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“Cold feet”, not the feeling of wanting to run away before a major life event, but quite literally, having cold feet constantly, despite wearing socks, warming your feet, and doing everything possible to keep yourself warm. If you’re able to relate, you must not shrug it off as a usual occurrence. Your body is trying to tell you something more that requires your attention.
To understand what cold hands and feet could be linked to, we turned to an expert, Dr. Atul Kakar, Chairperson, Member Medicine, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi, who said that cold feet are often linked to iron deficiency anaemia, a condition that affects your body’s ability to regulate temperature and maintain healthy circulation.
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What Is Iron Deficiency Anaemia?
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Dr Kakar says, “Iron deficiency is a condition where iron in the body gets less and because of that there is anaemia. And subsequently, due to anaemia, the oxygen which is carried to various part of the body decreases.”
Dr. Kakar highlights that iron deficiency anaemia is categorised into three levels; mild, moderate and severe.
Why Does Iron Deficiency Cause Cold Feet?
Clinical studies reveal that iron deficiency anaemia disrupts temperature regulation. Here’s how this happens.
- Iron plays a role in thyroid health. Poor thyroid function, common in iron-deficient individuals, can lower the body’s ability to produce heat, leaving your hands and feet chilly.
- Anaemia leads to hypoxia (low oxygen levels) in tissues. Your body struggles between increasing blood flow to deliver oxygen and reducing blood flow to extremities to conserve heat, often resulting in cold feet.
- Without sufficient oxygen, tissues can’t perform essential heat-generating processes, like increasing metabolic rate.
- Anaemia is linked to poor circulation and restricted blood flow to your hands and feet can leave them perpetually cold.
Signs and Symptoms Of Iron Deficiency Anaemia To Look Out For
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“In patients who have got mild iron deficiency there may be minimum symptoms or none. But in patients with moderate to severe iron deficiency, symptoms such as weakness, tiredness, lethargicness are prevalent.” says Dr Kakar.
Our expert further highlights that they may also have recurrent infections and it could also be leading to shortness of breath which can also lead to heart failure. In addition many patients may have cold feet or swelling of the legs which basically tells us that there is a circulatory failure or circulation is less in the feet because of low iron content.
“In addition to these symptoms which have already been mentioned, many patients complain of shortness of breath and chest pain. These are nonspecific symptoms. In other patients there may be lightheadedness, dizziness, weakness, lethargicness which is all suggestive of anaemia and low circulation and low iron in the blood.”, highlights Dr Kakar.
What Else Could Be Causing You Cold Feet?
- Poor Circulation
- Diabetes
- Raynaud’s Phenomenon
- Arteriosclerosis and other causes of nerve injury
Don’t Ignore The Warning Signs!
Cold feet may seem minor, but they can be your body’s way of highlighting an underlying issue. If you suspect iron deficiency, consult a healthcare professional to get tested and address it early. Correcting iron deficiency not only warms your toes but also improves overall health and energy levels.