There are some times in life when you’re just going to be cold, like when you step outside in the middle of winter or the AC is cranked all the way up during a heatwave. But if you feel like you’re chilly more times than not, it’s understandable to wonder at some point, “Why am I always cold?”
Sure, everyone’s body temperature is slightly different and the age-old thermostat fight goes to show that some people just naturally run hot or cold. But if you’re constantly huddled around a space heater or adding more layers, it could be a sign that something is a little off with your health—especially if this is a new development in your life.
If you’ve always run colder than the average person, it just might be a you thing, Claudia Ramirez Bustamante, MD, fellow physician of medicine and endocrinology at Baylor College of Medicine, tells SELF. “There is no need to worry if you have always been more sensitive to cold than others,” she says. “However, if you notice a change in your tolerance to cold—you used to run in a top and shorts and now need to run in pants and a sweatshirt—it would be a good idea to check with your doctor.”
Even then, there’s no need to panic. Feeling cold all the time can be a signal for a lot of health conditions—many of which are pretty simple to fix. Whatever the cause, it’s always a good idea to check in with your doctor to try to sort things out. If nothing else, they can help you figure out how to feel more comfortable in your day-to-day life.
Still, you probably have some questions about what could be behind the perpetual cold front you’re feeling. Here’s a breakdown of a few of the more common causes, plus what you can do about them.
Your body runs cold | Hypothyroidism | Anemia | Raynaud’s disease | Anxiety or panic attacks | Not getting enough sleep | Weight loss | Low blood pressure | Peripheral artery disease | Diabetes | B12 deficiency | How to stop feeling cold
1. Your body happens to run cold.
“There are some people who just feel cold all the time,” Neha Vyas, MD, a family physician at the Cleveland Clinic, tells SELF. This quality, which doctors often call cold intolerance, is usually not a sign of something serious by itself, Deborah Besson, MD, an assistant professor of medicine in women’s health primary care at UC San Francisco and internist at UCSF Medical Center, tells SELF.
It’s true that certain health conditions can cause cold intolerance, and we’ll delve into the usual suspects below. However, in those cases, there are typically a host of other more noticeable symptoms that will catch your attention first, Dr. Besson explains.
That being said, it’s still worth getting checked out if you’re cold all the time but don’t feel like anything else is amiss, Dr. Besson says. Your doctor will likely look at your medical records and ask about how often you’re cold, along with teasing out any other symptoms you may not have noticed, Dr. Vyas says. That can help determine what kind of testing might be necessary to land on a diagnosis, if any.
2. You have hypothyroidism.
Hypothyroidism is a condition in which your thyroid does not produce sufficient levels of the hormones that regulate your metabolism, which in turn slows it down, according to the Mayo Clinic. This can happen for various reasons, the most common being Hashimoto’s disease, an autoimmune disorder that prompts your immune system to attack your thyroid, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK).
Since a slow thyroid affects a bunch of metabolic functions, hypothyroidism can cause a wide range of symptoms including fatigue, unintended weight gain, constipation, dry skin, thinning hair, a depressed mood, heavy or irregular periods, and—that’s right—an increased sensitivity to cold, per the NIDDK. Dr. Besson points to fatigue as the usual tip-off, so if your energy levels are dragging and no amount of fuzzy sweaters can keep you warm, you should definitely mention that to your doctor.
Treatment for hypothyroidism involves taking a daily dose of a synthetic replacement for thyroid hormone (thyroxine or T4) called levothyroxine. You’ll also need ongoing blood tests to ensure your hormone levels are up to par once you start treatment, so it may take some time to find the right dose for you.1
3. You have anemia.
Anemia is a blood disorder that happens when you don’t have enough healthy red blood cells to carry oxygen throughout your body, according to the American Society of Hematology (ASH). There are many types of anemia, but the most common one stems from iron deficiency, according to the Mayo Clinic. When you don’t have enough iron in your blood, you can’t make sufficient hemoglobin, a protein that allows your red blood cells to transport oxygen and carbon dioxide. This leads to less circulation to your limbs, causing you to feel colder, Dr. Vyas says, particularly in your hands and feet. Other common anemia symptoms include weakness, fatigue, an irregular heartbeat, paler skin, chest pain, and headaches.2
Anemia can also be the result of your body making too few red blood cells, destroying too many red blood cells, or losing too much blood for some reason, the U.S. National Library of Medicine explains. Blood loss due to heavy periods can cause anemia, as can pregnancy, which increases your blood volume. (This is why iron is a key component of prenatal vitamins.) Other forms of anemia are connected with deficiencies in folate and vitamin B12, which are necessary for producing red blood cells. Genetics can also be to blame, such as with the chronic illness sickle cell anemia.
