Cold intolerance

General
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Medline plus defines Cold intolerance as ‘abnormal sensitivity to a cold environment or cold temperatures’.

A person with intolerant to low temperatures will show all or at least some of the following symptoms- discomfort, stiffness, , altered sensibility and cyanosis. How normal body reacts to low temperatures- it starts with basic behavioral changes- warm clothes, shelter, heaters, and extent of physical activity. Regular exercise in cold weather enhances general endurance, immunity and cardiovascular strength. It helps in browning of fat, brown fat is needed for thermogenesis, which further helps in being more cold tolerant and the physiological changes- peripheral vasoconstriction (to maintain core body temperature), increase in metabolic rate, shivering by involuntary contractions of skeletal muscles, activating the BAT (Brown Adipose Tissue) to produce heat.

Why do some people experience more cold than others?

The difference in reaction to cold can be due different physiologies, genetic makeup, gender or underlying medical conditions

Physiological causes- a higher body mass causes smaller amount of heat exchange from body surface, therefore making a person more tolerant to cold. Higher muscle mass convey higher metabolic heat production therefore higher tolerance to cold.

Genetic makeup-

Brown Fat Tissue polymorphism- individuals carrying mutations encoding for higher activity or number of BAT.

ACTN3- there are conflicting studies about this gene which suggests individuals carrying ACTN3 which affects fast twitch fibers might have role in reducing sensitivity to cold.

Other genes that affect sensitivity to low temperatures are- TRMP2, TRMP8, KCNK2.

Gender- Females complaint more about cold because of comparatively slower metabolic rate at rest and lower body masses, causing lesser heat production and more sensitivity to lower temperatures.

Underlying medical conditions-

Anemia, diabetic neuropathy, Raynaud disease (caused by contraction of arteries in digits) Anorexia nervosa, Arteriosclerosis, low BMI, hypothyroidism, hypothalamus complications.

Are you aware of any other symptoms of hypersensitivity to cold that I missed? Please share your knowledge.

MBH/AB

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This is the clear and informative explanation of why people differ i their tolerance to cold, especially the points on physiology and brown fat tissue. It would be great if you could also touch on lifestyle factors like acclimatization or physical activity, since they can influence cold sensitivity too.

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Thank you for this wonderful suggestion I’ll make sure to add some points

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Cold intolerance includes symptoms such as pain, tingling, numbness, chills, stiffness, weakness, swelling, and skin color changes on exposure to cold, and is more common in women and individuals with comorbidities. Brown adipose tissue (BAT) plays a key role in heat production by utilizing glucose and fatty acids, while regular exercise improves metabolic health by enhancing insulin sensitivity, glucose tolerance, lipid profiles, and inducing beneficial adaptations in skeletal muscle, cardiovascular tissue, white adipose tissue, and BAT.

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Lifestyle activities such as physical inactivity also predisposes to cold intolerance.

very well illustrated post.

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Cold intolerance is often overlooked. It may be due to various reasons. Proper identification of the sign at an earlier stage may help provide a diagnosis of more serious diseases.

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Hormone fluctuations in women also greatly impact temperature sensitivity. High estrogen levels during ovulation causes the blood vessels to dilate, allowing more heat to be lost through the surface of skin and thus feeling colder. Also the progesterone after ovulation increases the body core temperature resulting to feel cold.

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Great info👍