Cold toes are a phenomenon that can occur naturally or as a result of illness. If this condition occurs only at moments of hypothermia, there is no problem. Also, fingers can become cold from mechanical vasospasm, for example, with improper sitting or small shoes. If the symptom occurs for no apparent reason, they speak of pathology.
Manifestation of symptoms
A decrease in toe temperature may be accompanied by additional symptoms. Initially, these are just phalanges that are cold to the touch without any discomfort. Also, burning and tingling in the fingers, numbness, discoloration of the skin are sometimes added to this condition. The phalanges become bluish or pale, and may itch. All this is a manifestation of impaired blood circulation.
The fingers of the lower extremities are the periphery for the circulatory system. To reach this point, the blood travels a full circle through the smallest arteries. Therefore, a violation in any part of the vascular network is reflected in the toes.
Also, a person may have a congenital anomaly in the structure of capillaries. They may be more branched or narrowed, in which case the toes and fingers will be cold from birth. If, in addition to the legs, the earlobes or the tip of the nose become cold, this clearly indicates diseases of the cardiovascular system.
Causes of cold toes
The main reason why toes get cold is circulatory disorders. It may be due to many factors. Smoking and alcohol increase the risk of plaque formation in the vessels, which narrows their lumen. Plaques can appear with malnutrition and chronic diseases. Also, sedentary work is a favorable factor for impaired capillary circulation. People who spend all day sitting almost always feel cold in the phalanges of the legs.
Excess weight is a big burden for the heart and blood vessels. Therefore, for obese people, such a symptom is frequent. In such cases, treatment is not used, and the normalization of body weight leads to a general improvement in well-being. In pregnant women, both fingers and toes may become cold. During pregnancy, therapy is also not needed and the symptom does not indicate pathology.
The main danger with cold toes is a disease of internal organs and systems, which the patient is not aware of.
This symptom appears when:
- atherosclerosis;
- Raynaud’s disease;
- angiopathy of the lower extremities;
- anemia;
- diabetes mellitus;
- thyroid diseases;
- varicose veins of the lower extremities;
- osteochondrosis.
Feeling cold in the legs is often the first sign of illness. A pathological nature can be suspected if such a symptom appears at normal temperature. The more often the patient feels such a phenomenon in himself, and the longer the attack lasts, the more reasons to consult a therapist. In addition to the direct reasons for lowering the temperature in the extremities, there are also risk factors for the presence of chronic or acute diseases.
Daily habits can increase the risk of the diseases described above or directly lead to impaired blood circulation. The main factors are too little or too much weight. With a lack of adipose tissue, heat exchange between the body and the environment is easily disturbed. Thin people often have cold hands and feet. With an excess of weight, plaques form in the vessels, varicose veins occur, in this state, cold phalanges are only part of the problem.
Rigid diets lead to a lack of energy reserves, which disrupts the supply of heat and nutrients to the peripheral areas of the body. Therefore, for lovers of mono-diets, drinking or strict diets, such a symptom is also not uncommon.
Walking barefoot on a cool surface, such as damp ground, can cause your feet to feel constantly cold. This is due to the fact that the air temperature is normal and the body does not feel threatened. At this time, the limbs are supercooled.
Those who like to constantly wrap their feet, wear knitted socks or shoes that are too warm even in summer, are also threatened with this symptom. In this case, the toes get cold even under normal conditions and without pathological causes. Nerve endings eventually “fix” the increased heat as normal temperature. When exposed to normal conditions, the skin perceives normal conditions as cold, so the phalanges instantly become cold.
Diagnosis and treatment
If it is not possible to determine the exact cause of the phenomenon, you need to consult a doctor. Since cold fingers can indicate a serious pathology, it is better to start treatment on time. You can contact a therapist who will determine a number of examinations. Depending on the cause of the phenomenon, therapy can be carried out by an endocrinologist, cardiologist, therapist, vascular surgeon.
For the diagnosis is assigned:
- angiography;
- capillaroscopy;
- rheovasography (measurement of blood flow velocity);
- scanning of blood vessels;
- CT scan;
- thermography (measurement of local skin temperature);
- blood tests;
- Ultrasound of the thyroid gland.
After a visual examination and collection of patient complaints, a list of necessary studies is compiled.
It is impossible to predict what the treatment will be like, since the spectrum of diseases is very wide. Therapy is always aimed at getting rid of the root cause, and the symptom of cold toes goes away on its own. Treatment consists of medicines, vitamins and additional procedures.
Medicines for such a phenomenon can be taken only with the permission of a doctor. Vitamins E, P, B, PP and ascorbic acid are useful. Physiotherapeutic methods are also shown: warm baths, massages, heating with currents (diathermy), baromassage. When the vessels are obliterated, their lumen completely disappears; in this case, shunting or vascular prosthesis is used.
The symptom of cold fingers itself is not dangerous, the reasons for which it appears are dangerous. In advanced forms, impaired circulation leads to heart attack and stroke. With obliteration, gradual necrosis of soft tissues occurs due to their insufficient blood supply. As a result, patients can lose both individual phalanges and the entire foot.
For the prevention of cold phalanges of the legs, a healthy lifestyle remains the main thing. It is necessary to reduce the risk of atherosclerosis and heart disease, to maintain muscle tissue in good shape.
To do this, it is desirable to give up bad habits, eat normally and observe minimal physical activity. A timely visit to the doctor is another measure of reasonable prevention of complications.