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Subscribe to RSSYou know the type: Some people always seem to feel chilled even during the dog days of summer -- and constantly wear a sweater, no matter how high the mercury rises. Why are some folks' internal body thermostats set at a lower level regardless of the outside or indoor temperatures? It's triggered countless arguments and thermostat feuds at workplaces, homes, and in the bedroom.
Of course, humans can't be physiologically cold-blooded. But Dr. Robert Schainfeld, a vascular medicine specialist at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, offers some possible reasons why some people seem to be cold, all the time.
Some explanations are commonsense: Thinner, frailer, slighter built people with smaller muscle mass and body mass tend to feel the cold more. They lack the body insulation -- the muscle and fat -- that holds heat in. Also, if you have a lower body weight and you're also feeling tired or sleep-deprived, there's a tendency for your regulatory mechanisms to go a little haywire, explains Schainfeld, making you feel colder.
The air may also feel nippier to older adults, people who are anemic (low blood counts), malnourished, or have an infection (viral or bacteria). Folks who have hypothyroidism (low levels of thyroid hormone) or are deficient in certain B-vitamins, including B-1 (thiamine), B-6 (pyridoxine), or B-12 (cobalamins) may complain they're freezing.
Blood sugar levels that are too low (hypoglycemia) or too high (from poorly controlled diabetes) may increase a person's sensitivity to cold. Although the effect is short-lived, when a person is stressed, or feels anxious, afraid, or in pain, an adrenaline boost shunts blood away from the body's outer reaches and toward the heart and other vital organs, leaving you feeling chilly.
Of course, some places crank up the AC so high that the arctic air would give the heartiest among us goose bumps.
But a small percentage of people who are super sensitive to the cold have Raynaud's, a disorder in which there's an over-exaggerated constriction of blood vessels so less blood -- and warmth -- flows to the fingers, toes, earlobes, and tip of the nose.
Cold-sensitive people tend to know it about themselves and likely come prepared, carrying along extra layers to weather the elements -- indoors or out.
According to Schainfeld, you rarely find a reason in people who always feel cold and it's usually "a nonspecific benign problem." When he has discussed it with a patient, Schainfeld hears a common response, "I've been this way all my life, doc."
Have you been sensitive to cold your whole life, too? How do you handle it?
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My 13 year old son and I are always cold, sometimes even when outside in the 90 degree heat, our toes or nose will be cooler than the rest of our bodies. We both have firbomyalgia. Must be a connection. We've had it our whole lives, but were both diagnosed within the past 3 years. I myself think that we've "always" had fibromyalgia and something just triggered the symptoms to manifest.
90 degrees isn't hot.
I also have fibromyalgia but live in south Florida where we have temps in the 90's for 5-6 months out of the year. I'm rarely cold, wish I was so I could handle the heat better.
FM patients frequently have a condition called Sicca Syndrome. It's similar to Sjorgren's, but not as extreme. (All Sjorgren's patients have Sicca Syndrome but not all Sicca patients have Sjorgrens.) That may well account for your problems handling extremes (to you) of temperature.
That's right, Ignatz Horowitz-657495. 90F is hot to those who grew up in or have become accustomed to somewhat cooler climes. That means that it's HOT for many people. How about facts instead of judgments.
I have the opposite problem. I've been hotter than everyone my whole life. My parent had to get air conditioning in their car when I was a baby because of me. My brother is the same. We figure we got it from our dad who was always on the hot side. My face has always turned red quickly when the temperature climbs. I try to stay indoors as much as possible. Wonder what my issue is??? Can't tell you how many aquaintances have diagnosed me with "hot flashes". Don't think those start when you're a baby though. HA.
Have you been tested for Hyperthyroidism or graves disease? Do you have a fast metoblism?
I have an autoimmune disease called Sjogren's Syndrome -- the same family of diseases as Raynaud's, which was mentioned in the article. I'm told that SS can impair the body's ability to regulate its temperature, so maybe that's why I feel cold so easily. I can easily be affected by a draft that no one else notices. Fortunately, I live in Northern California, in an area where our house doesn't need air conditioning. But when it does get warm, we do need fans, and I just stay out of their direct range. In cold weather, I bundle up like I'm going to the frozen tundra. The other effect I notice from fans and drafty areas (including furnace warmed air in the winter) is that it dries out my already dry eyes -- one of the hallmarks of Sjogren's, which I have at a very severe level. And this affects my ability to read and do other close work. More info at www.sjogrens.org
I am very cold natured. No known reason that I know of except may be my below normal body temp or low BP. I do know, though, that I get it from my father. It's just me, been this way my whole life. I am one of those that wears 3/4 length to long sleeve shirts inside at work even in the SC heat, and I keep a cardigan on the back of my chair. In the winter, I layer with sweaters and turtlenecks. Where I work, you can hang meat inside in the AC.
Oh for sure! I'm not exactly sure what the problem is but I basically always feel cold. When at home or at my friends' homes, I'm always wrapped up in a fleece blanket, and then I feel fine. :) At school, people always make fun of me for having goosebumps basically all day, but I'm used to it by this point! haha
I have always had below "normal" temperature, and a very low blood pressure. In the summer I go everywhere with a sweater because I will freeze if the AC is blowing on me in a restaurant. Outside in the evening if it's 70 and a breeze is blowing, I'll be cold. But for some reason, I also have no tolerance for physical activity in the heat either! I love to golf, but can't get through 18 holes if it's much hotter than 80 unless it's a cloudy day. No matter how much water I drink, I'll turn beet red and be sick after about 14 holes! I think my internal thermostat is defective!
