What to do when it's cold. How to keep warm in cold weather? What to do if it's cold so as not to freeze? Damage to large and small arteries
In Chinese medicine, foods are divided into hot, warm, neutral, refreshing, and cold. At the same time, their "warmth" is in no way related to calorie content. For example, sugar is a very high-calorie product, but in the Chinese classification it belongs to cooling products. Or citrus fruits are a typical example of cold foods, so they are not recommended to be eaten in frost.
Hot foods include most spices (pepper, curry, cinnamon, etc.), warm foods include buckwheat, onions, apricots, dill, marjoram, and garlic. Neutral products are corn, potatoes, carrots, figs. Refreshing - asparagus, rice, celery, apples. Cold foods include kiwi, mango, tomatoes, cucumbers, watermelons. Of course, this is not a complete list of products. If you focus on the "thermal conductivity" of products, then you can make a good diet for the cold season.
In winter, you should try to eat cereals, foods rich in iodine and iron (their deficiency can adversely affect the functioning of the thyroid gland, which plays an important role in thermoregulation). We should not forget about fats, especially Omega-3 and Omega-6, they can be obtained from fish or chia seeds, which are gaining popularity today.
When frosts crackle on the street, often in apartments of multi-storey buildings the temperature leaves much to be desired. Residents are forced to constantly walk in warm clothes, turn on electric heaters, sleep under layers of warm blankets, which causes considerable discomfort. What to do if your apartment is very cold? Where to go in such situations?
The problem of insufficient heat in the room can be solved in two ways: on your own or with the help of utilities. Don't know how to deal with the current situation and what to do?
If the apartment is cold in winter, first try to solve this issue on your own. It is possible that heat leakage is due to old windows or defects in the design of the entrance doors.
What temperature is considered normal for a home?
Payment for heating in full can be made if a stable temperature is maintained in the apartment throughout the month. There are standards that indicate how warm your home should be in winter.
In accordance with the law of the Russian Federation, the temperature in the apartment must be maintained from 18 to 20 degrees, if the temperature outside is down to -30. If the thermometer readings are within -31 and below, the heating of apartments should increase to 20-22 degrees Celsius.
It is also worth considering that during emergency work, your home cannot remain without heating for more than a day. One-time shutdowns of radiators are allowed for no more than 16 hours, while the average temperature in the apartment should not fall below 12 degrees.
The law provides for minor deviations from the standards. Exceeding the temperature is allowed within 4 degrees. It can be colder by 3 degrees in the apartment only at night, strictly until 5 o'clock in the morning.
Cold in the apartment: reasons
What to do if the temperature in your home is lower than specified in the regulations? First you need to find the causes and eliminate them.
Heat leakage is facilitated by:
- old windows, the cracks of which let the cold through;
- insufficiently insulated balcony;
- thin walls prone to freezing at low temperatures outside;
- worn-out batteries of the old type;
- very cold floor or ceiling;
- poorly installed front door;
- drafts;
- insufficient heat supply of the boiler room.
Replacing old windows
Wooden structures of the old model have already become obsolete. Such windows have impressive gaps, and even closed vents fit so weakly that in a strong wind you can see swaying curtains. Here is one of the reasons that the apartment is cold. What to do? Of course, it is worth replacing the old window frames.
Modern double-glazed windows are able to protect your home from drafts, low temperatures and keep warm. You should not install them yourself - in this case, there is a high probability of improper installation, which will lead to their depressurization and the formation of cracks - trust the professionals.
If you already have plastic windows, but there are obvious signs of drafts, you should call the master. Perhaps there is some kind of defect, or the reason lies in the destruction of the mounting foam from the outside under the influence of precipitation. The rubber seal or any structural element can also be deformed. All these problems are easily fixed and correctable.
wooden window
If it is not possible to install high-quality double-glazed windows, you can try to insulate the old window. The easiest, but short-lived way is to use cotton wool and ordinary adhesive tape. Very easy and economical. Cotton wool is carefully pushed into all the cracks, and adhesive tape is glued on top - on a cleaned and dry window.
Also, in the fight against heat leakage from the windows, adhesive foam rubber insulation will help. It is also an easy to use tool. All problematic joints of the window must be sealed with insulation, pressing it well. This ordinary material is able to retain heat with high quality, but has a significant drawback - its strength is destroyed under the influence of moisture.
You can also try silicone sealant, window putty, or rubber sealant. These are more reliable ways to keep warm.
Is the apartment still cold? What to do? It would be best to install new plastic windows or look for another cause of the leak.
Wall insulation
A cold apartment can cause a lot of trouble. What should residents do? Think about high-quality wall insulation. They can be finished both inside and outside. And it is best to carry out these works during the repair.
Insulation is glued to clean, dried surfaces at the joints of ceilings with walls. This procedure should be done in all corners. If there are visible gaps between the panels, they should be sealed with cement, mounting foam or gypsum mortar. Tow is tightly packed into very large recesses, and a layer of gypsum or foam is applied on top.
External insulation is carried out only by specialists - industrial climbers. The procedure is carried out using foam and mesh, which are attached to the wall with special glue. A layer of high-quality facade paint is applied on top.
Problem - cold balcony?
Do you feel constant drafts and do not know what to do? If the apartment is cold, pay attention to the balcony - most likely, the problem is in it.
Contact a reliable company that will take care of the heat in your home. The balcony is covered with foam plastic from the outside and from the inside. To begin with, its facade is sheathed, and then the internal walls are insulated. Also, as materials that will perform heat-saving functions, some companies choose mineral wool or expanded polystyrene.
