Causes of the Body Often Feel Cold and the Remedy

Feeling cold because too long in the air-conditioned room is indeed a natural thing. However, if you feel cold constantly, it could be a sign of a certain medical condition. Check out the various causes of the body feels cold below. In general, body temperature regulation is regulated by several organs, such as the hypothalamus, nervous system, skin, and fat tissue. The hypothalamus in the brain will send messages throughout the body to regulate heat production and to activate the body's cooling mechanism. Besides acting as a regulator of body temperature, the hypothalamus also acts to control the thyroid gland. When the thyroid gland is not functioning optimally, your body will experience a number of complaints, one of which feels cold all the time.

Various Causes of Body Feel Cold

The following are conditions that can cause a person to experience a body feeling cold all the time, namely:

• Anemia

Iron and vitamin B12 play an important role in the production of red blood cells that carry oxygen and nutrients throughout the body, and help distribute heat throughout the body. Therefore, without enough iron and vitamin B12, red blood cells cannot work effectively, so the body feels cold. Lack of iron and vitamin B12 are also some of the main causes of anemia. How to prevent anemia include eating meat, eggs, fish, green vegetables such as spinach and seafood.

• Dehydration

About 60 percent of the human body consists of water. Adequate water intake plays an important role to control body temperature. Therefore, if you are dehydrated, your body will be more sensitive to extreme temperatures. To avoid dehydration, make sure you always have enough of your daily fluid intake by consuming at least 8 glasses of water per day. Most importantly, always drink more fluids before and after you do physical activity.

• Lack of sleep

People who sleep less tend to experience cold more often. This happens because lack of sleep can disrupt the nervous system and disrupt the hypothalamus in the brain that regulates body temperature. It is not clear why this can happen, but there are studies that show that decreased hypothalamic performance is caused by a response to stress due to lack of sleep.

• Too skinny

Someone who has a body mass index (BMI) lower than 18.5 is usually easier to feel cold. When the body is too thin or has anorexia, you will lack fat tissue to keep the body from cold temperatures. In addition, lack of calories can also reduce the body's metabolism, so it is not able to produce enough body heat. To overcome this, consume healthy foods that contain lots of protein, fat, and complex carbohydrates.

• Blood circulation is not smooth

If only your hands and feet feel cold, there could be problems in your blood circulation. Heart disease can be one of the causes. This disease makes the heart does not pump blood effectively, so the blood does not reach the fingers and toes properly. In addition, there are several conditions that also cause cold hands and feet, including blood vessel disorders, smoking, blood clots, and Raynaud's disease.

• Thyroid Disorders (hypothyroidism)

The thyroid gland is a thyroid hormone-forming gland, located in the front of the neck and shaped like a butterfly. Without enough thyroid hormone, the body's metabolism slows down and body heat production decreases. Usually a person who is deficient in thyroid hormone (hypothyroidism) often feels symptoms such as body feeling cold, dry skin, fatigue, and constipation.

• Diabetes

Uncontrolled diabetes in the long run can cause complications in the nerves and kidneys. Diabetic neuropathy is a type of peripheral nerve damage that occurs in people with diabetes with chronic high blood sugar levels. Symptoms include tingling or numb feet and hands, pale, feeling cold, and sometimes feel pain in the feet and hands. While the complications of diabetes that afflict kidney organs are diabetic nephropathy. Symptoms include cold all the time, loss of appetite, shortness of breath, confusion, itching, swelling in the body, and nausea and vomiting.

In addition to the causes described above, there are also various other causes that can make the body feel cold, fibromyalgia, anxiety disorders, and damage to the hypothalamus in the brain. For that, a complete medical examination needs to be done to find out the exact cause of the body feels cold.

How to treat body feels cold?

Treatment for bodies that often feel cold, depending on the underlying cause. If there is a thyroid disorder, then you need to undergo treatment to treat thyroid problems. Or if the body feels cold due to anemia, iron supplements and dietary improvements will be needed to help increase blood. However, you can also relieve cold complaints by doing the following:

• Increase iron consumption.
• Increase consumption of foods containing vitamin B12.
• Fill your body's fluid intake by drinking water at least 8 glasses per day.
• Wear thick or warm clothes, and don't use air conditioning to cool the room.
• Stop smoking, consume caffeine or alcohol.

Immediately consult a doctor if the body feels cold lasts continuously for several days. The doctor will do a physical examination and supporting examination to find out the exact cause of the body feels cold, then provide treatment according to the cause.