Cold Intolerance: Why You Feel More Cold Than Your Peers?

Do you wonder about the discomfort you experience in your air-conditioned office, while you watch your colleagues relax? Do you carry a blanket while travelling on an air-conditioned train? And do you fight with your siblings for the AC remote against keeping room temperature alike to hills? If your answers are yes, you might be dealing with cold intolerance.  

What is Cold Intolerance?

A person intolerant to cold would often complain about the surroundings being too cool. And this might not be done away with just by adding some extra clothing. One can also feel cold in a certain body parts such as hands.

Cold intolerance is different from normal chills. In this, you have a severe feeling of cold when you are in a cooler environment. This happens when you are extremely sensitive to cold temperatures.

Causes of Cold Intolerance

Different bodies react to temperature differently. Your hormone plays a vital role in thermoregulation or maintaining the body temperature. The Hypothalamus, a part of the brain, acts as a thermostat that sends messages to the body that regulates heat production.

Also read: What are the differences between hot and cold Sensitivity

The hypothalamus also signals the thyroid gland, causing your metabolism to increase or decrease. Here, the thyroid plays a crucial role, as proper metabolism is linked to the production of heat and energy in the body.

Gene also plays a role in how much a person can withstand temperatures. According to some recent studies, the ACTN3 gene can affect a person’s tolerance level to cold. The ACTN3 gene is a common genetic variation in the skeletal muscle gene. People lacking this gene are more susceptible to cooler temperatures compared to those who possess this gene.

Underlying Illnesses

Other than these reasons, a person can also become sensitive to cooler temperatures if he suffers from health issues. Thus, it is important to stay aware of these issues, which include: 

• Anaemia
• Anorexia 
• Hypothyroidism
• Hypothalamic disorders
• Diabetes Mellitus
• Vascular problems

Treatment for Cold Intolerance

The first in the treatment is to visit a doctor to know the underlying cause of your cold intolerance. Depending on what causes cold intolerance in you, the doctor will prescribe treatment. 

If you have anaemia, your doctor can advise you to take iron supplements. Hypothyroidism can be treated with oral synthetic hormones that are taken daily. Vascular issues can be treated in different ways, depending on their cause. 

Like vascular problems, disorders of the hypothalamus are treated keeping their cause in mind. While treating anorexia is a long-term process, it can be treated using medications targetting specific symptoms.

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