Is cold and purple hands and feet a disease?

In life, some people have warm hands and feet every day, while some people have cold hands and feet no matter what time it is. This situation often occurs in some women, especially young women. Cold hands and feet cannot be solved by wearing more clothes. This kind of coldness comes from the inside out rather than caused by external temperature stimulation. So, are cold and purple hands and feet a disease?

Cold hands and feet are usually not a disease

Why are hands and feet cold in winter when they are fine in spring, summer and autumn? According to the expert director of the Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine of Shenzhen People's Hospital, from the perspective of modern medicine, for most people, cold hands and feet in winter is a normal physiological phenomenon, because the lower temperature will cause blood vessels to contract and the blood return ability to weaken, resulting in poor blood circulation in the hands and feet, especially in the fingertips and toes, and poor peripheral nerve circulation. It can also be understood in this way: when the weather gets cooler and the body feels cold, in order to protect the more important organs in the body from being frozen, the skin adjusts itself, closes the capillaries, and allows blood to flow to important organs such as the heart and lungs, ensuring that they remain warm in the cold environment. As a result, the blood flow to the hands and feet is greatly reduced, so people will feel cold hands and feet.

Experts say that if you cover yourself up, soak your hands and feet, wear more clothes, eat warm food, and move more, you can promote blood circulation and relieve the problem of cold hands and feet. There is no need to worry, it is not a serious illness and there is no need to seek treatment. In addition, studies have shown that women's body surface temperature is 1.5 lower than men's, but women's core body temperature is 0.2 higher than men's. In addition, women have lower blood pressure, so women's hands and feet are generally colder than men's. Experts recommend that people with cold hands and feet soak their feet in 45-50°C warm water for 5-15 minutes every night. The water temperature should not be too high, and the soaking time should not be too long.

Yang deficiency, blood deficiency and qi stagnation can cause cold hands and feet

Experts point out that from the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine, the reasons for cold hands and feet in winter include yang deficiency, blood deficiency and qi stagnation. Most people with cold hands and feet have a yang deficiency constitution. If your hands and feet still feel cold after adding warm clothes, you should pay attention to whether you have what Chinese medicine calls a "yang deficiency" constitution. Yang Qi has the function of warming the limbs and internal organs. If the Yang Qi is insufficient and cannot be transported to the extremities of the limbs and torso such as the hands and feet, phenomena such as chills and cold hands and feet will occur. Therefore, an important way to relieve cold hands and feet is to regulate the body and replenish "yang energy". "People with insufficient yang energy can drink some soups that promote qi and yang in the winter, such as angelica, ginger and mutton soup, which may relieve cold hands and feet," experts suggest.

In addition to yang deficiency, depending on the symptoms, Chinese medicine believes that cold hands and feet may also be caused by some deficiency or excess syndromes. Experts say that in terms of deficiency, deficiency of both Qi and blood, weak spleen yang and deficiency of spleen and kidney yang can all cause cold hands and feet. This can be improved by eating more blood-replenishing foods. On the practical side, people who are anxious and depressed may suffer from blood stasis and liver qi stagnation due to their usual emotional instability and depressed mood, resulting in cold hands and feet. The symptoms may disappear after their mood calms down.