Cold hands and feet

Category: Chest, Heart & Circulation · All chest & heart symptoms

What it can feel like

Cold hands and feet are extremely common in cool weather, because the body narrows the blood vessels there to protect core temperature. The patterns that matter are attacks where fingers or toes turn white or blue then red, pain or numbness during attacks, and coldness that is new or one-sided.

Possible causes

A symptom can have many causes, and most are not serious. The lists below group conditions this symptom can be associated with — common causes first. They are possibilities to discuss with a clinician, not a diagnosis.

Common causes

Cold hands and feet can be associated with cold environments, anxiety, smoking, low body weight and sitting still for long periods. Raynaud's pattern — colour changes with cold or stress — often starts in the teens or twenties and runs in families.

Other possible causes

Persistent coldness can be associated with an underactive thyroid, anaemia, or narrowed arteries. Raynaud's that starts later in life, affects one hand only, or comes with skin tightening or ulcers can be associated with underlying connective tissue conditions.

Red flags — when to seek help promptly

A finger or toe that becomes painful, stays discoloured, or develops a sore or ulcer
Colour-change attacks starting after the age of about 40, or in one hand only
Cold hands with severe fatigue, weight gain or a slow pulse
A limb that is suddenly cold, pale and painful — emergency

What a clinician may do

A clinician will ask about the pattern and triggers, examine the pulses and skin, and check for sores. Blood tests may include a blood count and thyroid tests, and referral to a vascular or rheumatology clinic follows if the pattern suggests an underlying cause.

Related guides on MedicalVideos.com

Frequently asked questions

What is Raynaud's?

In Raynaud's, the small arteries in the fingers and toes over-react to cold or stress and narrow sharply, turning the skin white, then blue, then red with tingling or pain as blood returns. Most cases are a standalone pattern; your clinician checks whether anything sits behind it.

What helps day to day?

Keeping the whole body warm (not just the hands), warm gloves before going out, avoiding smoking, and reviewing medicines that narrow blood vessels, such as some migraine and blood pressure drugs, with your clinician. Attacks usually pass as the hands warm.

Related symptoms — Chest, Heart & Circulation

Blue or pale lips Calf pain Chest pain Chest tightness Irregular heartbeat Leg pain when walking

Browse the C section of the A–Z list or return to the Symptoms A–Z hub.

Please note: This page is educational information about a symptom. A symptom alone cannot diagnose any condition, and the causes listed here are possibilities, not a diagnosis. If you are worried about a symptom — especially one that is new, severe, getting worse or not going away — please see your own clinician, who can examine you and arrange tests. In an emergency, call your local emergency number.