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Definition
By Mayo Clinic staffHaving cold hands even when you're not in a cold environment is common. Often, having cold hands is a part of your body's natural response to regulate your body temperature and shouldn't be cause for concern.
But if you have persistently cold hands, it could be a warning sign. For example, having cold hands could mean you have a problem with the blood circulation in your hands or fingers or a problem with the nerves in your hands. If you are outside in extreme cold weather and you have cold hands, you should watch for warning signs of frostbite.
Other signs and symptoms to watch for when you have cold hands include:
- Cold feet
- Changes to the color of the skin on your hands, such as blue or white skin
- Numbness or tingling
- Open sores or blisters
- Tightened or hardened skin
- Raynaud's disease. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/raynaud/ray_all.html. Accessed March 9, 2010.
- Scleroderma. National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. http://www.niams.nih.gov/health_info/scleroderma/default.asp. Accessed March 9, 2010.
- Peripheral artery disease. American Diabetes Association. http://www.diabetes.org/living-with-diabetes/complications/peripheral-arterial-disease.html. Accessed March 9, 2010.
- Buerger's disease. John Hopkins University Vasculitis Center. http://vasculitis.med.jhu.edu/typesof/buergers.html. Accessed March 9, 2010.
- Symptoms of anemia. National Anemia Action Council. http://www.anemia.org/patients/faq/#symptoms. Accessed March 9, 2010.
- Winter weather: Frostbite. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/winter/staysafe/frostbite.asp. Accessed March 9, 2010.
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