Lima Memorial Health System Logo
Approximate ER WAIT TIME WAIT TIME MACRO
Lima Memorial eHealth
Careers
Ways to Give

Health Library

Cold intolerance
     
Print-Friendly
Bookmarks

Cold intolerance

Sensitivity to the cold; Intolerance to cold

 

Cold intolerance is an abnormal sensitivity to a cold environment or cold temperatures.

Considerations

 

Cold intolerance can be a symptom of a problem with metabolism.

Some people (often thin older women) do not tolerate cold temperatures because they have very little body fat to help keep them warm.

 

Causes

 

Some causes of cold intolerance are:

  • Anemia
  • Anorexia nervosa
  • Blood vessel problems, such as Raynaud phenomenon
  • Chronic severe illness
  • General poor health
  • Problem with the hypothalamus, (a part of the brain that controls body temperature)
  • Underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism)

 

Home Care

 

Follow the recommended therapy for treating the cause of the problem.

 

When to Contact a Medical Professional

 

Contact your health care provider if you have long-term or extreme intolerance to cold.

 

What to Expect at Your Office Visit

 

Your provider will take a medical history and perform a physical examination.

Your provider's questions may include the following topics.

Time pattern:

  • Have you always been intolerant of cold?
  • Has this developed recently?
  • Has it been getting worse?
  • Do you often feel cold when other people do not complain of being cold?

Medical history:

  • What is your diet like?
  • How is your general health?
  • What are your height and weight?
  • What other symptoms do you have?

Tests that may be performed include:

  • Complete blood count (CBC)
  • Serum TSH
  • Thyroid hormone levels (T3, T4)

If your provider diagnoses cold intolerance, you may want to include the diagnosis in your personal medical record.

 

 

Open References

References

Akamizu T, Jonklass J. Hypothyroidism and thyroiditis. In: Medmed S, Auchus RJ, Goldfine AB, Rosen, CJ, Kopp PA, eds. Williams Textbook of Endocrinology. 15th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier: 2025:chap 11.

Pearce EN, Hollenberg AN. Thyroid. In: Goldman L, Cooney KA, eds. Goldman-Cecil Medicine. 27th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2024:chap 207.

Sawka MN, O'Connor FG. Disorders due to heat and cold. In: Goldman L, Cooney KA, eds. Goldman-Cecil Medicine. 27th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2024:chap 95.

BACK TO TOPText only

A Closer Look

 
 

Review Date: 3/11/2024

URAC Seal
Health Content Provider
06/01/2025
A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, for Health Content Provider (www.urac.org). URAC's accreditation program is an independent audit to verify that A.D.A.M. follows rigorous standards of quality and accountability. A.D.A.M. is among the first to achieve this important distinction for online health information and services. Learn more about A.D.A.M.'s editorial policy, editorial process and privacy policy. A.D.A.M. is also a founding member of Hi-Ethics. This site complied with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information from 1995 to 2022, after which HON (Health On the Net, a not-for-profit organization that promoted transparent and reliable health information online) was discontinued.
The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. No warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied, is made as to the accuracy, reliability, timeliness, or correctness of any translations made by a third-party service of the information provided herein into any other language. © 1997- 2025 A.D.A.M., a business unit of Ebix, Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.
© 1997- 2025adam.comAll rights reserved.