健康生活學

長期手腳冰冷和心血管疾病有關?從衣食住行做起保持手腳溫暖

2023/01/16

天寒地凍,即使穿得再多、再厚,手腳仍然冰冷?甚至有時候氣溫正常,情況仍沒改善。1 其實這個情況十分普遍,特別是亞洲女性。2,3 立即了解手腳冰冷的成因及改善方法,讓你從外到內都感到溫暖!

為何總是手腳冰冷

手腳冰冷是體溫調節的自然反應,血管會在極端環境下如寒冷時收縮,以減少體溫流失,維持身體核心溫度(人體內部如心臟、腦部的溫度),使主要器官運作不受影響。當身體末端的血液流量減少,造成四肢血液循環不良,就會導致手腳冰冷。1,4

睡眠不足也會誘發手腳冰冷?

血液循環受阻,就會導致手腳冰冷,相關高危因素包括:3

  • 月經週期(已停經的女性、月經週期的頭14天的體溫較低)2
  • 核心溫度較低的女性2
  • 壓力4
  • 缺乏睡眠(影響控制手腳血液循環的神經系統)5
  • 缺乏運動(肌肉活動可以為身體提供熱能)6
  • 患有慢性疾病:貧血、低血壓、胃炎、胃酸倒流、鼻炎、經痛、十二指腸潰瘍7
  • 進食太多寒涼、生冷的食物8

 

除了手腳冰冷,還會感到麻痹?

相關症狀包括:9

  • 皮膚顏色變白、變紫
  • 麻痹
  • 刺痛
  • 起水泡
  • 皮膚粗糙、變硬

 

長期手腳冰冷和心血管疾病有關?

長期手腳冰冷的人士,要注意自己是否患有以下疾病:

  • 心血管疾病:因血液循環不良,身體先為主要器官提供血液以維持身體核心溫度,較少血液流向手、腳而導致手腳冰冷9,10
  • 神經受損:神經系統負責調節體溫,一旦受損便難以維持穩定的體溫9-12
  • 雷諾氏現象:手指或腳趾因為微血管異常收縮而變色4,13
  • 柏格氏症:因吸入有毒物質如尼古丁導致血管收窄及阻塞14
  • 糖尿病:因糖尿病神經病變影響血液循環15
  • 凍瘡:因皮膚血液循環不良導致損傷9
  • 紅斑狼瘡:自身免疫系統攻擊身體9

 

注意保暖就能改善手腳冰冷?

衣著

  • 穿著足夠的保暖衣物:16
    • 吸濕速乾底層:透氣排汗
    • 隔熱中層:避免熱能流失
    • 防風外層:防止風、雨入侵
  • 壓力衣物:促進血液循環17

飲食

  • 熱發酵綠茶:改善皮膚血液循環,有溫暖身體的作用3
  • 溫熱性的食物:將桂枝、乾薑等性質溫熱的食物放入茶中飲用,可改善手腳冰冷的問題18

生活

  • 泡腳(40-41  水溫為佳):睡前泡腳可同時提升睡眠質素19
  • 充足的睡眠5

運動

  • 運動可增加肌肉活動,促進血液循環,使身體暖起來6

 

手腳冰冷人士應多加注意保暖,特別是長者及患有心血管疾病人士。身體情況因人而異,如果身體持續不適,建議盡快求醫以了解真正原因。

參考資料:

  1. Bae et al. The definition and diagnosis of cold hypersensitivity in the hands and feet: Finding from the experts survey. Integrative medicine research. 2018.
  2. Kim et al. Cold hands, warm heart. The Lancet. 1998.
  3. Lee et al. Efficacy of fermented green tea on peripheral skin temperature: a randomized and placebo‐controlled clinical study. Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology. 2016.
  4. Hur et al. Feeling of cold hands and feet is a highly heritable phenotype. Twin Research and Human Genetics. 2012.
  5. Romeijn et al. Cold hands, warm feet: sleep deprivation disrupts thermoregulation and its association with vigilance. Sleep. 2012.
  6. Carlson et al. Exercising in the cold. ACSM’s Health & Fitness Journal. 2012.
  7. Bae et al. The association between cold hypersensitivity in the hands and feet and chronic disease: results of a multicentre study. BMC complementary and alternative medicine. 2018.
  8. Xie et al. Chinese Internal Medicine (Vol. 9). PMPH-USA. 2013.
  9. Mayo Clinic. Cold hands. Available at: https://www.mayoclinic.org/symptoms/cold-hands/basics/definition/sym-20050648. Accessed 23 December 2022
  10. MyHealth.Alberta.ca. Heart Failure: Less Common Symptoms. Available at: https://myhealth.alberta.ca/Health/Pages/conditions.aspx?hwid=tx4083abc. Accessed 11 January 2023
  11. Chan et al. Regulation of body temperature by the nervous system. Neuron 98. 2018.
  12. Novak. Cold intolerance after nerve injury. Journal of Hand Therapy. 2018.
  13. National Health Service. Raynaud’s. Available at: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/raynauds/. Accessed 23 December 2022
  14. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Smoking and Buerger’s disease. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/campaign/tips/diseases/buergers-disease.html. Accessed 23 December 2022
  15. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Diabetic Neuropathy. Available at: https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/diabetes/overview/preventing-problems/nerve-damage-diabetic-neuropathies. Accessed 23 December 2022
  16. Shaker. Clothing for Extreme Cold Weather. Material, Properties, Production and Testing.-: National Textile University. 2018.
  17. Benkö et al. Graduated compression stockings: knee length or thigh length. Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research®. 2001.
  18. Yu et al. Herbal medicines for cold hypersensitivity in the hands and feet: a systematic review and meta-analysis. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. 2018.
  19. Liao et al. Effect of foot bathing on distal-proximal skin temperature gradient in elders. International journal of nursing studies. 2005.