Why Am I Always Cold? Causes, Treatment, and More

If your coldness has an underlying cause, you might also notice some symptoms related to that condition. We’ll explore those in more detail below.

A constant cold sensation might simply leave you feeling cold all over. You might also notice:

But if you feel cold all the time despite layering up and taking other steps to stay warm, you could have an underlying condition that’s causing this feeling. Read on to learn why you might always feel cold, plus get some guidance on how to address this discomfort.

Gender can play a part in cold intolerance. Women are more likely to feel cold all the time, in part because they have a lower resting metabolic rate . This means they naturally generate less energy, or body heat. A small 2015 study also suggests that women may have a lower tolerance for cold sensations in the hands.

Everyone’s body has a slightly different reaction to cold, and some people feel cold more often than others. This is called cold intolerance .

You may get cold easily due to certain health conditions, including anemia, dehydration, or vitamin deficiency. Treatment can depend on the cause.

Always feeling cold can happen for a number of reasons, and these potential causes can involve a range of different symptoms. You might consider some symptoms no more than minor annoyances, but others might happen as a sign of a more serious underlying condition.

Anemia

Anemia, in basic terms, means you don’t have enough healthy red blood cells. This common condition might develop when:

• your body doesn’t make enough red blood cells
• your body destroys these cells
• you experience heavy bleeding

Anemia can be severe, especially if it’s long lasting.

Iron deficiency anemia, the most common type of anemia, can develop when your body doesn’t have the iron it needs to make enough healthy red blood cells. Causes include:

Symptoms of anemia can depend on the underlying cause, but they often include:

Hypothyroidism

With hypothyroidism, your thyroid gland doesn’t make enough thyroid hormone to allow your body to use and regulate the energy it needs to operate. This condition can become serious if not treated. There’s no cure, but medication can help reduce and control your symptoms.

Symptoms of hypothyroidism vary, but often include:

Atherosclerosis

With atherosclerosis, your blood vessels narrow because of plaque buildup. There are several different types, but peripheral artery disease most commonly causes a cold feeling. Peripheral artery disease is the narrowing of arteries that carry blood to your limbs, organs, and head.

Other symptoms include:

• pain, numbness, and cramping in your legs, buttocks, and feet after activity
• a weak pulse in your legs and feet
• slow healing of wounds on your legs and feet
• a bluish tint to skin
• decreased hair growth on your legs
• decreased toenail growth

Raynaud’s phenomenon

Raynaud’s disease or Raynaud’s phenomenon is a rare condition that causes your blood vessels — usually in your fingers and toes — to narrow when you get cold or stressed. The affected area may become pale or blue and feel cold, since blood can’t travel there as it typically would. When the blood comes back, the area turns red and often throbs.

The cause of primary Raynaud’s disease is unknown. Secondary Raynaud’s disease can happen due to injury or an underlying condition.

Raynaud’s disease is most common in:

• women
• people older than 30
• people who live in cold climates
• people with a family history of the condition

Diabetes

Diabetes can cause kidney and circulation issues that make you feel cold. Without proper treatment, diabetes can also cause nerve damage that makes you feel cold, particularly in your feet.

Type 2 diabetes may involve milder symptoms than type 1 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is also more likely to cause a cold feeling.

Other symptoms of diabetes include:

Anorexia nervosa

Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by an intense fear of gaining weight and a distorted perception of your own weight.

While some people with anorexia might have an unusually low body weight and severely restrict their food intake, not everyone with this eating disorder will appear thin or underweight.

Symptoms of anorexia nervosa include:

Low body weight

Low body weight refers to a body mass index (BMI) below 18.5. Often, having a lower BMI means your body isn’t insulated with fat, so it can’t keep you as warm.

Sometimes, low body weight happens due to an underlying cause, such as hyperthyroidism. If that’s the case for you, you’ll probably notice other related symptoms.

Low body weight can also lead to:

• a weakened immune system
• nutritional deficiencies
• fertility issues, especially for people with uteruses

Poor circulation

Poor circulation means you have reduced blood flow to your limbs. Typically, poor circulation relates to other health conditions, such as diabetes and heart conditions.

Other possible signs include:

• tingling and numbness in your limbs and extremities (hands and feet)
• pain in limbs
• muscle cramps

Vitamin B12 deficiency

A vitamin B12 deficiency can happen when you either can’t absorb B12 or don’t get enough of it through your diet. It most commonly affects people who:

• follow a vegan diet
• are 50 years or older
• have had gastrointestinal surgery
• have digestive issues

Symptoms include:

• constipation or diarrhea
• fatigue
• shortness of breath
• loss of appetite
• pale appearance
• irritability
• shortness of breath
• anemia
• loss of balance
• tingling and numbness in your limbs
• weakness

Many people get enough vitamin B12 by eating animal products, including meat, fish, and dairy. But you can also get this essential vitamin from fortified vegan products and supplements.

These 12 foods are high in vitamin B12.

Complications of medications

Feeling cold all the time can also happen as a potential side effect of beta-blockers, medications that treat high blood pressure and other cardiovascular issues.

Other possible side effects of beta blockers include:

• fatigue
• dizziness
• nausea

Priyanka Costa Hennis, MD, a fellow in medicine/clinical informatics at the University of Arizona, notes a few other medications that may cause you to feel cold, including:

That said, 2018 research does note that medication side effects most likely aren’t the main cause of your coldness.

Dehydration

Your body needs to stay hydrated to function as it should, so you’ll want to replenish your fluids during the day.

“When you are dehydrated, your body causes constriction of the blood vessels in order to conserve the water in the body,” Hennis says. She explains that it’s particularly important to remember to drink enough water during the winter — it’s easy to forget when you don’t sweat as much.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) notes that recommended guidelines for water intake can depend on a number of factors, including your age, gender, and whether you’re pregnant or lactating.

Hennis generally recommends at least 50 ounces, or about 6 cups, per day.