From: Steve Harris <[email protected]>
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: cold hand and feets why/cure?
Date: 17 Aug 2005 12:49:53 -0700
Message-ID: <[email protected]>

Tom Salls wrote:
> [email protected] wrote:
> > I have cold hands and feet all the time except in hot weather. It makes
> > it rather awkward to shake hands because it's commented on.  I have
> > always had these conditions (I'm 30 female avg. weight). Is this due to
> > only poor circulation? How can I improve this problem? Everyone else
> > feels like a furnace compare to my block of ice.  Any solution and
> > advice?
>
> You MAY (emphasis on the may) have a condition called Reynaud's - it's
> pretty common.  If you do a quick Google on it you should be able to
> find conservative measures for treating it.  There are drugs available
> but they are not without side-effects.
>
> Talk to your doctor and ask them what they think - you can't get an
> accurate diagnosis on the net.


COMMENT:

True enough. But remember Reynaud's is NOT common. Cold hands are.

Iron deficiency in a woman of 30 is common (5% at least), but it
usually causes more than just cold hands--- often frank cold
intolerance is seen. And it's not likely in somebody who had the
problem even before puberty.

The average case of cold hands is NOT due to "poor circulation" in any
way that makes any pathological difference. The hands are getting good
amounts of blood, but their skin circulation is shut down to minimal,
as it would be in cold weather.  However, that condition is not
dangerous. It's mainly "cosmetic" as it results in clammy handshakes.

It can be treated with drugs if it's making a big difference in your
life (maybe you're a politician?). Antihistamines with anticholinergic
activity (benedryl, etc) may help--- but they also may make you sleepy.
Some alpha blocker drugs (Normodyne, Cardura, Hytrin) may cause enough
dilation to give you a temp change. Non-selective beta blockers
(Inderal) help some people. So does thyroid  supplementation if you're
deficient, and a slight overdose of thyroid (in nodule-suppression
range) even if you're not technically deficient.  But again, unless the
social problem is terrible, it seems not worth the risk of using a
medical/pharmacological fix.

SBH