In my career as a family doctor, cold hands and feet in winter are a common complaint for many patients, especially during the cold season. I remember last winter, a middle-aged lady came to my clinic with her hands as cold as ice cubes, and she told me that even though she was wearing thick socks and gloves at home, she still felt unbearably cold. This not only affected her daily life, but also kept her awake at night because her hands and feet were always cold and numb.
After a detailed inquiry and a series of medical examinations, we ruled out the possibility of a serious illness, which was mainly caused by physical problems and poor blood circulation. In this case, in addition to recommending some medical methods to improve her symptoms, I also recommend that she try some self-care methods in her daily life. This includes adjusting your diet, exercising moderately, and using some Chinese herbal meals to help warm your body and dispel the cold.
Understand the cause of cold hands and feet
Cold hands and feet are a common symptom of winter, especially during the colder months, and many people experience this discomfort. While this may seem ordinary, the reasons behind it are complex and varied. Understanding these causes will help us find effective solutions.
Physical differences
First of all, physical differences are a major factor in cold hands and feet. Some people are naturally sensitive to cold, and these people have slower blood circulation, and their blood vessels are more sensitive to cold, causing blood vessels to constrict and blood flow to slow down, which makes the ends of the limbs, especially the hands and feet, feel cold.
Problems with blood circulation
Poor blood circulation is also an important cause of cold hands and feet. Blood is the body's heating system, and when circulation is poor, blood cannot reach the far parts of the body effectively, such as the hands and feet, causing the temperature to drop. Lack of exercise, staying in one position for long periods of time, or wearing tight clothing and shoes can all lead to impaired blood circulation.
Effects of chronic diseases
Some chronic diseases can also affect the body's blood circulation, such as diabetes, hypothyroidism, or Raynaud's disease. People with diabetes may experience peripheral nerve damage, which affects the ability of blood to flow to the extremities. Raynaud's disease is an abnormally constricted blood vessel that can cause blood flow to the hands and feet to stop almost completely.
malnutrition
Iron deficiency or vitamin deficiencies, especially vitamin D and B vitamins, can also prevent the body from regulating its temperature properly. Iron is an important part of red blood cells in the blood, and iron deficiency can lead to anemia, and people with anemia will feel cold more easily.
What to do in your daily life: Deal with cold hands and feet in winter
Cold hands and feet are a common problem in winter, but simple lifestyle adjustments can be used to improve the condition. Here are some practical ways to help you stay warm and energized during the cold season.
Nutritional modification: food and drink
Increase Warm Foods:
Ginger: It is often said that "eat radish in winter and ginger in summer", ginger can effectively promote blood circulation and dispel cold in the body. It is advisable to include a moderate amount of ginger in your daily diet, such as making ginger tea or adding ginger when cooking.
Brown sugar: It has the effect of warming and replenishing blood, invigorating blood and dissipating cold, and is suitable for conditioning the body. Drinking brown sugar water in winter can help warm up the body, especially for female friends.
To make brown sugar ginger tea:
Ingredients: 3 slices of fresh ginger, appropriate amount of brown sugar.
Method: Wash and slice the ginger slices, add them to boiling water, boil for 5 minutes, add brown sugar, stir well and drink.
Efficacy: This drink warms the whole body, promotes blood circulation, and relieves cold hands and feet.
Add suitable indoor exercises
Yoga:
Certain asanas in yoga can help improve blood circulation, such as butterfly poses, foot wall poses, etc., which help relax muscles and promote blood flow in the lower limbs.
Easy Stretching:
For people who are often sedentary, it's essential to do stretching at regular intervals. Get up every hour and stretch movements, such as standing on tiptoe, to increase the blood supply to your calf muscles.
Maintain adequate water intake
People often don't feel thirsty in cold weather, but it's important to maintain proper hydration. Hydration can help blood circulation in the body, which can reduce the symptoms of cold hands and feet. It is recommended to drink at least eight glasses of water a day, and you can also drink some warm liquids, such as the brown sugar ginger tea mentioned above.
The method of warming yang and dissipating cold from the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine: bring warmth to your winter days
In TCM theory, cold hands and feet are often considered to be a sign of insufficient yang energy and poor blood circulation. The cold winter exacerbates the situation. But don't worry, I'm going to share some TCM methods to warm up your body and heart and survive the winter comfortably.
1. Medicinal diet
Longan Red Date Tea: This is a simple and effective warm drink. Longan (longan meat) and red dates both have a good blood tonic and yang warming effect. Just prepare 10 red dates and 10 longan, add an appropriate amount of ginger slices and brown sugar, boil in water and simmer for 20 minutes. This tea both warms the body and improves sleep quality.
Beef Astragalus Soup: Beef is a good product for blood replenishment, and astragalus has the effect of enhancing immunity and raising body temperature. Cut 500 grams of beef into cubes, add 30 grams of astragalus, put them in a casserole, add an appropriate amount of water, and simmer for two hours. This soup can help strengthen the body and improve the condition of cold hands and feet.
2. Acupressure
Acupressure is a very important self-care method in TCM. Especially for cold hands and feet, the following two acupuncture points are very important:
Yongquan Point: Located at the bottom of the foot, in a depression at the junction of the anterior third and the posterior half of the foot. After soaking your feet in hot water every day, press this acupoint with your thumb for 5 minutes, which can effectively promote blood circulation in the lower limbs and enhance the warmth of the body.
Sanyinjiao: Located on the inside of the calf, when the upper 4 horizontal fingers of the tip of the ankle. Massaging this acupuncture point can help regulate women's endocrine system, and it has a good effect on improving cold hands and feet caused by endocrine disorders.
3. Life advice
In addition to diet and massage, small habits in daily life can also help improve the problem of cold hands and feet. Keep warm, avoid prolonged exposure to low temperatures, increase indoor activities appropriately to keep blood circulation smooth, and warm your feet with a hot water bottle before going to bed at night to help blood circulation throughout the body and improve sleep quality.