Cold Sensation on Fingers

Hands | General Practice | Cold Sensation on Fingers (Symptom)


Description

Cold sensations on fingers can come from poor circulation and disorders of the nervous system as well as cold exposure and low thyroid condition. Sometimes cold fingers and hands can be brought on by something as simple as stress.

Causes

When a person is fearful or under stress, the nervous system reacts by constricting blood vessels in the extremities, effectively shunting blood away from the hands and feet back towards the heart. This may give some credence to the phrase, cold hands, and warm heart. At the same time, the hands become cold, sweaty and clammy to the touch. People who are constantly nervous often have cold hands, particularly if they smoke which further reduces circulation to the hands and feet.

In rare cases, cold hands can be caused by more serious problems such as heart disease, arthritic disorders, or diseases that affect the circulatory system, but these causes are generally associated with other symptoms.

...