On the balcony, the places under the window, floor, ceiling and walls are mainly subject to insulation. The procedure is carried out simultaneously with the glazing of the window with high-quality double-glazed windows, which will keep heat in the apartment for a long time and exclude the appearance of any drafts.
High-quality radiators - comfort and warmth in your home
The reason for the constant lack of heat may be old batteries. What to do? If the apartment is cold and the radiators are barely warm, it is better to replace them. It is better to stop your choice on cast iron or bimetallic products. Such radiators are very strong, durable, resistant to corrosion. They are distinguished by high power, give off heat well and have a temperature control.
Good radiators can quickly solve the problem of cold in your apartment. In addition, the service life of some of their types reaches 50 years. By replacing the radiators only once, you will enjoy the warmth and forever forget the time when you observed cold batteries in the apartment. What to do and what products to choose - it's up to you.
Cold from ceiling and floor
It happens that even with new batteries, windows and an insulated balcony, the temperature in the room still remains low. What to do? If the apartment is cold in winter, it is possible that heat escapes due to a thin ceiling or floor. This is especially true of the first and last floors of houses.
The ceiling may freeze due to insufficient attic insulation or roof deformation. Due to these factors, water can seep into the room, which will lead to mold and mildew. To solve this problem, you need to repair the roof and insulate the ceiling on both sides.
In the same way, the problem of a cold floor is solved. It must be insulated or the coating is replaced with a warmer one. The best option to keep the floor warm is to install a modern underfloor heating system.
Checking the design of the door
With a poorly fitting front door and the gaps in it, you can lose about 40% of the heat. And in most cases, it is because of this that the apartment is cold. What to do in such a situation?
It is urgent to warm up, otherwise the winter cold will take you by surprise. First you need to make the door itself airtight. To do this, its inner lining is removed, and the empty space is filled with insulation.
Finishing a single-layer metal door is done in the same way, only in this case a layer of material or foam is glued to its surface, and fiberboard or plywood is applied on top.
We eliminate drafts
The door leaf is insulated, but is it still cold in the apartment? What and how to do next? Proceed to the insulation of other sections of the structure. Cracks and gaps need to be sealed. Most often they occur when the door is installed incorrectly or when the building shrinks. The space that appears can be trimmed with a rubberized sealant by gluing it onto the frame.
In order for the cold not to penetrate into the dwelling, it is very important to choose the right material for sealing cracks. Get a seal of optimal thickness - too thin will have no effect, and a large width of the material will not allow the door to close.
All insulation procedures have been completed, but is it still cold in the apartment? What to do? Solve this problem with utilities.
What to do if there are cold batteries in the house?
Before running to the public utilities, you should talk to the neighbors. Perhaps this problem arose only in your home.
In the event of a sudden power outage in the entire entrance, urgently call the housing and communal services. Perhaps there was an accident on the heating mains, and the public utilities were forced to turn off the heating for repair work.
If the temperature has dropped only in your apartment, you should take this situation seriously. Most likely, the problem is related to a malfunction of the heating system in your area. Where to go if it's cold in the apartment? Apply to the company that maintains your home.
After receiving a signal, a master is sent to the problematic apartment, who inspects the heating system and finds out the reason for the lack of heat. If minor problems can be corrected, they are immediately repaired. According to the law, public utilities have 24 hours to do this.
More complex problems are eliminated within a week, after which heat must be supplied to the apartment within the limits of the standards.
Complaints and claims
If you are provided with low-quality services or after the repair of the heating system in the apartment it does not become warmer, you need to make cardinal decisions. You have the right to write a complaint and take it to the company responsible for supplying heat to your home.
After a phone call, you must write a statement regarding your problem. Usually it is provided in two copies. Next, you need to go to an appointment with an employee of the company to consider your complaint.
One copy of the application must be kept for yourself. The second must contain notes on the date of submission of the document and the serial number of its consideration. These nuances are necessary in case you have to resolve your issue in higher instances or judicial bodies.
Carrying out recalculation for heating
According to the law of the Russian Federation, a written complaint is considered within three days. During this time, your apartment should be visited by a specialist who will make the necessary measurements of heat in each room. Please note that the measuring device must be 1.5 meters from the floor and 1 meter from the walls. Based on the results obtained, an act is drawn up in two copies. This document is the main basis for recalculating for heating in case of poor-quality work of the service company.
Despite the modern approach of many management companies to solving the problems of citizens regarding heating, it will not be possible to restore order in the field of housing and communal services soon. Therefore, all tenants need to know where to turn if it is cold in the apartment, how to properly resolve disputes and how to correctly fill out their applications.
Take care of the heat in your home, because your comfort, mood and health depend on it!
“I have cold hands all the time” or “Yes, I am constantly cold.” How often do we hear these phrases from people close or familiar to us? There are no official statistics on this issue, but judging by personal experience, quite often. At the same time, many people do not know that cold hands, feet or the tip of the nose at a comfortable temperature can be a sign of a latent current disease or its debut. In order to identify it, you should seek medical help from a qualified therapist and, if necessary, undergo a complete examination.
What provides a normal temperature?
The body is a single complex system that itself supports its work. Temperature regulation is one of its most important properties, which not only plays a protective role in infectious diseases, but also ensures the normal course of chemical processes inside and between cells. The brain, or rather its thermoregulatory center, is responsible for maintaining a constant temperature in various parts of the body.
Giving a command to the periphery, that is, to organs and tissues, the brain regulates the work of arterial vessels and the rate of metabolic processes (metabolism). It carries out its "command" function with the help of nerve endings and biologically active substances. The dilation of the arteries and the acceleration of metabolism leads to an increase in temperature or fever. Narrowing and slowing down the metabolism - to a feeling of cold.
