Cold hands may be caused by simply being in a cold room or other chilly environment. Cold hands are often a sign that your body is trying to maintain its regular body temperature.
Always having cold hands, however, could mean there's a problem with your blood flow or the blood vessels in your hands.
Causes of cold hands include:
- Anemia — a condition in which the body doesn't get oxygen due to a lack of healthy red blood cells.
- Buerger disease
- Diabetes
- Frostbite
- Lupus
- Raynaud's disease
- Scleroderma
Causes shown here are commonly associated with this symptom. Work with your doctor or other health care professional for an accurate diagnosis.
June 23, 2022
- Raynaud's. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/raynauds. Accessed Jan. 21, 2021.
- Buerger disease. Genetics and Rare Diseases Information Center. https://rarediseases.info.nih.gov/diseases/5969/buerger-disease. Accessed Jan. 21, 2021.
- Wallace DJ, et al. Overview of the clinical manifestations of systemic lupus erythematosus in adults. https://www.uptodate.com/contents/search. Accessed Jan. 21, 2021.
- Prevent hypothermia and frostbite. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/disasters/winter/staysafe/hypothermia.html. Accessed Jan. 21, 2021.
- Anemia. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/anemia. Accessed Jan. 21, 2021.
- Peripheral neuropathy. American Diabetes Association. https://www.diabetes.org/diabetes/complications/neuropathy/peripheral-neuropathy. Accessed Jan. 21, 2021.
- Scleroderma. National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Scleroderma/default.asp. Accessed Jan. 21, 2021.
- Varga J. Clinical manifestations and diagnosis of systemic sclerosis (scleroderma) in adults. https://www.uptodate.com/contents/search. Accessed Jan. 21, 2021.