another illness caused by bacteria or viruses. In this case, the chills can increase to the point of shivering. Freezing or particular sensitivity to cold may also be related to iron deficiency, low blood pressure, circulatory disorder or hypothyroidism. Some common medications also cause freezing as a side effect. Also known is freezing or sensitivity to cold due to chemotherapy in cancer patients and certain drugs used in cancer therapy. Freezing as a symptom provides the physician with important information for the treatment of the patient. Of course, the doctor will try everything to alleviate the unpleasant freezing.With the numerous causes of freezing or sensitivity to cold, which are only partially reflected in this section, it is obvious that a visit to the doctor is absolutely recommended here.
Treatment and therapy
Excessive freezing without pathological cause can be treated very easily by yourself. If you go outside, you need the right clothes and should deliberately dress a little warmer than other people. Gloves, hats and scarves can also be very helpful. When you have a cold or flu, if possible, get under a warm blanket and stay there as long as you can – then the chills won’t feel as bad (see also chills). The infectious disease itself must, of course, continue to be treated if there is a general need for treatment and it would not subside on its own. If the doctor does not prescribe medication, hot tea, cocoa or hot milk with honey will also help against the chills. Serious infectious diseases with freezing may need to be treated in hospital, as the underlying disease itself is not without risk, or the patient may need to be closely monitored due to his symptoms. Circulatory diseases are treated with exercise or drugs that stimulate circulation.
Outlook and prognosis
Excessive freezing or sensitivity to cold can have many different causes. Accordingly, the outlook and prognosis vary with and without treatment. Depending on the cause of the cold sensitivity, the outlook ranges from harmless or self-healing to severe if the underlying condition is not treated or is not treatable. For example, it may be a serious circulatory disorder or an infectious disease. If the freezing is due to genetically determined extraordinary sensitivity to cold, the outlook is constant, but in principle harmless. A corresponding genetic disposition is usually present if there have been other cases of sensitivity to cold within the family. If the body reacts to freezing with shivering or trembling all over the body, without the clothing being considered inappropriate to the prevailing temperatures, a cold or other infectious disease usually announces itself. Prognosis and outlook in these cases tend toward self-healing once the infection is overcome and heals with or without treatment. If the cold sensitivity is due to a nonspecific circulatory disorder, prognosis is uncertain until the causes of the circulatory disorder are known. The treatability and course of the underlying disease, with or without treatment, are then critical to the outlook for sensitive cold sensations.
Prevention
Freezing is prevented by dressing warmly, even though it may make you look out of style. This applies to the clothes themselves, as well as the shoes. During a cold or flu, you need to be even more conscious of keeping warm, for example with a turtleneck sweater or a scarf even inside. Regular exercise also cranks up the entire circulatory system and ensures that the affected person is less likely to freeze – because muscle mass keeps warm and also increases the general well-being.
What you can do yourself
People who suffer from sensitivity to cold have numerous options for self-treatment. Those who frequently freeze should always keep moving. This not only promotes blood circulation, but warms on top of that. Those affected can bob their feet up and down or walk a short distance back and forth. Cold hands are excellent for warming up under the armpits. Alternatively, sufferers can swing their arms back and forth. Sufferers can also counteract sensitivity to cold with hot drinks. A hot tea drink provides warmth. It becomes particularly warm with hot spices as an additive. Ginger is also recommended. The hot substances it contains activate the heat receptors on the skin and mucous membranes. However, alcohol should be avoided. It is only supposed to provide warmth, but it is extremely dangerous – especially outdoors. To prevent people from freezing, they should dress warmly and follow the onion principle. This involves putting on several thin layers on top of each other. This provides far more warmth than thick layers. Furthermore, care should be taken to ensure that the clothing does not fit too tightly around the body.This creates tiny air pockets that store heat.
