Girls tend to have cold hands and feet in winter, and the reason is this! Master these few tricks and you will never be afraid of being too cold to sleep again

When winter comes, I believe many girls can't help but sigh: "Why are my hands and feet always so cold?"

Even if you put on thick socks and hold a hot water bottle, you still can't feel the joy of "warming up". Many people think that this dilemma of "cold hands and feet" is due to "cold body" or "lack of blood and qi", but in fact, there are deeper physiological reasons behind this phenomenon.

Compared with men, women are more likely to have cold hands and feet. Whether you are watching TV series at home or typing in the office, if you sit still for a while, your fingers and toes will become "cold and stiff", and even your flexibility will decrease. The University of Basel in Switzerland confirmed this by surveying 1,001 women (response rate 72.3%) and 809 men (response rate 60%), and the younger the person is and the lower the BMI, the more obvious this phenomenon is.

Image source: Social platform Why are women more likely to have cold hands and feet than men? Let us uncover the mystery today.

Girls are more likely to have cold hands and feet than boys

These are the reasons

The reason why women's hands and feet are more likely to be cold is not a single factor, but the combined effect of multiple physiological mechanisms, psychological factors and gender characteristics. Perhaps girls are really "born to be afraid of the cold." First, women's cold hands and feet discomfort (TDCE) scores are significantly higher than men's. The average TDCE for women is 3.72, while that for men is only 2.65 (p<0.001). This means that women are more likely to feel the trouble of cold hands and feet in daily life than men.

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Secondly, women's "heating system" is also different from men's. Studies have shown that women's skin temperature is lower than men's at rest, and the blood circulation in the extremities such as hands and feet is slower, causing the temperature to drop more easily. The reason behind this difference has a lot to do with the "sympathetic nerves". The sympathetic nerves are responsible for regulating the contraction and relaxation of blood vessels. Under cold or stress stimulation, women's peripheral blood vessels are more likely to contract, reducing the blood supply to the hands and feet, causing them to feel cold.

When it comes to gender differences, we have to mention the influence of sex hormones, and estrogen also plays an important role here. Fluctuations in women's estrogen levels will directly affect the activity of the sympathetic nerves, especially before and after menstruation, when the feeling of cold hands and feet will be more obvious.

Interestingly, this phenomenon is particularly prominent in young women, and the intensity of cold hands and feet will ease with age. This is because after menopause, the fluctuation of estrogen levels becomes smaller, and the "overreaction" of the sympathetic nerves will gradually decrease. However, women who receive hormone replacement therapy after menopause may experience cold hands and feet again because the hormone fluctuations in the body are reactivated and the contraction reaction of peripheral blood vessels will also be aggravated.

The problem with cold hands and feet is not just that they get colder faster, but that they get warmer slower. Faced with the same cold environment, men's hands and feet can recover faster, while women's peripheral blood vessels are "stubbornly resisting", and the continuous contraction reaction makes it difficult for blood flow to return to normal levels. Even with a hand warmer, women's hands and feet still take longer to feel warm.

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In addition to the influence of blood vessels and sex hormones, women's body composition also "adds fuel" to the issue of "cold hands and feet". Although women have a higher body fat percentage than men, most of this fat is distributed in the buttocks and thighs, rather than directly acting on parts such as hands and feet. Although fat in these locations can "store energy", it is of little help in "keeping warm". A lower body mass index (BMI) also means that women have less lean body tissue and a weaker ability to generate heat, so their hands and feet are naturally more likely to feel cold than men.

The above are physiological differences, and the influence of psychological factors cannot be ignored. Studies have shown that women are often encouraged to show a "gentle and submissive" image during socialization, which may lead to more common emotional repression. In particular, "anger suppression" activates the sympathetic nerves and further constricts peripheral blood vessels. In other words, when faced with stress, tension or anger, women's cold hands and feet may become more obvious.

So, if you also have the trouble of "cold hands and feet", don't think that "you are not healthy enough", it is just the law of nature. After understanding these secrets of gender differences, maybe you will have a better understanding of your own body.

Say goodbye to cold hands and feet

4 practical tips for keeping warm every day

If you want to say goodbye to cold hands and feet, many people’s first reaction is to “wear more clothes”, but after understanding the previous reasons, in addition to wearing clothes, we should also take some more targeted methods.

