Upworthy hosted Dr. Christopher Minson in an interview that answered a lot of questions explaining why some people are always freezing. Dr. Christopher Minson at the University of Oregon is a Professor in the department of human physiology. One of his research interests is how the brain and body interact and adapt as we heat and cool (Thermoregulation).
What happens in the body when the body gets cold?
Dr. Chris explained what happens in the body when a person gets chilly. All the parts of the human body give thermal inputs; brain, blood, spinal cord, organs, muscles, and skin.
Part of the brain collates all those thermal inputs and compares them to what body temperature it wants to hold. One will start feeling cold when the brain accepts to hold for instance the temperature of the skin which has fallen as the temperature of the body.
Read More: Food Leftover Becomes California’s Latest Climate Change Target
Women are largely affected by Cold
He further explained the reason it seems women are largely affected by the cold to be that for women and older people, their muscle mass is typically lower relative to body surface area.
People complain that woman’s feet are most times cold in bed; which is because the body trying to conserve heat will reduce the flow of blood to hands and feet making them colder than the other parts of the body. Also, women according to some limited reports may have a higher density of blood vessels at the skin surface making them more sensitive to cold.
A solution to “Always Freezing”
Dr. Chris noted that muscle increment though difficult to achieve will be one of the solutions for those who are always freezing.
Another solution may sound counter-intuitive but it’s suggested that it could decrease the sensation of feeling cold. What is proposed is for such people who are always freezing to expose themselves for a short period to very cold temperatures. For instance, putting a shower on cold for a short period during a shower.
When to see your Doctor
Some persons who are always cold may need to see their doctors because there is the possibility that someone who is perpetually cold may be caused by abnormally low thyroid hormone levels, and that can be verified with a blood test.
This is very rare and can be helped by taking hormone supplements. Symptoms of Low thyroids hormones may be having low motivation, being lethargic, and being always cold. Such a person having these symptoms may be examined for low thyroid hormone.
According to another online source, freezing at all times might be a result of other medical conditions like Raynaud’s disease which affects the arteries in the fingers, toes, or both by making them narrow and reducing blood flow.
Read More: Popeyes Is Providing Away Free Food for 12 Days Direct
Another is Anemia which occurs when a person does not have enough red blood cells circulating and carrying oxygen throughout the body. Anorexia nervosa causes an eating disorder leading to weight loss and distorted body image. Peripheral artery disease can also be caused. This occurs when plaque builds up in the arteries that carry blood to the rest of the body.
