Feeling Cold Diabetes Type 2

10 Reasons You Feel Cold All The Time

Always cold? Here's why Feeling chilly when the AC is blasting is one thing. But if you're always shivering, or your hands and feet feel like blocks of ice while everyone else nearby says the temperature feels toasty, then it's time to investigate. It's common for women to report feeling cold, partly as a result of physiology and also a greater susceptibility to conditions that can contribute to coldness, says Holly Phillips, MD, medical contributor for CBS2 News and author of The Exhaustion Breakthrough. This checklist of 10 reasons your internal thermostat is out of whack can help you get a handle on why you're chronically freezing your butt off. You're too thin Low body weight—defined as a BMI hovering around 18.5 or under—can chill you out for a couple of reasons. First, when you're underweight, you lack an adequate level of body fat to insulate you from cold temperatures, explains Maggie Moon, RD, a Los Angeles–based nutritionist. The other thing is, to maintain that low BMI, you have to reduce your food intake so you likely aren't eating very much at all. Skimping on calories puts the brakes on your metabolism, so you don't create enough body heat. Consider putting on a few pounds by loading up on whole, healthy foods that contain lots of protein, fat, and complex carbohydrates. Your thyroid is out of whack Add cold intolerance to the long list of health issues you can blame on the butterfly-shaped gland in your neck. "Always being cold is a telltale sign of hypothyroidism, which means your thyroid doesn't secrete enough thyroid hormone,” says Dr. Phillips. Without the right level of this hormone, your metabolism slows, preventing your body's engine from producing adequate heat. Other signs of hypothyroidism are thinning hair, dry skin, and fatigue. Approx Continue reading >>

Is It True That People With Diabetes Feel The Cold More?

Diabetes can cause numerous health complications, and one of them is to feel cold and numb in different parts of the body, especially in legs and arms. The way you manage your diabetes is not the only factor that affects your natural heat regulation. Other lifestyle factors like insulin levels, circulation, and nerve problems could also interfere with your internal heating system and cause cold, pain, numbness and tingling sensation. Reasons Why You Feel Cold More Than Those Without Diabetes Your metabolism is closely related to your core body temperature. So, since diabetes distorts your metabolic processes, you end up shaking, shivering, and sweating more than others. Uncontrolled diabetes can damage your nerves in different body parts, especially in your extremities. This condition known as peripheral neuropathy leads to pain, tingling, numbness, and pins and needles sensation in your fingers. Since these sensations usually stay for a longer time, you might lose your sensitivity, or the opposite to develop an increased sensitivity which makes any contact painful. But, the nerves in your extremities are also receiving and transporting the temperature signals to your brain. So, if they are damaged because of diabetes, your feet and hands will feel abnormally cold. People with diabetes can often experience hypoglycemia or a sudden drop in the blood glucose levels. This, in turn, can cause cold sweat and low body temperature, sometimes leading to hypothermia. People with type 1 diabetes have little to no natural insulin in their body. Since this hormone helps increase the temperature in your body, type 1 diabetics could feel cooler than others. High insulin levels which remain for a longer time in people with type 2 diabetes prevent the body cells from producing heat. B Continue reading >>

Why Am I Cold?

Do you find yourself shivering when no one else is? Although you might just have a natural tendency to be cold, there are also a variety of conditions that could explain your chill. Anemia happens when your system can't make enough normal red blood cells to carry oxygen throughout your body. There are a number of different types of anemia. A tendency to feel cold is a common symptom for many of them. Other symptoms of anemia: Looking pale Irregular heartbeats Your thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland at the base of your neck. It helps to regulate your metabolism -- the chemical reactions that maintain the body. If this gland does not make enough thyroid hormone, or if your body cannot process that hormone effectively, you may become hypothyroid. Besides feeling cold, other symptoms of hypothyroidism include: Irregular or heavy menstrual periods If you feel cold in your hands and feet, you may have a blood vessel disorder in which blood flow to your arms and legs is restricted. Blood vessel problems include conditions such as: Clotting disorders Arteriosclerosis (narrowing of blood vessels) Raynaud's disease (spasms of narrowing arteries to the fingers and toes) Besides feeling cold, symptoms of blood vessel problems include: White or blue coloring in fingers and toes Tingling, throbbing, or numbness in your arms and legs The kidney damage that happens as a result of diabetes is known as diabetic nephropathy. One symptom of diabetic nephropathy is feeling cold all the time. Other symptoms of diabetic nephropathy include: Itchiness Loss of appetite Shortness of breath Confusion Swelling in the face, feet or hands This is a type of eating disorder. People with anorexia become dangerously thin because of an extreme worry about gaining weight. Feeling cold is one of the sympt Continue reading >>

