Why Do Hands and Feet Feel Cold? How to Improve It? During winter's cold weather, many people experience not only cold hands and feet but also sweaty palms. So what causes cold hands and feet with sweating? Let's explore the reasons below.
What Causes Cold Hands and Feet with Sweating?
Cold extremities in winter are generally attributed to kidney deficiency, particularly kidney yang deficiency. Traditional Chinese Medicine holds that the kidneys store essence, which generates kidney yin and yang. These nourish and warm the five viscera and six bowels."The kidneys are the mother of the five organs." When kidney qi is deficient, the qi transformation of the five organs and the transporting and transforming functions of the spleen and stomach decline. Their warming, propelling, vaporizing, and transforming functions weaken, leading to qi deficiency and blood deficiency. This results in poor blood circulation and insufficient blood volume, causing the symptoms of cold hands and feet.
Occasional sweating in the palms may also stem from spleen-stomach deficiency-cold following kidney deficiency. Therefore, treatment should focus on tonifying qi and nourishing blood while warming and fortifying the spleen-stomach.First, dietary choices should include foods that strengthen the spleen, boost qi, and nourish blood. Commonly used herbs include deer antler, cinnamon, ginseng, aconite, prepared rehmannia root, angelica, donkey-hide gelatin, and goji berries. When decocting these herbs, they can be stewed with chicken, duck, or lamb to combine nourishment with flavor.Additionally, daily warm foot soaks, baths infused with ginger, chamomile, or cinnamon, aerobic exercises like jogging, brisk walking, jumping rope, dancing, or Tai Chi, ensuring adequate sleep, and nurturing qi and blood all help alleviate cold extremities.
Remedies for Cold Hands and Feet with Sweating
1. Manage your mindset. Avoiding mental stress or emotional agitation can help prevent cold extremities. Studies show that during emotional arousal, hand temperature can drop rapidly by 3–6 degrees Celsius, returning to normal once calm is restored.
2. Prioritize warmth and avoid cold exposure to minimize direct chilling. As temperatures drop, promptly add layers of clothing and footwear. Regularly apply moisturizing oils to hands and feet. When necessary, wear gloves and thicker cotton shoes outdoors. As the saying goes, "Cold begins at the feet." Properly insulating the lower body helps maintain warmth throughout the entire body.
3. Exercise promotes blood circulation.Engage in comprehensive exercises like walking, jogging, stair climbing, or aerobics. If hands feel cold, focus more on upper-body activities; if feet feel cold, emphasize lower-body movements. Targeted exercise for hands and feet can alleviate cold extremities. Regular, consistent exercise yields noticeable results. Additionally, soak hands and feet in warm water daily and massage limbs to improve local blood flow.
4. Consume calorie-rich foods. Increase intake of nutrient-dense foods like meat, grains, eggs, and dairy to boost the body's heat production. However, individuals with obesity or diabetes should exercise caution. Foods that promote blood circulation—such as sesame seeds, peanuts, onions, and chili peppers—can also aid in generating body heat and enhancing circulation.Under medical guidance, appropriately taking certain traditional Chinese medicines that strengthen the body, such as ginseng, deer antler, and royal jelly, can enhance the body's resistance to cold. That concludes our introduction on why hands and feet feel cold and how to regulate them. We hope our information proves helpful. Finally, we wish you good health and smooth sailing this winter.