What should you know about having cold hands and feet all the time?

Blood vessels in the extremities narrow in cold conditions and during stress. If the feeling continues in a warm room, a clinician may consider anaemia or iron deficiency anaemia, hypothyroidism, or reduced arterial blood flow. Look for clues such as fatigue, breathlessness, dry skin, constipation, cramps when walking, numbness, or toes and fingers changing colour. Cold hands and feet are symptoms shared by different conditions; they do not identify one diagnosis by themselves.

Use warm socks and gloves, move regularly, and keep skin dry. Warm gradually rather than using very hot water on numb areas. Avoid smoking and note whether symptoms are equal on both sides. Book a routine medical appointment if this is a persistent change, especially with fatigue, skin changes, numbness or walking pain. Testing may include blood work and an examination of pulses and sensation. Iron supplementation should follow advice rather than guesswork.

Seek urgent care if a limb suddenly becomes cold, pale or blue, or develops severe pain, weakness, numbness or loss of movement. Prompt assessment is also needed for blackening skin, an ulcer that is not healing, or rapidly worsening symptoms. Call for emergency help when the change occurs with chest pain, severe breathlessness or collapse.

Could this be related to blood count, iron or thyroid function? Do my pulses and nerves need checking? What symptoms would indicate reduced circulation? Should I change any medicine or consider iron supplementation?