High And Low Blood Sugar Issues

Blood sugar concentrations or blood glucose levels are the amount of sugar or glucose present in your blood stream. Your body naturally regulates blood sugar (glucose) levels as a part your body”s metabolic processes. Glucose or sugar is the primary energy mechanism for cells and blood lipids. Glucose or blood sugar is transported from your intestines or liver to the cells in your body via the bloodstream. The absorption of glucose is promoted by insulin or the hormone produced in the pancreas. If your sugar levels are not balanced you may have high or low blood sugar issues. Low sugar issues are hypoglycemia and high blood sugar indicates that you have hyperglycemia or hyperglycemia symptoms. High or low blood sugar levels cause different problems. Low blood sugar levels can cause dementia, comas or death. High blood sugar is a major cause of damage to your body”s internal organs. Low Blood Sugar Low blood sugar or hypoglycemia indicates the level of glucose in your blood has dramatically dropped below what your body need to function. When your blood sugar drops below 70 milligrams per deciliter symptom will develop. You may feel tired and anxious or weak and shaky. Your heart rate may be rapid and you feel as if you are having a heart attack. Eating something sugary will bring your sugar levels back to normal almost immediately and symptoms will subside. Sugar levels that are below 40 mg/dL cause you to have behavior changes. You may feel very irritable and become weak and confused. You may not realize you need to eat to raise your blood sugar levels. Blood sugar levels below 20 mg/dL will most certainly cause a loss of consciousness or perhaps you will experience seizures. You will need medical care immediately. Hypoglycemia symptoms happen very quickly. If you a Continue reading >>

Know The Signs Of Hypoglycemia

Hypoglycemia can be a very serious condition, with extreme cases causing seizures, coma, and even death. It occurs when blood sugar levels drop too low, and it is most often experienced by people with diabetes. As you learn about diabetes management, being well versed in low blood sugar symptoms will enable you to detect the signs of impending hypoglycemia and act quickly to head it off or minimize its impact. Diabetes Type and Hypoglycemia Risk Hypoglycemia risk varies across the three different types of diabetes: Type 1 Diabetes People with type 1 diabetes experience hypoglycemia most often, as their diabetes management often requires a lot of attention and careful planning. The average person with type 1 diabetes who is attempting aggressive disease control may still experience low blood sugar symptoms frequently, and a full-blown case of hypoglycemia will require close medical attention. "When it comes to type 1 diabetes, the body can't make insulin on its own, so it must be administered," notes Erin Palinski-Wade, RD, CDE, Everyday Health contributor and author of Belly Fat for Dummies. Paying close attention to your diet is important, too. "If the correct amount of insulin is given based on the amount of carbohydrates consumed, blood sugar levels can remain in a healthy range." Type 2 Diabetes These patients experience hypoglycemia less frequently than people with type 1 diabetes; the rate of hypoglycemia for type 2 diabetes patients taking insulin is about one-third that of type 1 diabetes patients. But research shows that the frequency of hypoglycemia in people with type 2 diabetes increases as the disease becomes more advanced. "In people with type 2 diabetes, the body may produce adequate insulin, yet the cells are resistant to it, making the insulin ineffecti Continue reading >>

Eating And Feeling Cold.

Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free so please,join our community todayto contribute and support the site. This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies. I don't know why, but I've noticed that when I start to eat, either during or a few minutes afterwards my finger tips and toes start to feel cold followed by my hands and feet. Two days ago I was trying to eat dinner and I started to shiver, thought that the thermostat was set too low but in fact it was about 72 degrees in the house. Sounds awful, you must have been so frightened about it. I cannot think why it would happen. Try to relax and get your bg into the normal range. Keep yourself warm. You might just be coming down with something like a cold or flu, or it could be the effects of high bgs if you have not been able to control well for any reason. Blood sugar is really good. An hour ago before eating, I had a reading of 117. @10:27 AM: Before eating lunch it was 157, felt cold a few mins later. 3.5 hrs later it was at 157 again. @6:29AM my fbgl was 129, @9:20 AM after eating *ate at 7* it was 139. I've been feeling nauseous more than normal after eating breakfast and dinner from my Byetta, even threw up on Wednesday. Doctors think it's weird. I remember once reading that the reason why is because my stomach is calling for more blood for i to churn, but out of my hands and feet? lol. Your hands and feet are the farthest from your heart so they're the most sensitive to blood flow. Our bodies are homeothermic...in that they get their warmth by burning calories. As we're all different...there lies the possibility that your body, being used to high sugar numbers, is going through withdrawals as you bring your BG readings down. The blood that supplied your appendages when you were in high bl Continue reading >>

Does Metformin Make You Cold?

