Why are my hands cold all the time?

Symptoms:

You’re feeling the cold and your hands seem to be cold all the time. You’re short of breath and you get palpitations.

With this cold weather your fingers and toes feel numb and cold whenever you go outside and your skin changes colour from white to blue then red, sometimes called dead fingers.

You’ve been gaining weight and you feel the cold acutely, particularly in your hands and feet, your voice has become gruff and your hair is thinning.

It could be:

Anaemia where you lack enough healthy blood cells to carry oxygen to your body’s tissues. There are many forms, each with their own cause, the commonest of which is iron deficiency anaemia.

Raynaud’s disease where the small arteries that supply blood to your skin go into spasm. Women are more likely to have Raynaud’s disease.

An underactive thyroid

(hypothyroidism) which can run in families, and is due to the thyroid gland not producing enough thyroid hormone, making it difficult for your body to keep warm.

Stop it:

See your doctor for blood tests to find out the exact cause and for the appropriate treatment.

Treatments of Raynaud’s disease depend on severity and whether you have other health conditions. For most people it isn’t disabling but it can affect your quality of life. Wear several layers in the cold weather, thick socks, gloves and a hat.

See your doctor for tests and a diagnosis. If you have hypothyroidism you’ll have to take thyroid hormone supplements for the rest of your life.