The process of temperature regulation has an interesting feature. The thermoregulatory center does not perceive information from individual parts of the body - it determines only the general condition of a person. Therefore, if a person's legs, arms or nose are constantly freezing, the brain cannot recognize this and correct the blood flow rate in a certain area of the body.
If a person is worried about a general chill or feels like the whole body freezes, the reason should be sought in the work of the temperature regulation center. Perhaps a person has a constant low fever, which signals a latent infection, an autoimmune or oncological process. It is also possible that a disorder occurs directly in the thermoregulatory part of the brain.
The presence of complaints about constantly cold feet, hands or other separate parts of the body is an occasion to carefully study the work of the heart, arteries, capillaries and nerves, which are responsible for the narrowing / expansion of blood vessels. Modern diagnostic methods allow anyone to do this. All of them are available and widely distributed in the regions of Russia, although they are not always available under the CHI policy (not always free).
Permanent Freezing Mechanisms
There are four main mechanisms of action on the body, through which diseases make various "remote" parts of the body permanently cold. These include:
- Damage to large and small arteries. When their lumen is closed or narrowed, less blood and nutrients enter the tissues. Arteries can close with fatty plaques that slowly grow on the inner surface of the vascular wall or with emboli - most often these are blood clots that form in the heart and, migrating through the bloodstream, clog the arteries.
In the first case, the symptoms will come on gradually over many years. With the migration of the embolus, the signs of the disease develop rapidly, within a few hours.
- Nerve dysfunction, which are responsible for the contraction (spasm) and relaxation of the vascular wall. Only an artery with a normal or somewhat enlarged lumen can “give” heat to the organs. If the arterial vessel is narrowed, heat transfer does not occur, the skin and surrounding tissues remain cold and freeze. There are diseases that disrupt the functioning of the nerves and cause spasm of the capillaries and small arteries;
- Heart failure. If a person notes a symmetrical coldness of the legs or hands, first of all, it is necessary to exclude the presence of heart disease. If its contractions become weaker or insufficient, insufficient blood flows to the most distant parts of the body;
- General decrease in body adaptation. With malnutrition, severe diseases of the digestive tract, impaired absorption of nutrients in a child, adaptation to various temperatures may be impaired. Because of this, individual parts of his body or the entire body will constantly freeze, weight will gradually decrease and other symptoms of maladjustment will join. In adults, this condition occurs quite rarely - as a rule, after undergoing operations on the intestines or with chronic untreated diseases of the pancreas, liver, gallbladder or pyloric sphincter of the stomach.
In most cases, the cause of the complaint "constantly cold" is damage to the arteries or the development of heart failure. However, diseases from other groups cannot be excluded either, without examination and examination by a qualified doctor.
Causes
In addition to the mechanism of disease development, two more fundamentally different variants of disorders should be distinguished:
- Developing and persisting for a long time - for several months and even years;
- Spontaneous and rapid development of symptoms - within minutes, hours or days.
In the first case, the cause of the permanent course is a chronic disease that does not require emergency medical care and can be treated on an outpatient basis. If a part of the body has changed its temperature quickly enough, pain or discomfort has appeared, swelling has occurred, it is recommended to immediately seek medical help in a surgical inpatient hospital.
Causes of constant feeling of cold
| Characteristic diseases | a brief description of |
Damage to large and small arteries |
|
| Hypertonic disease |
A persistent increase in blood pressure, and especially its fluctuations, lead to damage to all blood vessels. Over time, the vascular wall becomes dense and loses its elasticity. Small capillaries are especially affected. A persistent increase in pressure above 140/90 mm Hg is considered significant. |
| Atherosclerosis |
With this disease, plaques of "harmful" fats are deposited on the damaged walls of the arteries. They can be damaged due to hypertension, smoking, alcohol consumption, poisoning by a number of toxic substances and other factors. Plaque growth occurs in almost all arteries, but the first symptoms appear in organs with small vessels: men may develop erectile dysfunction; in women, the sensitivity of the clitoris decreases. Often, the defeat of the arms / legs is also preceded by the appearance of pain behind the sternum during physical exertion. This indicates damage to the coronary vessels that supply the organ with blood. |
| Diabetes | In addition to the fact that diabetes accelerates the formation of atherosclerotic plaques, the capillary wall is additionally affected due to constantly elevated blood sugar levels. |
| Chronic obliterating diseases (abbreviated as HOZANK) | This is a large group of diseases that share several common features:
|
| Prolonged temperature increase (normal vascular response is disturbed) |
In most cases, a person immediately feels the onset of fever in the form of weakness, excessive sweating, headache, etc. However, there are diseases in which the temperature can be elevated for a long time, but practically does not manifest itself. The only symptoms may be periodic chilling or persistent coldness of the extremities. Diseases associated with such a fever include:
|
| Vegetative-vascular dystonia |
This is a "diagnosis of exclusion" when, after a complete examination, the doctor cannot find signs of damage to any organ. The disease leads to dysfunction of the vessels, in which the delivery of blood to certain parts of the body is disrupted, there may be a violation of the tone of the vascular wall. A number of doctors deny the existence of this pathology. |
Nerve dysfunction |
|
| Raynaud's disease | This is a fairly rare disease, but recently the frequency of its occurrence has been increasing. This cause occurs in women 5 times more often than in the representatives of the stronger sex. With this pathology, the work of nerves is disrupted only in the area of \u200b\u200bthe hand. There is a typical form, which is manifested by the following symptoms:
