General Causes
The general causes of cold feet are: lack of adequate protection, getting the feet wet and poor circulation. Adequate protection usually falls into having the proper footwear or layers of footwear for the given weather conditions. This includes leather shoes and heavier socks. Worn out shoes and socks can easily cause cold feet as air and moisture can get between the feet and the protective wear. Moisture, especially outdoors, is always colder than body temperature. When the foot perspires, the moisture lowers in temperature to match the outdoor conditions. This in turn, causes the cold feet since the temperature is colder than your body. The final general cause is poor circulation. Poor circulation is an obvious cause of cold feet because of the decrease in normal blood flow to the feet; thereby causing a drop in temperature.
Medical Reasons
There are an estimated six out of every 100 people in America who suffer from cold feet. One of the main medical reasons for this is poor circulation as described above. There is another medical condition called Raynaud's Syndrome, which is closely related. With this condition, temperature decreases or stress increases cause small blood vessels in the body's extremities to spasm, thereby narrowing the passageway for blood, to a point where the blood can marginally circulate to the feet or hands. Another common medical condition that causes cold feet is Hypothyroidism. This condition is caused by an under active thyroid. Another condition is Peripheral Vascular Disease, which is a form of diabetes. This reduces blood sugar and blood flow to the extremities.
The Most Likely Reasons
The most likely reasons for the cause of cold feet have already been mentioned. The onset of a medical condition such as diabetes, or Raynaud's Syndrome, can usually be linked to improper health or stress levels. Poor circulation increases with the onset of a medical condition or age. Among the obvious general causes are the lack of foot care and either severe or sudden loss of body heat. Wet feet, broken bones and overexposure to cold are the main non-medical reasons. Any one of these three can cause cold feet and have the potential for frostbite in prolonged situations. Not wearing proper outerwear will cause the body to move blood to the vital organs to maintain proper levels; which will cause heat loss and coldness in the extremities as well.
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