Why Am I Always Cold?

Medically Reviewed by Jabeen Begum, MD on July 17, 2024
9 min read

It’s normal to be more sensitive to cold temperatures. You might just have a natural tendency to be colder than others. However, if you've been feeling colder than usual for a long time or you're cold even when it's warm, it could be due to a medical condition that needs attention.

When you’re feeling cold, your body might show symptoms such as:

  • Pain
  • Tingling
  • Numbness
  • Chills
  • Stiffness
  • Weakness
  • Swelling
  • Skin color changes
  • Discomfort

When you have these symptoms, it could mean that your body can’t handle the cold you’re feeling. There are many reasons why you may feel cold all the time.

Anemia happens when your system can't make enough normal red blood cells to carry oxygen throughout your body. There are several different types of anemia, and a tendency to feel cold is a common symptom for many of them.

Other symptoms of anemia include:

Your thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland at the base of your neck. It helps control your metabolism -- the chemical reactions that happen throughout our bodies that provide energy.  If this gland does not make enough thyroid hormone, or if your body cannot process that hormone effectively, you may develop hypothyroidism.

Besides feeling cold, other symptoms of hypothyroidism include:

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 in the fingers and toes)

Besides feeling cold, symptoms of blood vessel problems include:

  • White or blue coloring in your fingers and toes
  • Tingling, throbbing, or numbness in your arms and legs
  • Clammy and cold skin

Why am I always cold after working out?

Working out can make you less likely to feel cold and heat. When you work out, your muscles produce more heat, which warms your body and raises your temperature. After working out, your sweat will dry out, causing your body temperature to drop. But it could fall so low that you start to feel cold.

In rare cases, feeling cold after a workout may also be a sign of severe dehydration. This could happen if you have lost a lot of fluid from sweating and haven't drunk enough water to restore your levels.

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:

  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Itchiness
  • Loss of appetite
  • Shortness of breath
  • Confusion
  • Swelling in the face, feet, or hands

Anorexia 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 symptoms of anorexia. Other symptoms of anorexia include:

  • Being 15% or more below typical body weight for your height
  • Constantly thinking about your weight
  • Not having a period for 3 months or more

A low body mass index (BMI) means you have low body fat. If your BMI is low, you may feel colder than those with a higher BMI. Fat provides insulation for your body, and muscles generate heat, helping keep you warm. With a low BMI, you might not have enough fat and muscle to keep you warm, making you more likely to feel cold.

Having a low BMI, of less than 18.5, can also stop your body from working as well as it should. You may be prone to having health problems such as:

  • Irregular periods
  • Trouble getting pregnant
  • Weak, brittle bones
  • Malnutrition
  • Depression

But because BMI is just a way to see if you’re at a healthy weight, you could still have a low BMI and not be underweight. So you might also not be prone to colds or other health problems.

Symptoms that you’re underweight include:

  • Tiredness
  • Lethargy
  • Low blood pressure
  • Low heart rate
  • Low blood sugar
  • Night sweats
  • Cold fingers and toes
  • Muscle problems

Talk to a doctor to learn what a healthy weight is for you.

Vitamin B12 helps the body make red blood cells, nerves and DNA, and do other healthy functions. Feeling cold all the time could be a symptom of vitamin B12 deficiency.

Most people need 2.4 micrograms of vitamin B12 a day. You'll need more if you’re pregnant (2.6 micrograms) or breastfeeding (2.8 micrograms). You can only get this vitamin from animal food sources including fish, meat, liver, eggs, and dairy products such as milk or supplements. 

If you’re not getting enough vitamin B12 from foods or supplements, your body might lack it. This happens especially if you’re on a vegetarian diet, as plants don’t have vitamin B12.

You might also have vitamin B12 deficiency if your body can’t absorb enough nutrients. Being unable to absorb nutrients could happen after a weight-loss surgery. It could also come with conditions such as celiac or Crohn's disease or as a side effect of some medicines, such as those for heartburn and diabetes.

Aside from feeling cold, other symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency include:

  • Having weak muscles
  • Trouble walking
  • Numbness
  • Tingling hands and feet
  • Nausea
  • Not feeling hungry
  • Weight loss
  • Tiredness
  • Diarrhea
  • Fast heart rate

Women and people assigned female at birth (AFAB) are more prone to feeling cold than men and those assigned male at birth (AMAB) because they tend to have slower metabolism, which is how much energy the body burns at rest. This slower metabolic rate causes them not to produce as much heat, which in turn causes them to feel cold more easily.