There is also an atypical form, in which seizures are not observed or expressed slightly. The leading symptom of this variant of the disease is a constant cooling and pallor of the hands. |
| Systemic scleroderma | A severe and dangerous disease in which antibodies are produced to the components of the connective tissue. As a result, almost all organs are affected: skin, heart, joints, arteries. Raynaud's syndrome often occurs. |
| Heavy metal poisoning (lead) | Occupational hazards often lead to various diseases. The toxic effect of lead is primarily manifested by the destruction of nerve tissues. One of the consequences may be damage to the nerves responsible for the narrowing and relaxation of blood vessels. |
Insufficient work of the heart |
|
| Heart defects |
This term refers to the failure of the heart valves, which ensure the normal functioning of the organ. The main function of the valve is to delimit the sections of the heart from each other and from large vessels. With the development of a defect, the valve cannot perform its function, which is why blood enters those parts of the heart where it should not be at a certain point in time. There is an overload of the heart, as it is difficult for him to "pump" additional volume of blood. Over time, the disease leads to the development of chronic heart failure. |
| Cardiomyopathy | Hereditary pathologies in which the normal structure of the heart muscle, the inner wall of the organ or its conduction system, which is responsible for the correct rhythm and heart rate, is disrupted. |
| Ischemic heart disease (abbreviated as IHD) | Due to the deposition of fatty plaques on the wall of the arteries and the narrowing of their lumen by more than 50%, the proper nutrition of the heart muscle is disrupted. At the initial stage of the disease, symptoms are often limited to chest pain only. However, in the future, signs of circulatory insufficiency inevitably join this clinical picture. |
Damage to cardiac tissues in systemic diseases:
|
It proceeds, as a rule, with the development of valvular defects and malnutrition of the heart muscle. A distinctive feature of this group of pathologies is the presence of additional damage to the following organs:
|
| Hypothyroidism |
Deficiency of thyroid hormones leads to a complex of disorders, among which there is a slowdown in the work of the heart and a pronounced decrease in blood pressure. Often in patients with hypothyroidism, the heart rate becomes less than 60 beats / min., And the pressure decreases to less than 90/60 mm Hg. As a result, some organs receive less blood and nutrients, which also leads to a decrease in their temperature. |
General decrease in body adaptation |
|
|
Malnutrition or impaired absorption of nutrients in intestinal diseases is the main factor in the occurrence of malnutrition / dystrophy. Energy deficiency inevitably leads to disruption of the blood vessels, disruption of the body's thermoregulation and, as a result, human vulnerability to low temperatures. Hypotrophy is a common reason that a child is constantly cold. |
It should be noted that in the elderly, a decrease in body temperature is a normal reaction of the body to the aging process. With age, the rate of metabolic processes slows down, the heart muscle weakens and the speed of blood flow decreases. All these changes may not occur due to illness, they are a variant of the norm in people over 65-70 years old. This is another reason why feet and hands can freeze.
Causes of a sudden feeling of cold
In addition to those cases when the feeling of cold occurs gradually and does not significantly affect the quality of life of a person, unpleasant sensations can develop over several days and even hours. These conditions usually require urgent medical attention and often surgery. These include:
- Acute arterial insufficiency(acute ischemia). Vessels can become clogged not only with fatty plaques that gradually grow over many years. The cause of a sudden violation of blood flow can be a thrombus or embolus formed in the left side of the heart. This situation can develop with increased blood clotting, after any operations, childbirth and abortion (including with the help of pills), against the background of arrhythmias. Often, acute ischemia occurs after fractures, due to the release of bone contents into the blood. Very rarely, the cause is an arterial spasm;
- Shock- a life-threatening condition in which there is a sharp decrease in pressure and malnutrition of all organs. There are a huge number of reasons leading to the development of a shock state. It can be a severe allergic reaction, severe infection, unbearable pain, heart failure, etc. Despite the vivid clinical picture in the midst of shock, it can be quite difficult to detect it in the initial stages.
His debut is characterized by a decrease in pressure less than 90/60 mm Hg. (for people with an "upper" working pressure of 110-120 mm Hg), rapid coldness of the hands and feet, cold sweat may appear all over the body. In this case, a person can remain conscious and not be aware of the development of this condition. Therefore, when the first signs of this pathology appear, especially if there are possible causes of shock, it is recommended to immediately call an ambulance;
- "Pale fever". In most cases, high fever occurs with severe sweating, flushing of the face, and alternating feelings of chills and heat. However, with a strong fever and a weakened body (often found in children), the fever becomes "pale". The skin stops reddening, becomes cold to the touch. A person feels a strong cold in the whole body, which is not helped by blankets and dry heat. At the same time, when measuring temperature, severe fever is still determined.
In untrained people, such a reaction may occur after visiting a bath or sauna, with the wrong start of hardening, during a contrast shower and other procedures associated with a strong temperature drop. In the absence of diseases, the feeling of chills passes on its own within an hour.
How to determine the cause?
To find out why a person is constantly cold, it is recommended to undergo a comprehensive examination by a therapist to exclude all of the above reasons. Such an examination begins with the collection of complaints, while more attention is paid to the "minor" symptoms that bother the patient. It is they who will allow to suspect the disease even in the early stages, after which additional diagnostics are prescribed to confirm / exclude the diagnosis.
