Cold hands, warm heart.
Cold hands, warm heart is the old adage, but is your circulation less than efficient and if so why?
Poor circulation is a common problem, particularly among women but also among men.
- Do you tend to look Pale ?
- Do you have a sluggish digestive system ?
- Do you suffer from constipation ?
- Do you often feel drained of energy ?
- Do your feet and hands feel cold when the rest of you may be warm ?
Poor circulation may be a symptom of a damaged heart muscle or hardening of the arteries. These conditions would prevent the blood from flowing easily through the blood vessels, and specifically those in the hands and feet.
If you are at all concerned and have several of the above symptoms, it may be advisable to contact your doctor and have a blood test to test for high levels of ‘bad’ cholesterol which may be furring up your arteries.
High cholesterol is also known as Low density lipo-protein. Chilblains are often a result of poor circulation and can cause pain, burning and itching on the hands and feet.
Exercise is useful to minimise the risk of developing them and keep the blood circulating. This may be difficult to nigh on impossible for someone elderly and from a chair a few leg raises and arm exercises may be of value. There are also electronic circulation boosters available now which work by simply massaging the soles of your feet
Finally, because nicotine damages the lining of the blood vessels and decreases blood flow, smoking is just about the worst thing that you could do if you have poor circulation or chilblains – yet another reason for giving up! ( sorry but if I can, you can !)
Foods that help maintain a healthy circulation include
- Chilli
- Ginger
- Garlic
- Mustard
