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“Cold hands from benign causes are usually of a short duration, and easily reversible when the triggering condition such as stress or exposure to low temperature abates,” Ogunwale explains.
Frostbite is a skin injury that occurs when someone is exposed to extremely low temperatures, causing the freezing of the skin or other tissues, [1] commonly affecting the fingers, toes, nose, ears, cheeks and chin areas. [6]
[3] [4] Exposure to cold temperatures worsens the cyanosis, while it often improves on warming. [2] Aside from the color changes, patients normally are asymptomatic and therefore there is usually no associated pain. The most common sign, discoloration, usually is what prompts patients to seek medical care. [3] [4]
The condition can cause localized pain, discoloration (paleness), and sensations of cold and/or numbness. When exposed to cold temperatures, the blood supply to the fingers or toes, and in some cases the nose or earlobes, is markedly reduced; the skin turns pale or white (called pallor) and becomes cold and numb.
It was thought that the hunting reaction protected the fingers against cold injury and improved muscle function in the fingers. An experiment has shown cold acclimation minimizes the hunting reaction (reduced mean temperature of the digits and a prolonged time of cold exposure prior to initial vasodilation), thus putting the hand at a greater ...
Colder temperatures, especially in winter months, won’t cause a common cold. But they can weaken your immune system, and colder, drier air can help respiratory viruses thrive.
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Fingers change colour (blood vessels affected): With continued exposure the person may experience periodic attacks in which the fingers change colour when exposed to the cold. Initially the fingers rapidly become pale and feeling is lost.