Most often, you're in a cold environment, or blood flow to your leg is restricted by your position. If accompanied by pain, tingling, numbness, or weakness, consult a doctor. You may be suffering from a medical condition, like peripheral artery disease or peripheral neuropathy.
Vascular deposits and constrictions can be the culprit. Smoking, excessive body weight, and lack of exercise can also impede circulation and manifest in cold feet. People with diabetes or unbalanced hormone levels are also more likely to experience the problem of cold feet at night.
Plaque accumulation in the arteries restricts blood flow to the legs, thighs, calves, buttocks, ankles, and feet, resulting in PAD. Chronic numbness, tingling, or coldness in one or both legs is a typical warning symptom of moderate to severe PAD.
If you've noticed one of your legs is colder than the other and you are experiencing other PAD symptoms, you need to see a vascular specialist immediately. Temperature changes in your leg may indicate a moderate to severe level of peripheral artery disease.
Feeling cold.
Cold hands and feet can be a result of iron deficiency anemia. People with anemia have poor blood circulation throughout their bodies because they don't have enough red blood cells to provide oxygen to their tissue.
Having cold legs or feet is very common and generally isn't related to a condition or disorder. However, if you feel like your feet are cold more often than they should be, the onset was sudden, or only one leg or foot is cold to the touch, you should consult a doctor as soon as possible.
Poor blood flow (circulation) in your legs and feet causes cold feet. Poor blood flow means that it takes longer for the blood to reach your feet. Your blood travels through pathways (blood vessels) in your circulatory system. These pathways can close, harden and narrow, making it difficult for blood to flow steadily.
What Causes Cold & Numb Legs? Coldness and numbness in the extremities is often a result of poor blood circulation. When the valves in the veins aren't allowing proper blood flow throughout the body, certain parts of the body don't get the oxygen they need in order to work properly.
The narrowing of the arteries causes a decrease in blood flow. Symptoms include leg pain, numbness, cold legs or feet and muscle pain in the thighs, calves or feet. The arteries which supply blood to the leg originate from the aorta and iliac vessels.
Lack of vitamin B12 and iron deficiency can cause anemia and lead you to feel cold. Good sources of B12 are chicken, eggs and fish, and people with iron deficiency may want to seek out poultry, pork, fish, peas, soybeans, chickpeas and dark green leafy vegetables.
When we spend many hours lying down, blood pools in the legs, lower volumes of blood are pumped through the body even though the heart works harder, oxygen uptake is reduced, and the risk of blood clots is increased, particularly in the legs and lungs.
Research suggests that wearing socks to bed can help people not only fall asleep faster, but sleep longer and wake up fewer times throughout the night. One study found that young men wearing socks fell asleep 7.5 minutes faster, slept 32 minutes longer, and woke up 7.5 times less often than those not wearing socks.
Plaque buildup, blood clots or narrowed blood vessels can lead to poor circulation. When obstacles or narrow paths slow down blood flow, it's difficult for your body to send blood to every part of your body in an efficient way. Exercise and healthy food can help.
Essentially, anxiety can cause us to hyperventilate and consequently our blood flows less efficiently. Blood flow is also directed toward our larger organs that are more crucial to survival, and thus our extremities are left with sensations of being cold.
Standing up, or hanging your legs over the side of your bed, helps because it forces blood to flow into your lower limbs.
Not only is poor blood circulation in the legs and feet uncomfortable, but it can cause life-threatening problems if it goes unchecked. Always seek medical assistance if you're suffering from any of the symptoms, especially if you've been diagnosed with one of the known causes of poor blood circulation.
The test: Gather a few pillows or cushions and use them to prop up both legs so they're at a 45-degree angle while you lie on your back. As you're resting, notice if your legs become paler or retain their original color throughout the span of a minute.
A vascular doctor is an expert in diagnosing and treating issues that affect your arteries and veins. Although many people don't need surgery for their blood vessel problem, a vascular doctor can perform many kinds of procedures or operations.
“Can you get sick from being cold? Yes, but not in terms of a cold or the flu. This comes from frostbite and/or even hypothermia. If you get frostbite or hypothermia, this can weaken the immune system, which leaves you more at-risk for getting illnesses, such as the common cold and/or the flu.”