Cold feet: warning signs of an imminent cold
Created: 12/24/2022, 7:00 p.m
By: Anna Katharina Kusters
If you want to do something good for your body, make sure your hands and feet are warm.
Because cold feet can definitely support a cold.
Especially in winter, colds and flu spread in no time.
Eating a healthy diet, exercising in the fresh air and avoiding contact with people who are already ill usually help to ward off a cold.
Many people also try to keep their feet and hands as warm as possible during this time.
But are cold feet really the cause of a cold?
Cold feet: warning signs of an imminent cold
Cold feet can pave the way for a cold.
© Viktoryia Verstak/Imago
What is certain is that cold feet or hands are not the cause of colds and the like.
The reason for a runny nose, sore throat and headache are always viruses, which spread particularly well in the cold season.
But it's still worth keeping your feet and hands warm in winter.
Findings from a study from the University of Wales show that cold feet can be a reason the body shows cold symptoms.
The researchers divided the 180 participants into two groups: one half had to put their feet in ice water for 20 minutes, while the other group was allowed to keep their feet warm.
After a few days it turned out that in the first group 13 participants got a cold, in the second group there were only five.
As a result, cold feet increase the likelihood that a cold will break out, followed by a runny nose, cough and sore throat.
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Cold feet: the immune system cannot work properly
According to the Ökotest Foundation, the reason for this is that the immune system cannot work properly when your feet are cold.
This has to do with the restricted blood flow: if we freeze, the blood vessels constrict, which reduces blood flow.
The body tries to lose less heat.
However, the immune system only functions to a limited extent under these conditions.
At the same time, the nasal mucosa is drier and colder - perfect conditions for cold viruses to find their way into the body and spread.
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So it pays to keep your feet and hands warm.
These tips will help you:
1. Put on thick wool socks, they keep your feet nice and warm.
2. Warm tea helps the whole body maintain its temperature.
3. A hedgehog ball massage for the feet warms the foot muscles and thus the whole foot.
If you sit at a desk for a long time, you should also not cross your legs and get up from time to time to warm up your feet with movement.
This article only contains general information on the respective health topic and is therefore not intended for self-diagnosis, treatment or medication. In no way does it replace a visit to the doctor. Unfortunately, our editors are not allowed to answer individual questions about clinical pictures.