The following are the diseases, the symptoms of which were not described above, and the most characteristic complaints for them, allowing to suspect a specific pathology:
- Hypertension - a persistent increase in pressure more than 140/90 mm Hg; gradual deterioration of vision; intermittent palpitations, headaches;
- Atherosclerosis - the appearance of pressing pain behind the sternum that occurs during exercise; impotence / lack of sensitivity of the clitoris; the presence in the past of vascular accidents (heart attacks, strokes, transient ischemic attacks), overweight;
- Diabetes mellitus - constant thirst and hunger, frequent urination, dry skin and mucous membranes, spontaneous visual impairment, frequent infectious diseases;
- Chronic obliterating diseases - as a rule, the only manifestation of these diseases is coldness and blanching of the extremities, the absence of hair growth in the affected area and a decrease in muscle tone. More often occur in young people (after 20 years);
- Vegetative-vascular dystonia - there are a large number of variants of this pathology. Most often, the symptoms of VVD are: a feeling of dizziness during a sharp rise, episodes of frequent heartbeats, weakness, and increased fatigue. The disease is most typical for people with a hypochondriacal personality. It should be remembered that VVD is a diagnosis of exclusion, which can only be established by excluding all other causes in women and men;
- Raynaud's disease - a sudden feeling of coldness, blanching, followed by blue skin. Attacks end with redness of the affected area and the disappearance of symptoms, and can last from several minutes to 3-4 hours. There is an atypical variant in which the only complaint is the constant freezing of the hands at any temperature. Affected in Raynaud's disease only hands;
- Heart defects, cardiomyopathy - shortness of breath, aggravated by exertion and stress; dense swelling, growing towards the end of the day, often on the legs; constant weakness;
- Ischemic heart disease - pressing pain behind the sternum, may occur at rest or after exertion, disappears after taking nitroglycerin or nifedipine (depending on the form);
- Hypothyroidism - swelling of the whole body, puffiness of the face, severe weakness, slow heartbeat (less than 60 beats / min), absent-mindedness, decrease or increase in blood pressure;
- Hypotrophy - a decrease in body mass index less than 18 (calculated as weight / height 2), decreased muscle tone, increased hair loss and destruction of nails, dry skin;
- Acute arterial insufficiency - severe pain in the affected area, its blanching, disruption or severe fatigue of the limb (the leg / arm cannot be kept up for a long time).
In addition to studying complaints, there are diagnostic methods that allow you to identify the affected organ and the cause of the pathology. For this purpose, both laboratory methods for the study of blood and urine, and a number of instrumental examinations are prescribed.
The list of necessary diagnostic methods for a particular patient is determined by the attending physician, depending on the clinic and the history of the development of the disease. We will list the most informative of them and determine their diagnostic value.
Laboratory methods of examination
| Examination method | Indicators | Norm | Target |
| General blood analysis | ESR |
Up to 15 mm/h in women; Up to 10 mm/h in men. |
Allows you to detect the inflammatory process in the body, including chronic autoimmune pathologies (lupus, scleroderma, some HOZANK). |
| Leukocytes (LEU) | 4.0-9.0 * 10 9 / l. | ||
| (HCT) |
0.42-0.51 in men; 0.37-0.48 in women. |
Shows the presence / absence of "thickening" of the blood and a tendency to blockage of blood vessels. | |
| Blood chemistry | total cholesterol | Up to 5.5 mmol / l in people with a low risk of vascular accidents. | Necessary analyzes for the diagnosis of atherosclerosis, coronary artery disease, risk assessment of cardiovascular events. |
| Triglycerides | Up to 1.7 mmol / l. | ||
| LDL | Up to 3.5 mmol / l in people with a low risk of vascular accidents. | ||
| HDL |
More than 1.2 mmol / l in women; More than 1.0 mmol / l in men |
||
| Glucose |
Up to 6.1 mmol / l in plasma; Up to 5.5 mmol/l in whole blood. |
Allows you to suspect the presence of diabetes or "pre-diabetes". | |
| SRP | Up to 3 g/l. |
Exceeding the norm in the range of 3-10 g / l often indicates a high risk of heart and vascular diseases. An increase in CRP over 10 g/l is almost always a sign of inflammatory pathologies. |
|
| Blood test for hormones | TSH | 0.4-4.2 mIU/l | Used to diagnose thyroid disorders, including hypothyroidism. As a rule, they allow to make an unambiguous conclusion about the state of the function of the organ. |
| T 3 | 1.08-3.14 nmol/l | ||
| T 4 | 60-140 nmol/l | ||
| Atrial natriuretic peptide | 20-77 pg/ml | Reliable laboratory analysis that allows you to make an accurate conclusion about the presence / absence of heart failure. | |
| The study of other blood indicators | D-dimers | Less than 240 ng/ml | Exceeding the norm is observed in the presence of pathological blood clots in the body on the wall of blood vessels. |
| Rheumatoid factor | 0-10 U/l | These indicators are used for suspected autoimmune disorders in the body. | |
| Determination of antinuclear antibodies | Missing | ||
| General urine analysis | Glucose | Is absent | The presence of glucose and ketone bodies in the urine is a sign of diabetes. |
| Ketone bodies | Missing |
Instrumental diagnostic methods
| Study | Target |
| Regular blood pressure monitoring with diary | The simplest method for detecting arterial hypertension and the effectiveness of the treatment. |
| Ultrasound of vessels in the affected area |
These methods allow assessing the state of large vessels, but do not allow to draw a conclusion about the function of capillaries and arterioles. Contrast angiography is the most informative, but it requires the introduction of a contrast agent with an injection. After that, the doctor evaluates the patency of the substance through the arteries using one of the imaging methods: x-rays, computed tomography, or magnetic resonance imaging. |
| USDG with measurement of the ankle-brachial index | |
| Contrast angiography | |
| Rheovasography | Methods for detecting pathologies of the microvasculature: capillaries, arterioles. |
| Vascular scintigraphy | |
| Ultrasound of the thyroid gland, heart | Used to identify the cause of a disease. |
Principles of treatment
Therapy has two main goals - to eliminate the cause of the disease or to compensate for the function of the affected organ, and to restore the normal state of the tissues. In order to achieve the first goal, it is necessary to identify a specific disease and carry out specific treatment. This can only be done by the attending doctor, so in the article we will not touch on this problem. However, we will describe in detail the principles of therapy aimed at improving the nutrition of affected tissues.