I used to always be hot, and now I'm sitting with blankets. Anyone else have this? Moderator T2 insulin resistant Using Basal/Bolus Therapy Your body is changing from being in much high numbers to (hopefully) lower ones. Met is not an insulin and it just allows your body to use the insulin it is producing. Look on the web site and see what side affecs Met could cause. I used to always be hot, and now I'm sitting with blankets. Anyone else have this? The first time I took Metformin, it was winter and I was always freezing and huddled up in blankets. This time it's warm out, so I'm not cold. But metformin does have an effect on my metabolism. I used to always be hot, and now I'm sitting with blankets. Anyone else have this? Now on metformin about 2 1/2 yrs... I am usually hot, but I was this way before metformin. It hasn't changed. I hope that you are not coming down with something. D.D. Family Getting much harder to control I have been on it 28 yrs and do not have this issue, it just could be the fact your numbers are coming down. If it continues you might bring it up with the doc sorta surprised on the issue had not heard of that before. I used to always be hot, and now I'm sitting with blankets. Anyone else have this? This is why I tell everyone to always read the package insert for meds. Feeling cold while taking metformin may be a sign of lactic acidosis. Here's the package insert . Hit Control + F, type in the word "cold" and I believe the signs of lactic acidosis are one of the first things to come up. This is not something to ignore. I know you've reported other things about not feeling well, and I'm not sure if I'm confusing you with someone else, but if those signs sound like what you're feeling, get yourself to an ER right away. Don't drive, have someone drive Continue reading >>

Diabetes And Cold Weather

Cold weather can be fun but can also make blood testing difficult Over the winter months people of all diabetes types tend to have higher HbA1c levels than during the warmer months. With snow, ice and frost all threatening, sugar levels can creep up whilst the temperature drops. With this in mind, we've compiled some tips to help keep your blood glucose levels under control during a cold snap. The cold weather can leave you with cold hands which can make blood testing more difficult. Don't let the cold put you off doing your tests though. Regular testing will help you to catch any highs, or lows, and keep your sugar levels under control. If your hands are cold, try warming them up on a warm mug or on a radiator with a towel or thick clothing over it, before doing your test. Even just a little physical activity each day can help your glucose levels in a number of supporting ways. A little activity each day will help with insulin sensitivity (in all types of diabetes) which can help the body to better regulate sugar levels. Particularly if you are using insulin, keep a watch of your blood sugar levels in case your insulin requirements go down. Bear in mind that activity can affect blood glucose for up to 48 hours. A little bit of exercise helps to keep you warm. We all know that whilst exercising we heat up, but the effects don't stop as soon as we stop exercising. We may feel cooler after stopping, if we've built up a sweat, but the longer term effects of exercise is to help with metabolism which can help to keep our body temperature up even hours after exercise and helps improve fitness levels . If you tend to feel cold during the winter months, a little more activity in your day could be just the thing. The saying 'healthy body, healthy mind' rings true. If you keep y Continue reading >>

Diabetes And Cold Feet

We’ve all heard of a bride or groom “getting cold feet” before walking down the aisle, but for people with diabetes, having cold feet takes on another meaning entirely. What causes cold feet? Diabetic peripheral neuropathy, a form of nerve damage, is one of the most common causes of cold feet. About sixty to seventy percent of people with diabetes develop some form of neuropathy over time. Diabetic peripheral neuropathy is actually the cause of all kinds of symptoms, including tingling, burning, or sensitivity to touch. Your feet might seem warm to the touch, but feel cold to you. Symptoms may worsen at night. Poor circulation is another common cause of cold feet. Poor circulation makes it more challenging for your heart to pump warm blood to your extremities, keeping your feet cooler than the rest of your body. Peripheral artery disease, caused by clogged arteries in your legs, can reduce circulation and lead to cold feet. This could be a sign of something more serious, like increased risk for heart attack or stroke, but your doctor can usually detect it by checking the pulse in your legs. Certain medications, particularly those that cause blood vessels to constrict, can cause cold feet. Popular medications associated with cold feet are those to treat blood pressure, migraine headaches, and head colds. Talk to your pharmacist if you start to experience cold feet after starting a particular medication. Hypothyroidism is a condition caused by an underactive thyroid. Low levels of thyroid hormone interfere with your body’s metabolism, contributing to reduced circulation and colder feet. Other causes of cold feet Restless legs syndrome (RLS), a neurological disorder that causes funny sensations in your legs when at rest, such as creeping, crawling, aching—and, so Continue reading >>

