Cold Tips

Gargs

Gargs

Joined
Oct 3, 2007
Messages
499
OK. I just got back from a two mile walk with my dog and am finishing my fourth cup of coffee (2 before the walk, 2 after) and remembered there are a lot of knowledgeable people on this forum that may solve a problem I discovered a few years ago.

It's doesn't have to be all that cold (say mid-30's like this morning) but after I walk about 10 minutes my finger tips get nearly painfully cold. I've always been pretty immune to cold, but since I turned 50 (nearly a decade ago) that 'immunity' seems to have decreased. I know there's a blood circulation thing that's going on, etc. And I also know the extremities get cold quickly.

I'm wondering if anybody has a solution for this problem. When I slip on gloves (as I did this AM...good gloves, lined, windproof, etc) the tips seem to get colder. Same thing happens with natural gloves (sheepskin lined, wool). It actually seems like the finger tips hurt less without the gloves!

Anyway, I'd like to know what you'd suggest (besides staying indoors)! If this seems silly to you (and it does a little bit to me so I wouldn't be surprised), just pass on it.

Steve
 
First put on a winter hat. Then buy a pair of mitts.

Problem solved.

Skam
 
One thing I've done in crazy cold climates is taken the little handwarmer pouches and a pair of good mittens. Works like a charm for a few hours. If you need to use your fingers for anything while you're out there though, might need a different plan.
 
Dylside said:
you need to use your fingers for anything while you're out there though, might need a different plan.
Click to expand...

I wear a small thin pair of gloves inside the mitts for when I have to take them off for a minute.

Skam
 
another vote for mittens.
you have to sacrifice some dextreity, but your fingers get to keep each other warm.
 
Sounds like you have a circulation problem, better to get it checked out with a Doc !!!
 
Keep in mind that what your body does when it gets cold is that it restricts blood flow to your extremities to retain heat in your core. All of the above are good suggestions (especially the one about a hat... you lose a LOT of heat through your noggin), but don't focus so much on your hands that you neglect to basics.

When motorcycling, you can keep warm all over with an electric vest... it keeps your core nice and warm, and the warm blood circulates to your extremities. :thumbup:
 
Growing old isn`t for sissys. I too, notice that the older I get the more the cold, and the heat bothers me, But I would see a doc. to make sure your circulation is ok. When it`s cold, I wear a wool watchcap. Your head loses the most heat. keep your head warm, and the rest of your body will stay warmer.
 
I agree with all of the good info above, but thought I'd ask if you were wearing clothing that might be too tight and was cutting off circulation. Is your shirt pinching at the crease of your elbow? Also, moving your fingers will help pump blood through them.

You could always boil a couple of eggs and drop one in each front pocket of your jacket. Keeps your hands warm and provides you with a snack!

-- FLIX
 
The best thing you can do to increase circulation to your extremities is regular cardiovascular exercise. The kind that makes you sweat and leaves you winded. Running, walking or running uphill or on stairs, jumping-jacks, jumping rope, playing basketball, swimming, whatever. The older you get the more important it is to continually exercise on a regular basis if you want to retain your body's ability to transport blood (and thus fuel) to your extremities.

If you do have a regular regimen of cardiovascular exercise then, yeah, go to a doctor and get your symptoms checked out. And if you smoke, quit. Smoking does a number on your body's ability to transport blood to your extremities.
 
Thanks guys. I always wear a watch cap when it's cold and even when it's starting to get cold. I checked a few months ago & no major circulation problems according to the doc (I don't want this to be my last post)! But the "mittens"...wish I thought of that! Just the kind of thing I knew you'd come up with to get me mentally unstuck. Great idea. And if they don't quite work, liners are a fine backup.

Johnny Reb, you're dead on about aging! I seemed to have passed some sort of "border" at 56 or so. I can't imagine what it would be like without a life time of staying in shape and generally taking care! I never did those things because I thought I'd get old...I just enjoyed them. An unsought grace!
Steve
 
My fiance had this condition, she finally went to the doc who gave her a pill, now she is much better. She was on the stuff for the first time last winter and her fingers and feet are much better.
 
Steve,

If this continues, hell there are battery operated heated gloves and mitts. There are all kinds of options.

Skam
 
Mittens. When you put on gloves, each finger has to warm itself. With mittens they all work together to keep each other warm. I would also vote for the thin glove/mitten combo to have some dexterity and insulation in the event that the mittens have to come off. I also like to have one of those hand warmer muffs (like football players use in cold games) stuffed with a couple chemical hand warmer packets.
 
If you hands are cold, or your toes, wear a wool hat. I add a scarf in the colder months. After a few minutes of walking, if I don't take my hat off I overheat pretty quick.
 
My hands generally stay warmer in my pockets than they do out in the open with gloves on. So if you're walking around and not using your hands, how about you put 'em in your coat or pants pockets?
 
Dave_Markowitz said:
Don't forget that caffeine causes your blood vessels to dilate, leading to greater heat loss in the cold.
Click to expand...
Wrong. It causes vasoconstriction, meaning the vessels CONSTRICT. The lack of blood flow to the extremities can lead to "frostbite" and hypothermia.

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002338.htm

Nicotine from tobacco also causes profound vasoconstriction.

So, don't drink those cups of coffee before the walk. Coffee and cigs only decrease your ability to survive the cold.

Eating some carbs (or fat) prior to the walk may also help, especially if you are just waking and haven't eaten for many hours.
 
Dave_Markowitz said:
Don't forget that caffeine causes your blood vessels to dilate, leading to greater heat loss in the cold.
Click to expand...

not dialate- constrict- caffeine is a vaso constictor which could in all reality limit the flow of blood to your outer extremities causing them to be cold.

Damn- nemoaz beat me.
 
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