1

Move to activate the "thermal cycle"

Exercise is closely related to blood vessel function. Long-term inactivity can lead to a decrease in blood vessel diameter and enhanced contraction function. Studies have found that after 52 days of bed rest, the diameter of the femoral artery decreased by 13% to 17%.

The direct result is that women's already poor peripheral circulation is made worse, and their hands and feet are even colder. Exercise can significantly improve vasodilation function and expand the arterial lumen, which are beneficial factors for dealing with cold hands and feet.

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2

Eat with a sense of warmth

Diet can also help “warm up the body”.

Women are more likely to have cold hands and feet during menstruation due to hormone problems, and it is even more serious if they also have anemia. Therefore, you can appropriately supplement foods rich in iron (such as red meat, offal, spinach) and vitamin B12 (such as milk, eggs and animal offal) to relieve anemia.

At the same time, many women eat very little for fear of gaining weight, which invisibly reduces the calories produced by food, which can also cause the body to be intolerant to cold. Therefore, it is recommended that female friends have a balanced diet to ensure adequate energy supply every day. They can eat protein-rich foods, which have the strongest heat-producing effect.

3

Lifestyle Adjustments

Stress activates the sympathetic nervous system, causing vasoconstriction, which can make your hands and feet colder. Therefore, female friends should learn to release stress and maintain a more stable autonomic nervous state through stress management methods such as deep breathing, meditation, and mindfulness exercises.

4

Health monitoring and medical intervention

We already know that cold hands and feet are normal for women, and in most cases we don’t need to worry, but if the following characteristics occur, please seek medical attention as soon as possible:

(1) If the temperature of one hand or foot is significantly lower than that of the other hand, there may be a serious vascular disease and it is recommended to see a vascular surgeon;

(2) If your hands are cold, accompanied by pain, tingling, ulcers or skin changes, please go to the dermatology or vascular surgery department for treatment;

(3) If your hands are very cold and turn white or blue, please see a rheumatologist.

(4) If your hands and feet still do not feel warm after being in a warm environment for a while, and you experience chills, fatigue, weight gain, constipation, etc., please see an endocrinologist.

(5) If your hands and feet are cold and accompanied by numbness, tingling, or weakness, please see a neurology specialist.

Cold hands and feet are not a sign of "poor physical condition", but the result of gender differences, physiological mechanisms and living habits. Instead of enduring the cold blindly, it is better to start with diet, exercise and emotional regulation to give the body a "warm signal". This winter, don't just rely on "wearing more clothes" to endure it. Master the scientific tips for warming your hands and feet and say goodbye to "icy hands and feet" easily!

※This article is a popular science article related to medical education. It does not involve specific treatment methods or medical behaviors, and cannot replace hospital visits. When reading, you should still consider your personal situation. If necessary, you should consult a professional doctor or health expert in a timely manner.

References

[1] Mozaffarieh M, Fontana Gasio P, Schötzau A, et al. Thermal discomfort with coldextremities inrelation to age, gender, and body mass index ina random sample of a Swiss urban population. Popul Health Metr. 2010;8:17.

[2]GreenfieldAM,CharkoudianN,AlbaBK.Influencesofovarianhormonesonphysiologicalresponsestocoldinwomen.Temperature(Austin).2021;9(1):23-45.

[3]VierckCJ,Acosta-RuaAJ,RossiHL,etal.Sexdifferencesinthermalpainsensitivityandsympatheticreactivityfortwostrainsofrat.JPain.2008;9(8):739-49.

[4]ThijssenDH,MaioranaAJ,O'DriscollG,etal.Impactofinactivityandexerciseonthevasculatureinhumans.EurJApplPhysiol.2010;108(5):845-75.

[5]GreenDJ,SmithKJ.EffectsofExerciseonVascularFunction,Structure,andHealthinHumans.ColdSpringHarbPerspectMed.2018;8(4):a029819.

Planning and production

Author: Jiang Yongyuan, Master of Internal Medicine, Third Military Medical University

Review | Wu Hao Professor of Exercise Physiology, Capital Institute of Physical Education Director of the Key Laboratory of the General Administration of Sport of China

Xing Ting, deputy chief physician, Department of Cardiology, Yanshan Hospital, Qian'an City, Hebei Province

Tang Qin Director of the Science Popularization Department of the Chinese Medical Association National Health Science Popularization Expert