Type 2 - Newly Diagnosed Really Feeling The Cold | Diabetes Forum The Global Diabetes Community

Diabetes Forum The Global Diabetes Community Find support, ask questions and share your experiences. Join the community Type 2 Newly diagnosed really feeling the cold Good afternoon, it's been useful reading the discussion on here and seeing I am pretty normal in many of the things I am experiencing over the last 4 weeks since being diagnosed and starting metformin. One thing which I have found strange though is that I never used to feel the cold and now feel it really badly. I have gone on the low carb diet and lost weight so that's been a shock to the system but have other people found this? I have been basically thin all of my life and feel the cold a lot. When I went on the low-carb diet it I lost weight and it was bad when going for the daily walk in sub-freezing conditions here in northeast USA last winter. I "solved" it by covering up a lot more while outside (and investing in warmer, winter-proof clothing) and wearing more layers at home. Also (yuck) wearing socks in bed at night. I have been basically thin all of my life and feel the cold a lot. When I went on the low-carb diet it I lost weight and it was bad when going for the daily walk in sub-freezing conditions here in northeast USA last winter. I "solved" it by covering up a lot more while outside (and investing in warmer, winter-proof clothing) and wearing more layers at home. Also (yuck) wearing socks in bed at night. Hubby on nights now, I need a hot water bottle not got to socks Yet! K I used to do lots of walking 2 hours everyday and fell walking we used to put on a few layers this enabled us to keep warm and then we could peel off the layers has we warmed up. K I do not take any meds and we are all likely to react differently to change in diet I can only give my experience . When I reduced carbs I g Continue reading >>

Why Are You Feeling The Cold?

We've all shivered through the odd winter day but feeling cold is not a serious condition in itself. However, it can be a sign of ill health, particularly if the feeling persists for several days. Here are the six most likely candidates - and what you can do about them. Hypothyroidism If you feel cold to your core and can never get warm, your thyroid may be to blame. This bow tie- shaped gland lies in your neck, wrapped around your windpipe and just below your Adam's apple. Its job is to produce hormones that help your body's cells convert oxygen and calories into energy but, for about two in every 100 women (and two in 1,000 men), it works too slowly or doesn't work at all. Other signs of hypothryoidism include sluggishness, thinning hair, pins and needles in your hands, an increase in weight, constipation and (in women) heavier, longer periods. Symptoms vary in severity. It is ten times more common in women than men, and it strikes at puberty, after pregnancy or - most commonly - at the menopause. If you think your thyroid is underactive, ask your GP to do a TSH test. Hypothyroidism can be successfully treated with hormone tablets. For more information, send an SAE to the British Thyroid Foundation, PO Box 97, Clifford, Wetherby, West Yorks LS23 6XD. Diabetes If your hands and feet feel numb or tingly, type 2 diabetes is a possibility. It develops when your body is no longer able to process insulin, the hormone that helps cells convert blood sugar into energy. Other symptoms include blurred vision, extreme thirst or hunger, an excessive need to go to the toilet and fatigue, although some people have no symptoms. The causes of type 2 diabetes are not completely understood but your risk of developing the disease is greater if you are elderly, over-weight, unfit, your di Continue reading >>

Diabetes And Cold Feet: Prevention And Treatment Tips

Do you sometimes feel as though your feet are in the Arctic while the rest of you is in the Bahamas? The cold feet phenomenon is one of those strange side effects of diabetes that can definitely affect your quality of life. Understanding what causes it and how to treat it can go a long way toward making you more comfortable. What causes cold feet? For some, the thought of walking down the aisle causes cold feet; for those with diabetes, the issue isn't as quaint. "In most cases of patients with diabetes that complain of 'cold feet', it can be attributed to one of two causes, vascular insufficiency or diabetic neuropathy," said Gary F. Stones, DPM, President of the New York State Podiatric Medical Association. "I have found in my experience that it is often the latter, but may have a component of small vessel disease often seen in diabetics." Diabetic peripheral neuropathy, sometimes known as DPN, is one of the most common underlying problems that leads to cold feet. It can also lead to tingling, burning, sharp pains or cramps, sensitivity to touch or numbness of the feet. You feet might seem warm to the touch, but they feel cold to you. The symptoms might be much worse at night. Though it can be tempting to simply dunk your feet in warm or hot water, that's the last thing you should do. "Never soak your feet in hot water," Dr. Stones cautioned. "This can lead to thermal injury and in some cases have disastrous consequences, especially in someone with DPN and underlying vascular insufficiency." You should also avoid heating pads or hot water bottles, as these can cause burns. These home remedies might help you overcome the annoying feeling of ice-cold feet: Wear warm socks and shoes most of the time. Always wear warm socks to bed. Invest in an electric blanket and turn i Continue reading >>

Do Diabetics Feel The Cold More?