The cause of anemia determines the treatment, the goal of which is to increase your levels of healthy red blood cells by addressing the underlying condition or deficiency. This can involve taking iron supplements, making dietary changes to get more folate or vitamin B12, or more intensive methods such as blood transfusions if you have a chronic condition.2
4. You have Raynaud’s disease.
Raynaud’s disease is a condition that causes your extremities to become cold, discolored (red or blue), numb, and even painful when you’re in cold temperatures or stressed out. “It happens because your blood vessels are constricting,” Dr. Besson explains.
Raynaud’s, which typically affects the fingers and toes most but can also occur in the nose, lips, ears, and nipples, does not cause a general chill all the time. “Normally, people with Raynaud’s only get the symptoms if they go outside and it’s cold,” Dr. Besson says. “It’s actually a normal response for your blood vessels to constrict in the cold, but this is an exaggerated response.”
Stress can also trigger episodes because it might set off your sympathetic nervous system’s evolved physiological response to a perceived threat, Dr. Besson says. As part of this fight-or-flight response, your body might divert blood flow from areas like the hands and feet to the heart and brain. This gives you more energy and clarity to get away from a threat, but it can also leave your extremities feeling frigid.
Most commonly, Raynaud’s isn’t caused by any underlying issue, according to the Mayo Clinic. This is known as primary Raynaud’s. Sometimes, though, Raynaud’s can be the result of medicine, such as migraine drugs known as ergots or a number of underlying conditions that target your blood vessels, including carpal tunnel syndrome, atherosclerosis, and rheumatoid arthritis. This is what’s known as secondary Raynaud’s.
When it comes to primary Raynaud’s, treatment often revolves around lifestyle changes to avoid cold and stay warm, such as wearing insulating clothes and using hand and foot warmers.3 If stress is your issue, learning to manage that unpleasant emotion better may help. Secondary Raynaud’s requires treating the underlying cause, so be sure to see your doctor for help with that.
If you have severe Raynaud’s, your doctor may be able to prescribe medicine that amps up blood flow or recommend surgery to make the affected blood vessels less likely to constrict so much.3
5. You have anxiety or panic attacks.
Anxiety is more often associated with feeling sweaty than feeling cold, but sometimes it can cause a chilly feeling as well. “When people are very anxious, their hands can feel cold and clammy,” Dr. Besson says. And if you have panic attacks, you might experience full-body chills, according to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). These sensations are all due to that stress-induced fight-or-flight response that skews your body’s normal functioning so you can escape or combat a threat.
As with some of the other conditions on this list, a cold sensation is only one of the symptoms you’d be inclined to experience with anxiety or panic attacks. More prominent ones include an overwhelming sense of worry or fear, a rapid heartbeat, and difficulty breathing. Read more about physical symptoms of anxiety, plus when they might indicate a panic attack, and when to see a mental health professional for your anxiety. They can help you nail down treatment, which may include anti-anxiety medications and therapy.
6. You’re not getting enough sleep.
Sleep is essential for regulating your body temperature, according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. If you don’t get enough, you might start to feel like your body’s constantly on ice. A lack of sleep can mess with your circadian rhythm, Dr. Besson says. This is a set of physiological processes that follow a 24-hour cycle, including your metabolism, hormone levels, and body temperature, according to the National Institute of General Medical Science.
As part of your circadian rhythm, your body temperature drops as you sleep, Dr. Besson explains. If your circadian rhythm is out of whack enough that your body thinks you should be asleep when you’re actually awake, you might feel colder than usual as a result of your internal thermostat being set to the wrong time.
If getting the recommended seven to nine hours of sleep every night is more of a pipe dream than a reality, check out these tips for getting better sleep and see your doctor if they don’t help.
7. You’ve lost a significant amount of weight recently.
“Your body uses fat to conserve heat,” Dr. Besson explains, so it makes sense that if you have lower body weight, you may be more likely to feel chilly. It’s also not unusual to become more sensitive to the cold after your body weight decreases, Dr. Vyas says. Also, if your weight loss is connected with eating too few calories, that can cause your metabolism to slow down, Dr. Besson says, and your temperature regulation may not be as efficient as usual. This is why cold intolerance can be one of many symptoms of an eating disorder that can cause weight loss, like anorexia or bulimia, Dr. Vyas explains.