To obtain the optimal effect, complex treatment is necessary, including:
- Diet
- lifestyle correction;
- Pharmacotherapy;
- For severe disorders - surgery.
Diet
The goal of changing nutrition is to slow down / completely stop the growth of fatty plaques in the vessel wall, normalize body weight and improve the condition of blood vessels. Even if the cause of the disease was not atherosclerosis or diseases of the cardiovascular system, the prevention of its development can significantly improve the patient's well-being and life expectancy. It should be noted that the recommendations described below are applicable to all groups of patients, except for those with diabetes. They need a special diet, with a reduced amount of fast carbohydrates.
First of all, you need to adhere to the right food culture. Meals can be 4-5 times a day, but the portion size should not exceed the individual norm. Tentatively, it can be determined as follows - the size of one dish should not exceed two palms of a person. Immediately after eating, you need to sit or take a walking step for 10-15 minutes.
The last meal should be no later than 3 hours before bedtime. It is not recommended to have dinner after 24:00, since at night there is an active production of the somatotropin hormone, which is responsible for increasing a person's weight and depositing fats and proteins. As a result, there is an increased deposition of "harmful" fats in the walls of organs and blood vessels.
Certain changes need to be made in the diet and cooking methods. Avoiding the following foods will help prevent additional vascular damage and premature death from atherosclerosis:
- A large amount of flour, bakery products, pastries - daily consumption of 2-3 slices of bread, one dough product is acceptable;
- Fatty varieties of meat products - certain types of sausages, carbonate, smoked meat, pork, lamb; meat dishes prepared using a large amount of oil or its analogues;
- fast food;
- High-fat flavors: mayonnaise, sour cream, store-bought sauces;
- Large amount of salt - food is prepared with the usual amount of salt, however, during consumption, food should not be added salt.
At the same time, the diet should include fruits, vegetables (should limit the amount of potatoes), chicken and fish. The following cooking methods make it possible to extract the greatest benefit from the products: baking in the oven, boiling, cooking in a steam bath, stewing products.
Lifestyle Correction
Tobacco, alcohol and lack of physical activity are the three main enemies of vascular health. It is these factors that provoke the occurrence of various diseases, especially in the presence of a hereditary predisposition. Their elimination is the main task of a person who wants to live longer and feel better. Why are these habits so bad? Read on.
The composition of tobacco can be divided into two groups of components:
- Nicotine- a substance that causes addiction in humans. In addition to pleasant sensations for a smoker, it has a number of side effects. Nicotine constricts blood vessels, causing a short-term increase in pressure. Regular smoking leads to regular pressure drops and is a proven risk factor for hypertension. This substance has a negative effect on the brain, often leading to mood swings and mental lability. Nicotine worsens the course of chronic diseases of the digestive system, kidneys, heart;
- impurities: carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, phenol-formaldehyde resin, aldehyde, etc. Destroy the inner wall of the arteries, have a toxic effect on the bronchi, lungs and urinary tract. Tobacco impurities are a proven factor in the development of cancer in almost any organ, but more often in the lungs and bladder.
None of the components of cigarettes prolong life - on the contrary, they rapidly reduce it, worsen a person's well-being, require constant material costs (for the purchase of a pack and the treatment of chronic diseases of smokers).
Alcohol does not have such a pronounced effect, in moderate doses. Acceptable is the use of 20-30 g of pure alcohol per day, 1-2 times a week. Otherwise, an excess amount of ethanol also leads to damage to blood vessels and a number of internal organs: pancreas, liver, kidneys, heart, brain. Regular intake of large doses can independently cause alcoholic hepatitis, the death of pancreatic tissue with the development of diabetes mellitus, a decrease in mental abilities, and an increased risk of strokes and heart attacks.
Obesity and low physical activity is the most important problem of the 21st century. Most pathologies of the cardiovascular system, osteoarthritis, type 2 diabetes, fatty liver disease, erectile dysfunction, infertility. These are the most common consequences of these two factors, but far from the only ones. Their exclusion, along with quitting smoking and alcohol, is the easiest and safest way to improve the quality and length of life.
- Stop smoking;
- Drink alcohol within the allowed dose;
- Compliance with the diet described above;
- Daily physical activity. Preference should be given to oxygen-saturating physical education: walking, swimming, light running, cycling. It is permissible to engage in swimming 2-3 times a week for 1-1.5 hours. Walking is required daily, the standard recommendation is 10,000 steps a day or 1.5-2 hours of walking (including moving around the house, to the store, on business at work, etc.). You can easily track your physical activity using any smartphone or fitness bracelet equipped with a gyroscope.
Pharmacotherapy
There is a special group of drugs designed to improve blood flow in tissues, speed up metabolism and restore various organs. All of these effects help to combat freezing of the limbs and the whole body, regardless of the cause. It should be remembered that this group of drugs does not completely get rid of diseases, but only reduces the severity of their manifestations.
These include the following pharmaceuticals:
- Actovegin;
- Pentoxifylline;
- A nicotinic acid;
- Alprostadil;
- Vincamine;
- Nicergoline.