Hormones could also explain why people AMAB and those AFAB feel cold differently. Estrogen, a hormone involved in sexual and reproductive development, can make you more likely to feel cold. It lowers body temperature, takes heat away from the body, and reduces how much blood flows to your hands and feet.

People AMAB also tend to have higher muscle mass than people AFAB, causing them to have more heat that keeps them warm. 

Why am I so cold while pregnant?

You’re more likely to feel warm during pregnancy, especially in the early stages. If you feel cold, it could be that you’re not getting enough calories your body needs. When you’re pregnant, your body needs an extra 340 calories in the second trimester and 450 calories in the third trimester.

Feeling cold while pregnant could also be a symptom of an underlying condition, including:

  • Morning sickness
  • Anemia
  • Hypothyroidism
  • Blood vessel problems
  • Vitamin B12 deficiency
  • Diabetes

Sweating typically happens when you feel hot. It helps your body temperature cool down or return to normal. But feeling cold and sweating could be a sign of something different.

Sweating and feeling cold at the same time might mean that your body is in a fight or flight state from stress, anxiety, panic attacks, or other types of mental distress.

It could also be a symptom of other health-related problems, such as:

  • Fever
  • Infection
  • Night sweats
  • Heat exhaustion
  • Cancer
  • HIV
  • Medication side effects

See a doctor immediately or call 911 if you have cold sweats and other symptoms such as:

  • Fainting
  • Chest pain
  • Body pain
  • Vomiting
  • Trouble breathing

These symptoms could mean a heart attack. Also, get immediate medical help if you get cold sweats after an injury.

Since feeling cold all the time can be a sign of a more serious medical condition, it's important to be aware of your symptoms.

If you feel cold often, even when in a warm place or long after leaving a cold environment, check with your doctor to find out what might be happening.

Treat the condition causing coldness

The treatment for your chronic coldness will depend a lot on the cause. If you have a blood vessel disorder and you smoke, quitting smoking will probably go a long way toward helping with the problem. If your feelings of constant coldness are caused by a thyroid condition, you may need medication to reverse your low thyroid.

Speak with your doctor about nutrients in your diet. They might do tests to see if you might be lacking any nutrients. If you're deficient, your doctor may recommend  vitamin B12 shots or supplements and eating more foods rich in vitamin B12. You may need to take iron supplements if you have anemia.

If you have diabetes, your doctor will recommend medications to bring down blood sugar levels and manage complications like kidney damage.

Warm yourself up

If you tend to feel cold more quickly than others, and your doctor has confirmed that no health condition is responsible, you can take steps to warm yourself up.

  • Dress up in as many layers as you feel comfortable in. You could wear warm underwear and outerwear, heavy sweaters, a tightly woven, wind-proof jacket, and a hat or scarf.
  • Drink warm or hot nonalcoholic or noncaffeinated beverages.
  • Have soups that warm you up from the inside.
  • Keep yourself dry by taking off any wet clothes and showering and drying up after sweating.

See a doctor if you always feel cold, especially if you’ve made efforts to keep yourself and your surroundings warm, such as setting the thermostat temperature higher or wearing a sweater. 

Having certain symptoms might mean you have a health condition that needs to be treated as soon as possible. See a doctor if you have symptoms such as:

  • Tiredness
  • Tingling hands and feet
  • Weakness
  • Vomiting and nausea
  • Difficulty breathing
  • Confusion

If your body feels cold, you feel dizzy, or lose consciousness, call 911 and seek emergency care immediately.

If you’re constantly feeling cold, it could be due to many reasons. It could be that you have low body weight, or you might not be getting enough of the nutrients or calories that your body needs. It might also be a symptom of serious health problems like diabetes. See a doctor if you're always cold even when you try to warm yourself up. Also, get medical help if you have other symptoms when you feel cold such as difficulty breathing, vomiting, weakness, and tiredness.

Why do I feel cold for no reason? You might feel cold for no reason if you have an underlying health condition, such as diabetes or hypothyroidism. 

Should I be worried if I'm always cold? If you’re always cold, you should see a doctor. They can help to confirm the cause and recommend treatment.

How do I stop being cold? You can stop being cold by adjusting the thermostat to a higher temperature, wearing clothes that help you stay warm, and having warm foods and drinks.

Why am I so cold and tired? Feeling cold and tired could be symptoms of health conditions such as anemia, anorexia, and nutritional deficiencies.

Why am I cold but not sick? You could be cold and not be sick if you’re in a cold environment.

How to stop feeling cold You can stop feeling cold by keeping your body and surroundings warm.