Therapy
The therapy of cold hands depends on the trigger or the underlying disease. A change in lifestyle can improve cold hands. Try to avoid stimulants such as cigarettes and alcohol.
Also make sure you get enough exercise and a healthy diet. Make sure you get a good night’s sleep, because if you are tired, you will freeze. And try to avoid stress.
Seldom are the disease-triggering factors as clearly in the foreground as in Raynaud’s syndrome. Because in this disease, the main goal of therapy is to avoid the cold stimulus that can trigger cold hands. In the case of heart problems or metabolic disorders, such as hypothyroidism, the focus is on targeted treatment measures, usually in the form of medication.
In the case of arteriosclerosis, it is important to start therapy while the disease is still in its development. During a blood test, the so-called LDL is measured, which is often referred to as bad cholesterol. This is necessary to determine whether the patient has too high a LDL value.
It can be made sure so already early on that well-known factors of risk are worked against. For example, a low-fat diet should be followed, more physical activity should be done and smoking should be avoided. In the case of existing calcifications, blood anticoagulants (ASS, Clopidogrel or similar) can be used to prevent the formation of blood clots.
If medication is responsible for your cold hands, consult your doctor! Together with you he will weigh up the positive effects of the medication against the negative effects and, if necessary, prescribe a new medication or reduce the dose of your current medication. In addition, especially in cooler seasons, adequate thermal protection in the form of thick, dry and warm clothing is recommended to prevent your hands and body from cooling down.
Prophylaxis
There are a number of ways to give cold hands the slip, which can be easily incorporated into everyday life. Dress warmly enough in cooler temperatures. Try to cover the entire body with clothing, for example with a long coat or knee-high socks.
Avoid wet clothing in particular. This is because it generates evaporative cold and causes the blood vessels to contract and your hands to get cold. A supply of heat from outside in the form of a hot water bottle or a cherry pit cushion can also combat cold hands.
If you tend to your ice fingers frequently, perform gripping movements or a massage with your hands. From the inside, you can also stimulate the blood circulation of your body by eating spicy food, for example chili. Preventive measures such as extensive circulation training in the form of jogging, swimming or a sauna session are recommended to avoid cold hands.
After the sports program, treat yourself to a so-called alternating shower. It is a good workout for your blood vessels and is easy to perform. Take a warm shower for one minute and then a cold shower for five to ten seconds.
Especially for cold hands we recommend the alternating bath for the forearms. Make sure you are sufficiently relaxed. In stressful situations, our body releases adrenaline, which causes a narrowing of the vessels.
The result is again cold hands with poor blood circulation. If you work a lot at the PC, make sure that your wrist is not bent when you sit at the desk. This disturbs the blood flow to the hand.
Hold your hands a little higher and make sure your room temperature is warm enough. You should consult your general practitioner if cold hands manifest themselves, especially all year round, regardless of the ambient temperature and if other symptoms such as skin changes or discoloration, swelling, pain, dizziness or general signs of illness occur. The doctor will ask you in detail about your lifestyle, previous illnesses and your living conditions.
He will also be interested in when and how cold hands present themselves. Afterwards, some physical examinations will be performed.The doctor will take a thorough look at your fingers and hands, measure your blood pressure and pulse to check your heart work and possibly listen to your vessels with a stethoscope, since blood flowing through vasoconstrictions produces flow sounds that can be heard with the stethoscope. To further identify the cause of your cold hands, the doctor may perform some special tests with you.
The so-called cold provocation test is used to determine whether Raynaud’s syndrome is present. This involves immersing your hands in four degrees of cold ice water for a few seconds. If the vessels contract cramp-like, possibly even painfully, and cause a circulatory disorder, the test is positive.
The fist closure test is used to detect a circulatory disorder in the area of the arteries. For two minutes, the fists are closed every second with raised arms. If there is spotty skin pallor and a delayed refilling of the vessels after lowering the arms, this is an indication of an existing circulatory disorder.
This examination can be supplemented by the Allen test, in which both arm arteries are squeezed at the wrist for a moment to throttle the blood supply to the fingers. The hand turns white. After releasing one of the two vessels, the blood supply is partially resumed and the hand appears to have normal blood flow again after about five to seven seconds.
If the hand remains white, this is an indication of a circulatory disorder in the respective vessel. In addition, when cold hands appear, the blood can be examined to detect inflammation or certain diseases, such as rheumatism or hypothyroidism. Other possibilities for diagnosing cold hands include imaging procedures, such as ultrasound or x-rays with contrast medium, which can make the vascular system with its constrictions visible.