Depending on the severity of the symptoms, drugs may be prescribed for a long, short course or permanent intake. The regimen of admission is determined individually by the attending doctor, taking into account concomitant diseases, age and diagnosis of the patient.
In addition to vascular therapy, a positive role in the treatment can be played by taking multivitamin complexes, including vitamins of groups B, C, PP and E. These substances perform a large number of functions in the body, including restoration of the vascular wall, maintaining the normal state of the blood, preventing the formation of blood clots and fatty plaques. The minimum course of taking vitamins is 3 months, if necessary, it can be continued for an indefinitely long period.
Surgery
The operation is an extreme measure when the patient has any complications (attachment of infection, tissue necrosis in Raynaud's syndrome, etc.) or the therapy is practically ineffective. At the moment, various surgical techniques are widely used to restore the patency of large vessels:
- Endovascular surgery is a high-precision group of methods in which the doctor performs an operation inside the artery through a puncture in the vessel. During these interventions, the surgeon can expand the lumen of the vessel and restore its patency;
- Classical operations - involve the usual access to the affected area, through a wide incision in the skin. Using this method, it is possible to let the blood flow bypass the “blocked” section of the artery, replace this section with a new vessel (artificial or taken from the patient from the lower limb), try to restore patency;
- Radical operations - are used for tissue necrosis. Imply their excision and removal of non-viable areas.
In most cases, correct diagnosis and full-fledged therapy allow any person to get rid of the unpleasant feeling of constant freezing. The main thing is to timely seek medical help from a competent specialist and carry out treatment aimed not only at eliminating the symptoms, but also at getting rid of the main cause of the disease. An important role is played by non-drug measures: diet, rejection of bad habits and adequate physical activity.
FAQ
Question:
Why can there be a constantly cold nose?
The nose is also a "remote" part of the body that can freeze for all the reasons that have been described above. Most often, the underlying cause is heart failure and hypothyroidism.
Question:
Can anemia lead to cold hands, feet, or other parts of the body?
No, diseases of the lungs and blood do not lead to freezing either. With all these diseases, circulatory disorders do not occur, despite a decrease in the content of hemoglobin and erythrocytes. Therefore, despite the pallor of the limbs, they remain warm.
Question:
Is coffee bad for blood vessels?
In 2017, a large medical study was conducted in Europe, during which it was found that daily coffee consumption in the amount of up to 3 cups a day reduces the risk of developing heart and vascular diseases and increases life expectancy. However, it should be remembered that coffee can have an adverse effect on the gastrointestinal tract, in the presence of its chronic diseases.
Keep your hands warm and your head cold. So advises folk wisdom. But there are people for whom this saying loses all allegorical meaning, and becomes a guide to action. And only the first part of it. They have to keep their hands (and legs too!) Warm all the time. Three pairs of socks, a blanket and warm gloves - do you think someone is going on a hike in the mountains? No, just sit in front of the computer in the evening. There are people who are almost all the time/cold. Surrounding people sometimes consider them eccentrics: how can you wear a warm sweater in the heat, and go to bed in the middle of summer in an embrace with a heating pad? But what if they really can't get warm?
You are constantly cold - wake-up call
Very rarely, constant "freezing" is an independent disease, more often it is a symptom, but the symptom is very disturbing. Usually he warns of a disease such as. VVD occurs in the human body, which does not have resistance to stressful situations, has increased emotionality. Also, this disease can be a consequence of infectious diseases. A person with VSD usually complains about or has problems with.
can also signal a violation of capillary circulation. Such symptoms can appear with hormonal changes in adolescence, with cervical or such character traits as anxiety and excessive suspiciousness. Diseases of the reproductive system and disruption of work are also accompanied by freezing.
If you have cold hands and feet, then you should take a blood test. This is often a sign of low blood pressure.
It happens that the hands and feet get cold due to spasms that occur in the small capillaries of the limbs. Doctors call this disease "Raynaud's disease." Its origin is unclear, but it should not be left to chance. It can lead to very serious consequences - peeling of the fingertips, loss of skin elasticity, etc. For people diagnosed with "Raynaud's disease", any cold becomes unbearable. They do not enjoy walking in the open air in winter, skiing, swimming in the sea and the river. These people tend to go out as little as possible. And this is not surprising: after freezing, their limbs warm up with severe pain, their legs and arms swell and turn red.
What to do if you are constantly cold?
Not everything is as bad as it seems - and such problems can be dealt with. And you can start with vascular training. The procedure is not very simple, but useful. In order not to expose the body to severe stress, you should first do foot baths: either hot or contrasting. In the first case, steam your feet to redness under a hot shower several times a week or hold them in hot water for about an hour. In the second case, lower your feet either into cold or into hot water.
To strengthen blood vessels, it is also very useful to walk in. After the steam room, swim in a cold pool - this is also good for health.
Over time, switch to a contrast shower - either hot or cold water. But this should be taken very seriously, because such a contrast shower is stressful for the body. You need to start such procedures gradually.
often becomes the reason that the hands and feet are constantly chilly. Nicotine causes vasospasm. Try to limit the use of coffee, strong alcoholic drinks, soda. In winter, drink hot chicken broth before going outside.
Often the reason that you are constantly cold is low hemoglobin. Iron deficiency in the blood leads to anemia, in which the body temperature drops. Dried apricots, raisins, pomegranate, almonds, porridge, multivitamins, pumpkin, salads, fresh fruits and vegetables - these products should always be on your table. Do not forget about legumes (soy, lentils), they are rich in iron.
