My hands and feet are cold~! | Yon Korean Medicine Clinic Yeon's Talk Talk

Yon's Talk

My hands and feet are cold!
The hidden causes of cold extremities

Hello, this is Dr. Hong Ji-yeon of Yon Oriental Clinic.

I hope you are all staying healthy in this suddenly colder weather. Lately, many people have been visiting our clinic saying, "My hands and feet are cold" or "I am worried about my cold extremities." In particular, 8 out of 10 women and female students complain of coldness in their hands and feet, with some even describing it as if they were holding ice cubes in their hands.

But, are they cold because their bodies are truly cold? Let's take a closer look at the hidden causes today.

Cold Body

Cold extremities caused by an actually cold body

Basically, cold extremities often appear due to circulatory disorders. When diagnosed comprehensively through various tests, cases where cold extremities are caused by an actually cold body and poor circulation are largely divided into two types.

1. Qi Deficiency (Giheojeung): Cold extremities occur because the propelling power of Qi is insufficient, preventing energy from reaching the fingertips and toes. People with this condition usually lack energy, suffer from low motivation, and experience symptoms as the body's overall functions decline.

2. Yang Deficiency (Yangheojeung): This is a case where the body's Yang energy—the "bonfire" that keeps the body warm—is weak, causing the body to become cold overall. It is common in the elderly; they tend to be sensitive to cold, dislike cold food, and have a tendency toward loose stools or diarrhea in the early morning. Especially for women, many complain of both a cold lower abdomen and cold hands and feet.

Unexpected Causes

Why are hands and feet cold
when it's not actually coldness?

However, when we perform tests, there are people who experience cold extremities even though their bodies are not cold.

If you blindly consume warm medicine or food just because your hands and feet feel cold, it may actually make your internal condition more stifling and worsen the cold extremities, so caution is advised.

POINT 01

Evaporation of sweat due to Heat Syndrome

Some people have moist hands and feet that cause their socks to become damp. This is not coldness, but rather a heat syndrome where sweat on the extremities evaporates and steals heat, making the hands and feet feel cold.

POINT 02

Internal Heat Accumulation

Common among students and the younger generation; internal heat is not dispersing throughout the body, leaving the extremities cold while the inside is hot. Such people often have a tendency to gulp down cold water.

POINT 03

Heart Heat due to Stress

When stress causes the heart to be full of "heart heat," it can lead to palmar/plantar hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating in hands/feet) and cause the extremities to turn cold.

POINT 04

Sang-Yeol-Ha-Han (Upper Heat, Lower Cold)

This is a symptom that appears when the balance is broken, with the lower abdomen being cold while heat rises to the upper body. It refers to a complex state of imbalance where heat rises and the lower part cools down.

Clinic Care

Even distribution of body heat,
Warm the lower abdomen!

Our body heat must be evenly distributed throughout the body to function properly. Just as a child with a cold has cold hands and feet, if heat is concentrated in one place even during normal times, it must be resolved quickly.

At Yon Oriental Clinic, we aim for fundamental treatment by identifying the exact cause and balancing body heat. Especially for women, it is very important to keep the lower abdomen warm.

Please don't worry alone—come and visit our clinic.

Accurate pulse diagnosis and constitution analysis

Through pulse diagnosis, we examine the moisture of the palms and skin condition to clearly distinguish whether the cause of cold extremities is actual cold body syndrome or heat syndrome where heat is trapped inside.

Thermal circulation and Acupuncture/Moxibustion treatment

Yon Oriental Clinic's thermal circulation therapy combined with simple herbal acupuncture, acupuncture, and moxibustion treatments can help evenly distribute body heat and provide positive benefits for improving uterine and ovarian environments.

My hands and feet are cold!The hidden causes of cold extremities