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My hands and feet are like ice. Could I have cold hypersensitivity? Turn off the warning light for women's health now!

Many people suffer from cold hands and feet not only in the cold winter wind but also in the summer air conditioning. When you hear the complaint, "My hands and feet are like ice," it's easy to think that you're just sensitive to the cold, but this could be an important warning signal from your body. Especially for women, cold hypersensitivity is not just a simple discomfort but can be a cause of various women's diseases such as menstrual pain, irregular periods, and even infertility, so more careful management is required. If you've felt your hands and feet cold even in a warm place, and even had difficulty sleeping without sleeping socks at night, now is the time to listen to the signals your body is sending through this article.

💡 [Key Answer] The 3 most common causes of "My hands and feet are like ice": ① Autonomic nervous system imbalance (peripheral vasoconstriction) / ② Low blood circulation (lack of Qi and blood) / ③ Changes in female hormones (menstruation, childbirth, menopause) Dalimchae Oriental Clinic does not just turn off symptoms through constitutional improvement, but creates a healthy constitution where the body generates heat and circulates on its own.

Our body has a smart system that tries to maintain body temperature constant according to external temperature changes. However, if a specific part, especially the peripheral parts far from the heart like the hands and feet, feels cold, this could be a signal that there is a problem with the circulation system in the body. The main cause is representative of the imbalance of the autonomic nervous system due to stress, overwork, etc. When the sympathetic nervous system is excessively activated, blood vessels constrict, reducing blood supply to the tips of the hands and feet, resulting in a feeling of coldness. In addition, various underlying diseases such as anemia, low blood pressure, hypothyroidism, and peripheral vascular disease can be causes, but in the case of young women in their 20s and 40s, there are many 'idiopathic cold hypersensitivity' that occurs without a specific underlying disease.

In particular, women experience rapid female hormone changes such as menstruation, childbirth, and menopause, which can affect the autonomic nervous system, making them more sensitive to cold and prone to cold hypersensitivity. Many who visit Songdo Cold Hypersensitivity Oriental Clinic complain of such hormonal changes and low circulation due to lack of Qi and blood. If the circulation of Qi and blood throughout the body is not smooth, you may feel coldness in various parts such as the lower abdomen and waist as well as the hands and feet.

Various studies are being conducted to identify the effects of Oriental medical treatment on the symptom of cold hands and feet, i.e., cold hypersensitivity. For example, a study by Professor Kyung-sook Park's team published in the international academic journal Journal of Ethnopharmacology in 2014 revealed the effect of red ginseng on cold hypersensitivity.

In a study published in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology in 2014 by Kyung-sook Park, Kyung-yi Park, etc., 80 female patients suffering from cold hypersensitivity in the hands and feet (CHHF) were given Korean Red Ginseng (KRG) or a placebo for 8 weeks, and then the effects were compared. As a result of the study, the skin temperature of the hands and feet of the red ginseng group significantly increased compared to the placebo group, and the visual analogue scale (VAS) score of cold hypersensitivity also decreased. In particular, the finger temperature recovered after the cooling stress test was higher in the red ginseng group, and parasympathetic activity showed a pattern of decrease. The researchers concluded that red ginseng can relieve cold hypersensitivity through peripheral vasodilation. Such studies provide scientific evidence for the treatment of cold hypersensitivity by improving the body's circulation with Oriental medicinal herbs, and Dalimchae Oriental Clinic Songdo Branch focuses on treatment that restores the body's fundamental functions like this.

Dalimchae Oriental Clinic does not see the symptom of cold hands and feet as just a problem of peripheral blood circulation. It is interpreted as a symptom that appears because the overall Qi and blood circulation in the body and the functions of the five organs and six viscera are lowered, and it aims for fundamental constitutional improvement by closely diagnosing each patient's constitution and health status.

Constitutional improvement goes beyond temporarily suppressing symptoms or supplying heat from the outside, but is a process of reorganizing the body's functions so that the body itself generates heat and blood circulation becomes smooth. In Oriental medicine, this is also expressed as 'Su-seung-hwa-gang (水昇火降)', which means that cold energy rises and warm energy descends to achieve balance throughout the body. Dalimchae Oriental Clinic focuses on creating a healthy body by balancing the body like this, growing the body's natural healing power, and preventing cold hypersensitivity from recurring.

There are also studies that comprehensively analyze the effects of herbal medicine treatment on cold hypersensitivity and Raynaud's syndrome. A systematic review and meta-analysis study by Professor Jun-sang Yoo's team published in the journal Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine in 2018 is representative.

