My hands swell up in the cold

I’ve really noticed this happening all winter—my hands turn bright red or even start looking blue quite easily

For instance, today wasn't even that freezing, but when I finally walked through my front door, my wrists were looking pretty blue while my palms and fingers were flushed deep red..
I wasn't even wearing gloves, so I'm honestly stumped—is this something serious I should be worried about?

Just one thing to note: after about 15 minutes, the color went right back to normal.

Go ahead and search for Raynald's syndrome on Google. Do some actual reading and see if your symptoms even line up with what that condition looks like.

I deal with it myself. My fingers and toes turn blue first, then they go completely white after a bit. It usually hits me about 10 or 15 minutes after I've been out in the cold.

Timothy Thomas6 said:I’ve really noticed this happening all winter—my hands turn bright red or even start looking blue quite easily

For instance, today wasn't even that freezing, but when I finally walked through my front door, my wrists were looking pretty blue while my palms and fingers were flushed deep red..
I wasn't even wearing gloves, so I'm honestly stumped—is this something serious I should be worried about?

Just one thing to note: after about 15 minutes, the color went right back to normal.

Is it possible that your thyroid isn't functioning optimally, perhaps leading to a deficiency in Selenium, Chromium, Iron, or Zinc? However, you should certainly consult a doctor first to have your thyroid levels checked.

Honestly, my boyfriend goes through the exact same thing—his hands turn this crazy shade of blue and purple. They get freezing, like, absolutely ice-cold... but look, it’s totally normal. As long as the color gets back to normal once you're back in a warm room, there's really no reason to freak out. 😉

It really depends on how fast your hands flood. If they start turning blue within 5, 10, or 15 minutes of being out in the cold—even if you're wearing gloves and all that gear—then we’ve got a problem. That isn't normal.

Even after I warm them up, my hands don't stop looking blue, and trust me, I'm nowhere near "normal." 🙂

Heh, thanks for all the input, everyone! 🙂
It’s not like my place floods every single time—it usually only happens when things get really freezing out there...

The real issue is that I just can't stand wearing gloves. I always get this feeling that they actually make me feel even colder. 😁

It’s totally standard to get some swelling after a while because the cold constricts your blood vessels and cuts off oxygen.

But what I'm dealing with isn't normal. My hands turn a deathly shade of blue after just 10 or 15 minutes out in the cold.

So, there's your "solution" to my problem: wear gloves. 🙂 As if that would actually work for me. Even if I layered up in three sets of gloves, my hands would still turn blue.

melloworca6 said:It’s totally standard to get some swelling after a while because the cold constricts your blood vessels and cuts off oxygen.

But what I'm dealing with isn't normal. My hands turn a deathly shade of blue after just 10 or 15 minutes out in the cold.

So, there's your "solution" to my problem: wear gloves. 🙂 As if that would actually work for me. Even if I layered up in three sets of gloves, my hands would still turn blue.

It sounds like you might have Raynald's syndrome...

Except my hands don't turn white first...

I don't know... honestly, it's probably best if I snap a photo next time I'm outside and send it to you via DM so you can judge for yourself. 😁

It’s not like the issue is actually bothering me much, but I’d really love to know the cause, if nothing else...

Honestly, you probably just have poor circulation, nothing more. I don't know if you smoke or not, but if you do, you definitely need to quit.

And wear gloves. 😉

I don't smoke—and honestly, I can't stand the smell of cigarette smoke either🙂

👍 They told me there was absolutely no way I’d be allowed to smoke—not that I ever actually did, anyway.