Diabetes is known to cause a lot of complications in your body. When you are a diabetic, it is very normal for you to experience cold as well as numbness in different body parts, particularly in the arms and the legs. There could be various explanations for the same and in this article, we shall try to analyze the relationship between diabetes and feeling cold when you are a diabetic. So, come and join in for the article “Do Diabetics Feel the Cold More?” Relationship Between Diabetes and Feeling Cold Experts all over the world believe that there is a strong connection between diabetes and feeling cold. When you are a patient of diabetes, you not only tend to feel numb in your hands and feet, you also tend to feel cold more than those who do not have diabetes. There could be several reasons for the same. The following are some important reasons and explanation: The regulation of body temperature is closely connected to the metabolic system of the body. In diabetes, as we know, the system is interrupted and as a result, you feel extremely cold when you have diabetes. It is a known fact that when you have had diabetes for a long period of time and you are unable to control the same efficiently, there is damage caused to the nerves of the different body parts. When this condition reaches a particular point, it is known as peripheral neuropathy. The condition not only causes numbness, but it also interferes with the other normal sensations which a healthy person would normally experience. The nerves in the limbs are responsible for controlling the temperature. When these nerves suffer damage due to diabetes, you tend to feel cold. Besides, when you have diabetes, you could also suffer from the problem of extremely low levels of blood glucose or what is known as hypoglyc Continue reading >>

Diabetic Nephropathy

Diabetic nephropathy is kidney damage that occurs as a result of diabetes. Diabetic nephropathy causes illness and sometimes death for people with diabetes. Diabetes affects approximately seven percent of people in the United States. In fact, diabetes is the leading cause of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and kidney failure in the nation. People who already have diabetes are susceptible to developing diabetic nephropathy if they: are of African American, Hispanic or Native and Alaskan American origin have a family history of kidney disease or high blood pressure have poor control of blood sugar had type 1 diabetes before age 20 are a smoker Not everyone with diabetes develops chronic kidney disease, but researchers believe that those who do not properly control their blood glucose levels are at risk. The kidneys are each made up of around 1 million nephrons that remove extra fluid and wastes out from the blood. These nephrons help regulate water, salts, glucose, urea, phosphorus and other minerals. Those with diabetes have a lot of glucose that comes out in their urine. High blood sugar levels can damage the tiny blood vessels in the nephrons by thickening and scarring them so that over time they are damaged. When this happens, protein leaks through the kidneys into the urine. The nephrons are no longer able to filter properly and this is when kidneys damage can lead to kidney failure. Symptoms of diabetic nephropathy In the beginning stages of diabetic nephropathy, people may not experience any symptoms. Symptoms of diabetic nephropathy are similar to symptoms of chronic kidney disease and tend to occur in the late stages of kidney disease. These symptoms include: A metallic taste in the mouth or ammonia breath Nausea and vomiting Loss of appetite No longer wanting to ea Continue reading >>

Cold Feet And Toes: Symptoms & Signs

Cold sensations to the feet can come from poor circulation, disorders of the nervous system, cold exposure injuries such as frostbite, and decreased metabolism from a low thyroid condition (hypothyroidism or underactive thyroid). Depending upon the cause of the symptoms, coldness in the feet can be accompanied by other symptoms, including pain, numbness, changes in skin color, or a pins and needles tingling sensation. Other diseases that can cause cold feet symptoms include diabetes, arteriosclerosis, peripheral vascular disease, Raynaud's phenomenon, and neuropathy of any cause. In people with diabetes mellitus, chronic abnormally elevated blood and urine sugar, causes narrowing of arteries and capillaries that impair blood supply to tissues leading to cold feet symptoms. Arteriosclerosis and peripheral vascular disease result from chronic elevation of blood cholesterol levels that leads to blood vessel narrowing. Raynaud's phenomenon features narrowing of tiny blood vessels as a reaction to nerve sensitivity to cold exposure, which causes cold feet symptoms. Frostbite causes permanent damage to blood vessels that are injured from freezing of tissues. REFERENCE: Kasper, D.L., et al., eds. Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, 19th Ed. United States: McGraw-Hill Education, 2015. Pictures, Images, Illustrations & Quizzes Continue reading >>