Why Are My Feet Cold with Socks On?

Having cold feet in the physical rather than the proverbial sense is quite common. Many people suffer in his way, where your feet may or may not feel cold to the touch. The causes of cold feet care are multiple – anything from ordinary reasons that need little or no explanation to medical reasons that could be the cause of some concern. This article sets out to answer the question of “why are my feet cold with socks on” and does so by taking both the common-day reasons and the potential medical conditions into account. Having cold feet is usually nothing serious, so let’s start with the common, everyday causes.

Low Temperatures Can Make your Feet Feel Cold

Low temperatures are the most obvious of reasons for having cold feet. When you are in a cold environment, the blood vessels in your hands and feet constrict. They do so to manage heat loss and keep the all-important warmth within your trunk in order to protect your vital organs.

Blood carries oxygen to your body tissues, and continued exposure to low temperatures will result in your extremities literally turning blue with cold.  Exposure to extreme cold goes beyond your extremities turning blue, and can result in frostbite, which in serious instances can result in the loss of fingers, toes, and even noses.

Under normal circumstances, when your feet are cold with your socks on, they will soon warm up again when the temperature rises, a situation which can sometimes be accompanied by the feeling of “pins and needles” as blood flow is restored.

Stress and Anxiety May Result in Cold Feet

When you feel anxious or stressed, your body reacts by discharging adrenaline into your blood system. One result of this is to constrict the blood vessels in your body’s extremities.

This restriction is similar to being in a cold environment as described above, but in this instance, your body is reserving energy to help you deal with any physical harm that could result in high-stress situations. It means that even in normal temperatures, your feet can feel cold even though you are wearing shoes and socks, simply because you are nervous or stressed.

Sedentary Lifestyles and other Non-Medical Causes of Cold Feet

If you suffer from cold feet, it could be because you have poor blood circulation. It can come about through living a sedentary lifestyle. If you are a bit of a couch potato or you sit all day at work by your computer, it can result in poor blood circulation to your feet.

Smoking tobacco is another common cause. Chain smokers in particular often complain of cold feet. This, too, is caused by poor blood circulation brought about this unhealthy habit.

Another frequent cause is high cholesterol. Bad cholesterol leads to plaques forming in your arteries which restrict the free flow of blood, leading to diminished blood circulation. As has been well publicised, high cholesterol can also lead to heart disease.

So much for the non-medical reasons for having cold feet while wearing socks. Now let’s take a look at certain medical conditions that lead to cold feet syndrome.

Medical Conditions that can Result in Cold Feet

Various medical conditions can lead to experiencing cold feet even with your socks on. Most are illnesses, but one, although technically being a medical condition, is certainly not an illness, and that is being pregnant.

Pregnant Women Often Get Cold Feet

Many women get cold feet during pregnancy. It can come about as a result of many factors, including:

• A raised metabolic rate
• Change in hormone levels
• Having a slightly higher temperature may make the air around you feel cooler, particularly in your lower extremities.

Morning sickness can create a negative nitrogen balance which could make you feel cold, as can an under-active thyroid gland.

If You Are Anaemic You May Experience Cold Feet

Anaemia is a medical condition whereby you have fewer normal blood cells in your bloodstream than normal. Less blood equals less bodily warmth and can result in cold feet.

Cold Feet Through Diabetes

If you have diabetes, you will be susceptible to circulatory problems. Consistently high levels of blood sugar can result in the narrowing of arteries, restricting blood flow. Left unattended, it can cause peripheral neuropathy, a kind of damage to nerves. This can lead to pricking and tingling sensations, plus burning pains in your legs and feet, which are more pronounced during the night.

Nerve Disorders Cause Cold Feet

Another potential answer to the question of why are my feet cold with socks on is that you may have a peripheral nerve disorder. This type of damage can come about through an injury or trauma like severe frostbite or another undisclosed, underlying medical condition.

Peripheral nerve damage can also result from genetics or could be occasioned by a kidney or liver disorder.

Raynaud’s Syndrome and Cold Feet

Raynaud’s syndrome is another medical condition that can affect your circulation. If you become anxious, stressed or cold, you might experience blood vessel spasms that cause your fingers and toes to turn blue.

What To Do If Your Feet are Cold Even With Socks On

If having cold feet is caused by an environmental problem, you need to do your best to remedy the situation. Put on warmer socks and shoes, slippers or Ugg boots and raise the heating level.

If, however, your cold feet are caused by a medical condition, you are advised to speak to your family doctor .