In a systematic review and meta-analysis by Jun-sang Yoo, Dong-nyeong Lee, etc., published in Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine in 2018, 14 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) targeting a total of 974 patients with cold hypersensitivity and Raynaud's phenomenon (RP) were analyzed. As a result of the analysis, the group that received herbal medicine treatment showed a significant effect in relieving symptoms of cold hypersensitivity and Raynaud's syndrome compared to the group that did not receive treatment or received Western medicine single treatment (Risk Ratio 0.31, 95% confidence interval 0.24–0.40). In particular, the herbal medicine single intake group and the herbal medicine and Western medicine combined group showed a higher total effective rate (TER) than the control group. The researchers suggested that herbal medicine shows safety and effective treatment possibilities for cold hypersensitivity and Raynaud's syndrome, but higher quality research is needed in the future. Like this, Songdo Oriental Clinic Dalimchae treats the fundamental cause of cold hypersensitivity by strengthening the functions of the body's organs and improving Qi and blood circulation through individual customized herbal medicine prescriptions based on scientific evidence.

Cold hypersensitivity often does not stop at the symptom of only cold hands and feet. Especially for women, if the body is cold, it can be deeply related to various gynecological problems. Many people who visit Dalimchae Oriental Clinic often complain of symptoms such as the following as well as cold hands and feet.

• Severe menstrual pain or irregular periods: If the lower abdomen becomes cold, the uterine function is lowered, which can lead to severe menstrual pain or irregular menstrual cycles.
• Difficulty in infertility or pregnancy preparation: It is a very important point in Oriental medicine that the uterus must be warm for implantation to be successful and for a healthy pregnancy to be maintained. Coldness in the body can be a cause of infertility, and many people who visit Songdo Infertility Oriental Clinic suffer from cold hypersensitivity.
• Indigestion and chronic fatigue: If the body is cold, digestive functions are lowered, making it easy to suffer from bloating, indigestion, constipation, etc., and chronic fatigue may be felt due to low general circulation.
• Shoulder stiffness, headache, waist pain: If blood circulation is not smooth, muscles in specific parts can become stiff and cause pain.

As such, cold hypersensitivity is related to various general symptoms, so effort to return to a healthy body through active treatment is necessary rather than just dismissing it as 'innate constitution'.

✔️ Self-Diagnosis Checklist: How severe is your cold hypersensitivity?

If 3 or more items below apply, there is a high possibility that there is a problem with the body's circulation.

• Hands and feet often feel chilly and cold even in a warm place.
• Feel the cold more severely than others, and have a particularly hard time in winter.
• Other body parts such as the lower abdomen and waist also feel cold together.
• Menstrual pain is severe or the menstrual cycle is irregular.
• Digestion is not good and symptoms of bloating while the stomach is cold are frequent.
• Often tired and have no energy, and feel lethargic.
• Have had experience of hands and feet tingling or the sense becoming dull.
• Have difficulty sleeping at night, or wake up because hands and feet are cold while sleeping.

If 3 or more items apply → Chronic cold hypersensitivity suspected → Accurate diagnosis and constitutional improvement consultation at Dalimchae Oriental Clinic is recommended. If 5 or more items apply → Discomfort in life due to cold hypersensitivity is large and can lead to other health problems, so please consider immediate visit and Oriental complex treatment.

Q. How long should cold hypersensitivity be treated? A. The treatment period varies depending on the degree of the individual's cold hypersensitivity, cause, and constitution. Generally, constitutional improvement effects can be expected through steady treatment for about 3 months, and it is important to maintain healthy living habits even after that.

Q. Can men also get cold hypersensitivity? A. Yes, of course. Cold hypersensitivity is more common in women, but it can also occur in men due to stress, overwork, blood circulation problems, etc. Male cold hypersensitivity also requires a fundamental approach through constitutional improvement.

Q. Does severe cold hypersensitivity also affect pregnancy? A. In Oriental medicine, it is seen that the uterus must be warm to be favorable for pregnancy. If the body becomes cold, the functions of reproductive organs including the uterus can be lowered, which can be a cause of infertility. Treating cold hypersensitivity and improving the uterine environment can help increase the success rate of pregnancy.

Q. Indigestion is also severe along with cold hypersensitivity, can they be treated together? A. Yes, it is fully possible. In Oriental medicine, it is seen that cold hypersensitivity and digestive function are closely related. If the digestive system (Spleen and Stomach) is weakened, the ability to absorb nutrients and generate heat decreases, which can cause cold hypersensitivity. Dalimchae Oriental Clinic aims for improvement of digestive function and cold hypersensitivity treatment at the same time by 다스리는 such overall imbalances.

The discomfort of "My hands and feet are like ice" is never a problem that is solved by enduring. You don't have to ignore the signals your body has been sending for a long time anymore. If you approach by finding the cause in the right direction, the body can react faster than you think and return to a warm and energetic state. Bring the cold hypersensitivity you are experiencing as it is. At Dalimchae Oriental Clinic, we will find the fundamental cause according to your constitution and symptoms and help you regain a warm and healthy body.

Where life blooms. For herbal medicine, it's Dalimchae Oriental Clinic. Check your symptoms similar to mine through the AI consultation on the Dalimchae Oriental Clinic website first!

This article is health information compiled by Dalimchae medical staff based on questions frequently received in the treatment room. Medical Supervision | Women/Pregnancy Treatment Standards Dalimchae Oriental Clinic Songdo Branch Oriental Medical Doctor Oh Hyunmin (Cold Hypersensitivity Column)

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