You should also pay special attention to seafood. Fatty varieties of fish are perfect for your diet - salmon, mackerel, herring, trout. Foods rich in iodine normalize the thyroid gland and the body “warms up”.
Vitamin and herbal decoctions, compotes, fruit drinks increase blood circulation well, so you need to drink them all year round.
Physical activity is another mandatory element of treatment. You need to force yourself to do 10 exercises every day that you like. And even better - sign up for a gym, swimming pool, fitness club. Appetite comes with eating - after a while you will not be able to live without playing sports.
In winter, remember to dress warmly, even if you run out to the store for five minutes. Pay special attention to the hands and head. A hat and mittens are a must for your winter outfit. Even the most expensive genuine leather gloves will not be as warm as ordinary woolen mittens. Cotton underwear, by the way, does not warm at all, buy thermal underwear. Fleece clothing (a synthetic woven material that accumulates heat, the body breathes well in it) warms well. It is not necessary to wrap yourself in a fur coat to the toes, a high-quality and light down jacket will come in handy.
You can not remember your problem only when the cold comes. In the summer, you can prepare well to fight back the "permafrost". Daily sunbathing will help make up for the lack of vitamin D, swimming in the sea - a lack of minerals, iodine, magnesium, potassium, iron. In addition, this is an excellent workout for the vessels. Fruits and vegetables will help. And the onset of cold weather will not be so terrible.
If you are constantly cold, you can try folk remedies
If you notice that your hands and feet are cold, then you should go to the doctor to find out what kind of disease this is a symptom of. But do not neglect traditional medicine.
One of the best folk recipes is this tincture. Take 0.5 liters of vodka or diluted alcohol, 2 tablespoons of fresh dry mustard, 1 tablespoon of coarse grained salt, two pods of chopped red hot pepper. Pour all this into a bottle, close and put in a warm place. Shake from time to time so that the salt dissolves, the mustard swells, and the pepper turns the tincture red. After a couple of days, the medicine can be used. At night, wet the places that are cold. Just wet, but don't rub. Let your hands and feet dry, and then put on warm woolen socks and gloves on your hands. In the morning, you can wash your hands, you do not need to wash your feet. The tincture does not bake, so you can use it until complete recovery.
Paraffin treatment is a good way to treat hands. To do this, you need a nourishing cream and cosmetic paraffin. Smear your hands with cream, and then apply a thin layer of warm paraffin. When it hardens, put on warm gloves on your hands. After 20 minutes, remove the paraffin, and smear the cream again on your hands.
Eat more spices that “warm up” the blood. Fresh garlic, pepper, cloves, turmeric, ginger, mustard should always be on hand. Well, by the way, alcohol tincture of hot pepper helps. She needs to rub her hands and feet. After the procedure, there will be a feeling of warmth in cold extremities.
A good mood is also an effective method of combating this disease. Allow yourself something tasty, walk more, do what you like. And the "permafrost" will be overcome!
Anna Svetlichnaya
1. Shorten curtains and curtains .
Curtains and curtains create a barrier to the penetration of heat from the batteries into the room. The batteries are working and you're cold. If you have a boiler at home, you raise the temperature. If you have central heating, then turn on the additional heater. In order not to waste money in vain, just hang curtains in winter that will be just below the window sill in length. And floor-length curtains can be hung in the summer to protect against the summer heat.
2. Use roller blinds or blinds.
Many of us are used to using such curtains in the summer to block out the sun. But in winter, such curtains on the windows serve as another barrier to the penetration of cold from the window panes.
3. Do not use decorative battery shields.
Decorative battery screens are one of the biggest barriers to getting heat from a battery into our room. Better not to use them. And if you have already purchased them, then it is better to remove such screens for the winter.
4. Ventilate vigorously.
Heat can escape into the window. Most of us in winter avoid opening the windows completely and limit ourselves to a slightly ajar window. This is not true. The heat goes out and the house is cold all the time. It is more correct in the morning and in the evening to open the window completely for 15-20 minutes and ventilate the room well. After you close the window, fresh air will quickly heat up from the warm walls and furniture in the room.
5. Tape and seal windows
.
A large amount of heat escapes from the small gaps between the window frame and the wall, and between the panes and the frame. It doesn't take a lot of money to seal and seal windows. Take the time to fix these leaks.
6. Comfortable warmth in an empty apartment is not needed.
When no one is at home - and this can be almost the entire daylight hours - reduce the temperature in the heating system. Just turn on the faucet.
7. Follow temperature guidelines.
Believe me, we throw away too much money in pursuit of excessive heat. Nobody needs twenty-five degrees in the bedroom. Doctors recommend for all rooms except the bedroom from 20 to 22 degrees. For the bathroom, this temperature rises to 24 degrees, for the bedroom it drops to 18.
8. Surround yourself with orange and yellow.
According to psychologists, warm colors in the interior can subjectively raise the feeling of warmth in the apartment up to five degrees. Experiment with lots of reds, browns, yellows and oranges in winter.
9. Use thermostatic radiators.
When you purchase radiators, take them with a thermostat. This will allow you to more flexibly and intelligently control the temperature in your home.
10.Heat-reflecting energy-saving film for windows.
Such a film, without reducing the transparency of the glass, reflects heat into the room, while reducing the overall heat loss by up to 25%. Such a film does not cost a lot of money and, moreover, in the summer it will help protect the room from the heat.
11. And last tip , select for home comfortable and warm home clothes . A beautiful home dress is, of course, elegant, but it is more practical to choose trousers and a thin sweater. So you will feel more comfortable, and with the money that you saved on heating, buy yourself something nice.