What Causes Feeling Cold?

Feeling cold can have various causes, ranging in severity from 'worrying' to 'life-threatening'. Finding the true cause means ruling out or confirming each possibility – in other words, diagnosis.

Diagnosis is usually a complex process due to the sheer number of possible causes and related symptoms. In order to diagnose feeling cold, we could:

Research the topic
Find a doctor with the time
Use a diagnostic computer system.

The process is the same, whichever method is used.

Step 1: List all Possible Causes

We begin by identifying the disease conditions which have "feeling cold" as a symptom. Here are eight of many possibilities (more below):

Tuberculosis
Drug Side-Effects
Hypothyroidism
Seasonal Affective Disorder
Anorexia/Starvation Tendency
Mercury Toxicity
Vitamin B-Complex Need
Chronic Infection

Step 2: Build a Symptom Checklist

We then identify all possible symptoms and risk factors of each possible cause, and check the ones that apply:

poorly-removed amalgams

fatigue that worsens during the day

past amalgam filling removal

history of frequent dieting

low Metformin use

dark spots on gums

tuberculosis in family members

regular sore throats

seasonal affective disorder

back-of-neck lymph node problems

T4-only thyroid hormone use

early puberty onset

... and more than 100 others

Step 3: Rule Out or Confirm each Possible Cause

A differential diagnosis of your symptoms and risk factors finds the likely cause of feeling cold:

Cause	Probability	Status
Hypothyroidism	95%	Confirm
Tuberculosis	17%	Unlikely
Anorexia/Starvation Tendency	18%	Unlikely
Mercury Toxicity	5%	Ruled out
Chronic Infection	5%	Ruled out
Drug Side-Effects	0%	Ruled out
Seasonal Affective Disorder	0%	Ruled out
Vitamin B-Complex Need	0%	Ruled out

* This is a simple example to illustrate the process

Arriving at a Correct Diagnosis

The Analyst™ is our online diagnosis tool that learns all about you through a straightforward process of multi-level questioning, providing diagnosis at the end.

In the Metabolic Symptoms section of the questionnaire, The Analyst™ will ask the following question about feeling cold for no reason:

How often do you feel cold for no apparent reason? This question refers to your whole body, not just hands and feet.

Possible responses:

→ Don't know / hands and feet only
→ Never / less than once a year
→ Occasionally - several times a year
→ Regularly - several times a month
→ Often/always

Based on your response to this question, which may indicate not feeling unusually cold, occasionally feeling unusually cold, regularly feeling unusually cold or often/always feeling unusually cold, The Analyst™ will consider possibilities such as:

(Prescription) Drug Side-Effects

Certain medications – such as those prescribed for hypertension, angina, or migraine – can cause feelings of being cold because beta blockers may reduce the circulation in the extremities while increasing blood circulation to the heart.

Anemia

Anorexia / Starvation Tendency

Underweight people often feel cold due to having less fat and muscle mass. Body fat acts as insulation to keep the body warm; muscle activity generates heat.

Anxiety

Chronic / Hidden Infection

Diabetes Type II

The coldness caused by diabetic hypoglycemia is usually accompanied by weakness and, in severe cases, disorientation and fainting.

Guillain-Barre Syndrome

Hypothyroidism

Low Adrenal Function / Adrenal Insufficiency

Mercury Toxicity (Amalgam Illness)

Panic Attacks

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)

Tuberculosis

Vitamin B-Complex Requirement