Cold hands and feet are actually a sign of anemia? Learn these four tips to help you "control" cold hands and feet

As the weather gets colder, hands and feet tend to get cold. As the temperature gradually drops, more and more people are beginning to face the problem of cold hands and feet, but most people often don't pay attention to the phenomenon of cold hands and feet, mistakenly thinking that it is caused by the cold weather. In fact, this may be a warning from the body, reminding us to pay attention to our own health.

This article aims to explore in depth the reasons for fear of cold and cold hands and feet in winter, and provide a series of practical cold-fighting strategies to help everyone get rid of the trouble of cold hands and feet and welcome a warm winter.

Cold hands and feet may be caused by many reasons

In TCM theory, cold hands and feet are usually related to a variety of factors, including weak Yang Qi, cold pathogens entering the body, and insufficient Qi and blood. Yang Qi is considered the key energy in TCM to maintain body temperature and physiological functions. Weak Yang Qi will cause the body to be unable to generate enough heat, resulting in cold hands and feet. Cold pathogens are a kind of external evil in TCM. They can invade the human body through the coldness of the external environment, causing the body to feel cold, especially the extremities. Qi and blood are the basis for maintaining body warmth and normal blood circulation. Insufficient Qi and blood will affect blood flow to the hands and feet, making these parts feel cold.

Modern medicine also provides some explanations. Diseases such as hypothyroidism and anemia may cause cold hands and feet. Hypothyroidism affects the body's metabolic rate, resulting in reduced heat production; anemia affects the transport of oxygen in the blood, resulting in insufficient oxygen supply to various parts of the body, resulting in cold hands and feet.

Cold hands and feet may indicate a variety of health problems

Although cold hands and feet are common in winter, they may also be a sign of certain diseases. For example, diseases such as Raynaud's disease, Takayasu's arteritis, and thromboangiitis obliterans may cause cold hands and feet. These diseases can affect blood circulation, leading to insufficient blood supply to the hands and feet, resulting in a cold feeling.

If the symptoms of cold hands and feet are severe or accompanied by other discomforts, such as pain, numbness, etc., you should seek medical attention in time. The doctor will conduct relevant examinations and diagnoses based on the symptoms and signs to determine whether there are potential health problems.

To improve cold hands and feet, we can start with diet, exercise, traditional Chinese medicine treatment and daily warming.

1. Diet: Eating appropriate amounts of warm foods such as beef, mutton, ginger, garlic, etc. can help warm the body's yang energy and dispel coldness; eating foods that replenish qi and blood such as astragalus, angelica, red dates, and longan can promote qi and blood to nourish the limbs; maintaining adequate water intake is also important, because water can help the body regulate body temperature.

2. Keep exercising: Aerobic exercise is recommended, such as walking, jogging, swimming, etc. Aerobic exercise can improve the body's cold resistance and promote blood circulation, thereby improving the problem of cold hands and feet. For those with insufficient yang energy, you can also try traditional health-preserving exercises such as Tai Chi, Five Animals Exercises, and Eight-Section Brocade to guide the circulation of qi and blood in the limbs.

3. Treatment with Traditional Chinese Medicine: For the symptoms of cold hands and feet, traditional Chinese medicine usually uses prescriptions such as warming yang and dispersing cold, replenishing qi and nourishing blood to regulate the body in order to restore body temperature and improve blood circulation. You can also try external treatments such as moxibustion, cupping and foot soaking. Moxibustion on acupoints such as Hegu, Guanyuan, Qihai, and Zusanli can warm the meridians and dispel cold, and promote the circulation of qi and blood; cupping on the bladder meridian on the back can dredge the meridians and collaterals, adjust the balance of yin and yang, and stimulate the circulation of qi and blood. It is often used for cold limbs caused by qi stagnation and blood stasis; using traditional Chinese medicine such as mugwort leaves, safflower, and cinnamon twigs to boil water and soak feet can warm the meridians and collaterals and improve symptoms such as cold hands and feet.

4. Daily warmth: You should pay attention to keeping all parts of your body warm, especially your head, neck, waist and abdomen. The head is the meeting point of all yang, and is the place where the yang energy of the human body is the most vigorous; the neck is the key part connecting the head and torso, responsible for transporting qi and blood. It is recommended to use scarves, hats and other warm items to protect the head and neck from the cold; the waist and abdomen are the center of the body. If the waist and abdomen are cold, it will affect the temperature of the whole body. It is recommended to wear thermal underwear to keep the waist and abdomen warm.

Being afraid of cold and having cold hands and feet in winter is not a trivial matter. It may be an external manifestation of the body's internal condition. We should pay attention to this phenomenon and actively improve the condition of cold hands and feet and enhance the body's cold resistance through a reasonable diet, proper exercise, effective Chinese medicine treatment and daily warming measures. At the same time, keeping the body warm is not only for comfort, but also for long-term health and well-being. I hope you can enjoy warmth and comfort this winter, say goodbye to cold hands and feet, and embrace a whole warm winter.