Having cold hands in winter might not just be due to the chilly weather, it could be a sign of a serious health condition. Doctors say that feeling cold and tired could mean you need more iron in your body.
Dr Vikash Modi, a physician, warned: “Cold hands and feet can be a result of iron deficiency anaemia. People with anaemia have poor blood circulation throughout their bodies because they don’t have enough red blood cells to provide oxygen to their tissue. If you’re not getting enough oxygen to your body tissue, you don’t have a normal sensation of hot and cold.”
Another common symptom of anaemia is always feeling tired. This happens when there’s not enough iron in the body to produce a substance that carries oxygen, leaving a person constantly feeling tired and run-down.
Read more: Paedophile used ladder to climb into sleeping child’s bedroom in ‘stuff of nightmares’ attack
Pre-menopausal women, who need more than twice as much iron as men due to menstruation, and pregnant women, who need 50 per cent more iron for their growing baby, are most at risk. Vegans and vegetarians are also at risk as plant foods mostly contain non-heme iron, which is not as readily absorbed as the type found in meat.
Other signs you may have low iron levels include:
- Pale skin
- Headaches
- Shortness of breath
- Dry hair and skin
- Heart palpitations
- Swelling and sore tongue and mouth
- Restless legs
- Brittle fingernails.
Signs of low iron levels in children include:
- Fatigue
- Weakness
- Paleness
- Irritability
- Light-headedness.
* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story.
Get breaking news in Yorkshire straight to your phone
Get all the latest big and breaking Yorkshire news straight to your mobile via WhatsApp by clicking here.
If you don’t like our community, you can leave any time. We also treat members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. Read our privacy notice here.
Read More: World News | Entertainment News | Celeb News
Yorkshire
