Why You Always Feel Cold (And What to Do about It)

Feeling cold is a common complaint among many people, particularly as we get older. If you find yourself constantly reaching for an extra layer or turning up the thermostat, you are not alone.

There are several reasons why we may feel cold more frequently, and understanding these causes can help us find ways to stay warm and comfortable. As we age, our bodies become less efficient at generating heat, and our circulation may also slow down, reducing blood flow to our extremities. This can leave us feeling cold, even in mild temperatures. Other factors can also play a role, such as low body fat, which provides insulation and helps to regulate body temperature. Medical conditions such as anemia, hypothyroidism, and Raynaud's disease can also make us feel cold more often.

Whatever the reason for our cold sensitivity, it can be uncomfortable and even affect our quality of life. If you find yourself feeling cold all the time, it's essential to understand the underlying cause and take steps to stay warm. In this article, we will explore the reasons you might always feel cold and provide practical tips to improve comfort and wellbeing.

Why do I always feel cold?

Frequently feeling chilled is unpleasant, can disturb your daily life, and even stop you from enjoying the activities that make you happy. So it's essential to understand what could be making you feel cold all the time and figure out the best ways to combat the issue. Read on to learn more about the potential reasons:

1. Lower Metabolism

   A lower metabolism contributes to feeling colder. As you age, your metabolism slows down due to being less active, losing some of your muscle mass, and the general wear on your internal organs and systems.

   While there are age-related factors that you can't change, such as wear on your body, and hormonal changes, there are many external factors that you can choose to change if you want to increase your metabolism and start feeling warmer. Click here to learn more about tips to improve your metabolism! 

2. Thinning Skin

   As you age, your skin becomes thinner. This could result from malnutrition, genetics, dehydration, sun exposure, or medications, among other reasons. Whatever the reason, thinning skin and the thinning layer of fat under the skin results in poorer insulation and difficulty in maintaining a healthy body temperature.

3. Low Blood Pressure

   Low blood pressure can be caused by several things as simple as dehydration, medications, or could be due to an underlying health condition.

   With low blood pressure, less oxygen is making it to your organs and extremities, which results in you feeling colder.

   Most pharmacies or drug stores have blood pressure machines that you can easily use and check if this is one of your problems. Otherwise, ask your doctor to check your blood pressure on your next visit.

4. Health Issues

   Feeling cold all the time can be part of a natural aging process. Still, it can also be a symptom of an underlying health issue that you may or may not know. Some of the most common problems that can cause you to feel cold constantly are:

   • Hypothyroidism

   • Anemia

   • Atherosclerosis

   • Diabetes

   • Peripheral Artery Disease

   • Cardiovascular disease

   • Kidney disease

5. Medication Side Effects

   You should discuss options with your doctor to see if you have any of these underlying issues and what you can do to improve symptoms and stay healthier. If a medication such as beta-blockers is causing your constant coldness, your prescription could be changed, or your dosage could be modified.

Tips To Combat Feeling Cold All The Time

1. Get Moving and Stay Active

   One of the best ways to raise your temperature is to get more active. Make sure you're taking daily walks, and if you can, incorporate daily strength training into your lifestyle.

   Loss of muscle mass is a critical component of why you might feel cold all the time. So if you can preserve and even increase your muscle mass, you will start feeling warmer and healthier overall.

   Another part of preserving your muscle mass is to ensure you are eating enough protein each day. Your body needs to consume a certain amount. Otherwise, it doesn't have the building blocks for muscle.

   The other benefit of eating protein is that it's harder to break down. Thus, your body works harder and creates more energy and heat, so you'll feel warmer as you're eating more protein.

2. Raise The Temperature

   Sometimes you just need to raise the temperature in your house so that you can feel warmer. Turn your heating on and spend a few extra dollars so that you can feel more comfortable.

   Make sure that doors and windows are shut. If needed, add some thicker curtains to keep the cold windows from lowering the temperature in your home.

   Check to make sure you don't have a draft entering your house from under doors or through cracks and holes in your home.

3. Dress In Layers

   If you're feeling cold, you can add more layers of clothing, such as an extra shirt, sweatshirt, or windbreaker over your standard warm jacket.

   When you dress in layers, the air gets trapped between clothing, and your body helps warm that air. So for every layer, you get a barrier of warm air to help you stay warmer and block out the cold.

4. Stay Hydrated

   Dehydration can cause low blood pressure and constricted blood vessels, so staying hydrated with water is essential. For an even more significant impact, you can replace a glass of tap water with a cup of warm water or tea to get some added warmth into your body.

   Stay away from coffee and highly caffeinated beverages and stick to warm water or green tea, which has many health benefits.

5. Talk To Your Doctor

   If you've tried all of the standard things such as dressing warmer, keeping your home warmer, and drinking warm liquids, then it's worth a trip to your doctor to get checked for common illnesses that may be making you feel cold all the time.

In some cases, you may have simple issues such as anemia which can be fixed by iron supplements or increasing your dark green leafy vegetable consumption. However, in other cases, while it is unlikely, you may have a more severe condition that requires medication or other symptom management. It is best to discover an underlying cause as early as possible so it can be addressed right away.