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Everyone has little quirks that their friends and family know well. You may be the only one in your family to despise the taste of cilantro or love making crafts. They set you apart from everyone else, but sometimes they may be a sign of underlying health issues.
When you’re with your loved ones and hug them or hold their hands, do they complain about you always feeling cold? It’s something many people would say is normal for them, even in the hot summer months. You could experience prolonged exhaustion along with your cold fingers and toes, which may point to certain health complications.
Read on to learn five reasons that your cold limbs and exhaustion have nothing to do with it being winter. See if you experience any of these other symptoms and talk with your doctor if these conditions seem likely.
Even after your morning coffee, you may struggle to feel ready to start your day. You feel tired after your morning snack and afternoon lunch, even if you throw in a trip to the gym or a walk around your workplace.
If you haven’t experienced any symptom changes after adjusting your diet and sleeping more, you could struggle with anemia. Anemia is a condition where your body doesn’t produce enough red blood cells to carry oxygen to every part of your body. Without oxygen to fuel your organs and muscles, your body has to operate more slowly to conserve the little energy it has.
A blood test will show if you have an abnormally low red blood cell count and narrow down which type of anemia you may have.
If you’ve spent any time researching diets and weight loss, you’ve probably heard of the thyroid. It’s a gland in your neck that produces hormones to regulate things like your metabolism and brain function. When it doesn’t work correctly, you could feel daily hypothyroidism symptoms such as:
Your doctor will match you with the correct medication and dosage to balance out your hormonal production if this is the case.
Sometimes people develop diabetes because of their DNA and other times it’s a result of their lifestyle. Does anyone in your family live with diabetes? You could have inherited it or damaged your kidney enough for your body to struggle with monitoring your blood sugar levels.
People with diabetes sometimes experience symptoms of diabetic nephropathy, which leads to feeling cold. Your kidneys would be too damaged to filter your blood cells, leading to cold limbs and other symptoms like:
Treatments for diabetic nephropathy include lifestyle adjustments and medication.
Restricted blood vessels are another reason some people feel cold and tired all the time. If your blood can’t pass through vessels easily, your body isn’t getting the oxygen it needs. Usually, this is the issue when you’re also dealing with white or blue coloring in your fingers and toes or limb tingling.
Make sure you discuss this with your doctor if you have life-threatening symptoms such as:
These symptoms are a sign that you could have blood clotting issues or a vessel closure, which may require surgery. Your doctor will advise what’s best for your case, including possible daily medications.
How often do you eat a full meal? If you’re always concerned about your body weight and avoid eating, you may have anorexia. When your body doesn’t get the nutrition it needs, it slows down your metabolism to conserve calories and still keep your organs functioning. As a result, you’ll feel cold more often, even if you wear sweaters and cuddle under blankets.
Not eating enough may also make you feel more tired because your body doesn’t get enough food to energize you. You may find assistance with overcoming an eating disorder online or through your doctor. Extreme cases could require inpatient treatment at a facility.
Before you call your doctor or give yourself a diagnosis, make a list of your symptoms. Along with feeling cold and tired, what else do you experience every day? Seeing the list in front of you will help you recognize potential signs and narrow down what you should bring up and be concerned about when you talk with your doctor.