Given how complex these disorders are, they can cause a wealth of symptoms that may or may not include weight loss. It’s entirely possible that someone may have anorexia or bulimia and not feel chilly all the time. No matter how hot or cold you feel, if you’re dealing with symptoms like severely restricting your food (or an urge to do so), vomiting after you eat, or excessive exercising, reaching out to a doctor or mental health professional can help. If you’re not sure where to start, the National Eating Disorder Association has resources and ways to get help now.
8. You have low blood pressure.
Your blood pressure is the pressure of blood pushing against the walls of your arteries, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Your arteries, in case you’re not familiar with them, carry blood from your heart to other parts of your body.
Your blood pressure is split into two readings: your systolic blood pressure, which is the number on top, and your diastolic blood pressure, which is the number on the bottom. The American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association defines normal blood pressure as a reading of less than 120 mmHg/80 mmHg, but it’s possible for your blood pressure to get too low. There’s no specific number that tips you into low blood pressure territory, according to the American Heart Association (AHA), but doctors tend to consider it dangerously low if you start to have symptoms like dizziness or lightheadedness, nausea, fainting, dehydration, blurred vision, and clammy skin, among others.
But you don’t need to experience extremely low blood pressure—and all of those symptoms we just listed—to feel cold from it, Sophia Tolliver, MD, MPH, a family medicine practitioner at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and a clinical assistant professor of family medicine at The Ohio State University College of Medicine, tells SELF. “When your blood pressure is low, likely not enough blood is reaching your organs,” she explains. “Blood contains oxygen, so when your organs or extremities do not get enough oxygen, they can experience a cold sensation.”
If you have a home blood pressure monitor and you’re dealing with constant chilliness, it doesn’t hurt to take a few readings to see where you stand. And, if you’re on the lower side, talk to your doctor about what could be going on.
9. You have peripheral artery disease.
Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is a circulation issue where your arteries narrow, which reduces blood flow to your limbs, per the Mayo Clinic. When you develop PAD, typically your legs (less commonly, the arms) don’t get enough blood flow to keep up with their needs. That can cause a range of symptoms like painful cramping in one or both of your calf muscles after activities like walking or climbing stairs, numbness or weakness, and coldness in your lower legs or feet.
“The narrowing of these vessels means less blood and oxygen is reaching your extremities and can lead to a drop in temperature in these areas,” Dr. Tolliver says. This means you’ll most likely feel cold in your feet in relation to the rest of your body.
10. You have diabetes.
Diabetes is a condition that impacts how your body turns food into energy, per the CDC. The food you eat is broken down into glucose, or sugar, and released into your bloodstream. Your pancreas detects that this is happening and releases insulin, which shepherds blood sugar into your cells to use as energy. If you have diabetes, your body either doesn’t make enough insulin or can’t use the insulin it creates as well as it should. As a result, you’ll have elevated blood sugar levels.
There are a few things about diabetes—and typically high blood glucose—that can cause you to feel cold, Dr. Tolliver says. Elevated blood sugar can cause circulation issues like PAD, mentioned above. In addition, peripheral neuropathy can occur when high blood sugar damages nerves in the body. In this case, your hands and feet might feel cold to you, but they’ll still be warm to the touch, per the Mayo Clinic. Diabetes can also impact your kidneys, causing them to make less of a hormone called erythropoietin, which can lead to anemia. Fewer red blood cells means less oxygen getting to your extremities—a perfect storm for cold hands and feet, Dr. Tolliver says.
11. You’re dealing with vitamin B12 deficiency.
B12 is a water-soluble vitamin that plays a role in a slew of important health functions, including keeping your central nervous system happy and forming red blood cells, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). When you’re deficient in vitamin B12, you can develop anemia—cue all the cold feelings—or even damage the small nerves in your body, which can also make you feel chilly, Dr. Ramirez Bustamante says. (If you’re curious, the NIH recommends that you aim to have at least 2.4 mcg of B12 a day, which you can get from sources like tuna, salmon, beef, and milk.)
So how can I stop feeling cold all the time?
If feeling cold—and asking yourself, “Why am I always cold?”—is a lifelong struggle for you, it’s probably nothing to worry about—you may just run a bit chillier than other people. Or if throwing on an extra layer seems to do the trick, that’s probably fine too, Aline M. Holmes, DNP, a clinical associate professor at the Rutgers University School of Nursing, tells SELF. But, if a constant chill is interfering with your life or it’s a new thing for you, she recommends talking to a health care professional.
Dr. Tolliver agrees. “The first step in thoughtful evaluation is to have a deeper conversation about your issue with your clinician,” she says. From there, you should be able get to the bottom of that perpetual frigid feeling—and get you back to a less chilly life.
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