I suspect that you should have this investigated, starting with a good rheumatologist. At the very least, you'll have a chance of finding out why this happens to you, and from there, you may find other ways to help you to cope.
I'm not sure if that is similar to anything else also, but you are describing adrenal fatigue perfectly.
I have the opposite problem, as you can tell by my username, heh. At least my co-workers who are cold can deal with it by wearing a sweater and if they are still cold, they can use a space-heater at their feet, but even with a fan, I am hot, so what am I supposed to do, work in my underwear? It's THAT frustrating! Half of the office is constantly hot, and the other half is constantly cold; our A/C is set to about 76, which to me is not even near cold. What is strangest of all is that those complaining they are cold are actually overweight and from cold climates likes NY (they also complain about the 90 degree heat outdoors, which is puzzling, since they appear to be heat lovers (?)), so the whole "people with more fat will not feel cold" premise of this article is not always true.
I have the opposite issue as well. People constantly ask me during the middle of winter why I am not wearing socks, or why am I just wearing a light jacket. I respond “because I can”
My fingers have always turned purple when I get too cold. My friends used to ask about them in high school. Now a days, I've been known to wear my coat and gloves while on the computer at work in the Winter. When I volunteer for Summer camp at night when us grown ups hang out, I'm the only one bundled up in a heavy coat, gloves, and hat. People think its strange, but I tell them its just how I am. All my symptoms fit Raynaud's, just never had a doctor confirm it.
My b/f has this issue. He is constantly cold. He sleeps with a long sleeved shirt and an electric blanket on even in the summer, thank goodness for dual controls! He attributes it to a serotonin issue, but I think he may be anemic but he says his iron levels are fine. So, who knows....
July 20th in Seattle. yesterday 57 degrees. Brrrr. I am wearing a sweater today. It could be January.
I saw many people wearing sweaters in the casino in OK. this summer..
And Ive seen junkies wearing long coats on street corners in summer heat..?
I am frequently chilly. I have Reynaud's syndrome, and also some non-specified chronic pain syndrome with symptoms similar to many auto-immune type problems. Like Traci above, I think they are connected. I have always been sensitive to cold...the other issues developed later.
Yes I have always been cold and yes I have Raynauds. My fingertips actually turn a totally white color and hurt like crazy. It runs thru my mom's family. I keep a sweater and a blanket in my car as does my mom. I keep 2 sweaters and bring a all weather coat to work even in July. It is also worse at night than during the day and really bad if it is cloudy. Even wearing gloves sometimes doesn't help. But the good news is that with Raynauds as soon as your body realizes it is ok to get the blood to my fingers or nose they turn the right color and stop hurting.
I was always a cold person - until the last few years when I was put on anti-depressants...now I sweat at the drop of a hat & I hate it - you can always put a sweater on if you're cold, but when you get hot & sweaty - nothing helps! Hope I go back to my cold self when I can finally reduce the use of these meds!
I was just told I have Raynauids (sp). It would explain why my toes are blue most of the time and always cold. Winter is an AWFUL time of year for me! I wear socks alot, even in the summer there is always a hoodie or jacket in my car.
I am always cold. I wear a sweater even when 90 degrees. I can't seem to be warm. I have to look into that Raynauds syndrome. I am always freezing.
Cold = Pain to me.
Cold = Pain to me.
"I'm getting hotter 'cause the world is getting colder" -2PAC
I am always cold. right now at work I have a floor heater set for 86 degrees and I have to wear a hoddie and I'm still cold. It's crazy because outside its almost 90 degrees. In the winter I feel like I'm going to freeze to death.
My winter blanket set up was 2 sheets, 1 hospital blanket, comforter, doubled up micro fiber blanket, down comforter and a throw blanket over my feet. Even then, I could still get cold. My summer set up is reduced to the two sheets and the comforter most nights. Believe it or not this is a VAST improvement for me. I no longer HAVE to wear a long sleeve shirt under my t-shirt in the summer and a hoodie in the office every day with a blanket.
I have hashimoto's thyroiditis (autoimmune hypothyroidism). I'm on a fairly high does of medication and it's taken about a year to get me to the right dose where I almost feel 'normal'. I still get cold faster than a lot of people but getting it treated has done a LOT for my body temperature. Crazy part is I give off a LOT of heat, I have my whole life. People use me as a heater in the winter while I freeze.
I'm not sure if that is similar to anything else also, but you are describing adrenal fatigue perfectly.
Don't even wear sweaters in the winter time. Just not a sweater person I guess?
Now "Sweat Shirts"? That's a different matter!
All my life, I was cold. I felt so badly for my babies, my hands were like ice, I used to rub them together to warm them up before I picked up the kids. The strange thing is that I always liked cold weather better!
Then I went through menopause, and for the first time, my hands were not cold! It is great not having to apologize for having corpse hands when I meet a stranger and shake hands! And I do not need a jacket when everyone else is sweating. Took me 50 years to feel normal!
You're the first person I've heard that has had a positive effect from going through menopause. I'm a 49 year old woman and my cycles have just started becoming irregular and I'm having mild hot flashes. When I'm not having a hot flash, I have a tendency to feel cold unless I'm exerting myself. If I'm just sitting down though, I get cold. Hope I "weather" menopuase as well as you!