AS TEMPERATURES drop to zero or below outside, things can heat up inside the home as you and your partner battle about what to set the thermostat to.
If you’re constantly shivering while the man in your life blithely lounges around in a t-shirt, you’re not alone.
GettyIt’s true, women can feel colder than men due to a number of physiological reasons[/caption]
It turns out, women do actually tend to feel colder than men and this this backed up by research.
There are a few reason for this, according to Mike Tipton, professor of human and applied physiology at the University of Portsmouth , ranging from differences in body composition and blood flow to evolution.
BLOOD FLOW
Writing for Patient.info, Professor Tipton said research has found differences in blood flow between men and women.
Placing men and women in warm and then a cold environment, studies found that “women have a much more sensitive vascular response to the cold, which means they shut down their blood flow sooner, tighter and for longer than men,” he explained.
“The reason for this is that women’s bodies have a more sensitive response to the cold. The female sex hormone oestrogen also contributes to making the blood vessels more sensitive to cold.”
This means that women are more likely to feel discomfort in lower temperatures or due to draughts and their hands and feet are usually colder.
“Hand and foot temperature are maintained by blood flow, so if the blood flow is shut down – as is found in women – then skin temperature falls,” Professor Tipton said.
If your appendages are cold, it’s likely you’re feel chilly all over even if the rest of your body is at a higher temperature, he added.
BODY FAT
On average, women tend to have 10 per cent more body fat compared to men.
Fat can protect your vital organs from the cold but it also means your skin is insulated from the heat or your body.
So that doesn’t necessarily mean women will feel warmer thanks to this extra fatty layer – in fact, it can make women’s skin feel colder.
As Dr Tipton explained: “Because women have more body fat, which doesn’t have much in the way of blood supply, it insulates the skin, so their skin temperatures tend to be lower.”
EVOLUTION
There might also be an evolutionary explanation for why women are more vulnerable to the cold, according to GP and clinical consultant for Patient.info, Dr Sarah Jarvis.
“Humans evolved in the tropics, and dying from too much heat was much more of a risk than succumbing to hypothermia,” she said.
“In those days, men were out getting hot and sticky hunting and gathering while women stayed at home looking after the children.”
As such, men needed ways to avoid overheating, like sweating.
There are of course exceptions to the rule that men are less vulnerable to the cold than women.
For example, someone going to through the menopause might go through a hot flush even in cold environments.
And if you were to match men and women in weight, height and amount of fat stored under the skin, “many of the differences in the ability to regulate body temperature disappear,” according to Professor Tipton.
When should I be worried about my shivering?
Evolutionary and bodily differences aside, there are some instances where an intolerance to the cold – and heat – may indicate an underlying cause.
One of the most common reasons behind not being able to bear the cold is an underactive thyroid gland – also known as hypothyroidism.
This is where your thyroid gland does not produce enough hormones.
You should see a GP and ask to be for an underactive thyroid if you have symptoms including:
Tiredness
Weight gain
Being sensitive to the cold
Dry skin and hair
Muscle aches
Anaemia could also be the cause of your cold intolerance – this is caused by a lack of iron and you may experience tiredness and lack of energy, shortness of breath, heart palpitations and pale skin.
You should see a GP if you have these symptoms.
Another reason you’re feeling the chill could be fibromyalgia, a long term condition that causes pain all over the body. Symptoms – which you should see a GP about – include:
Increased sensitivity to pain
Muscle stiffness
Difficulty getting to sleep or staying asleep
Problems with concentrating or remembering things
Headaches
irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) that causes stomach pain and bloating
Feelings of frustration, worry or low mood
Finally, your chilled extremities might be caused by Raynaud’s phenomenon, where your blood stops flowing properly to your fingers and toes.
It doesn’t usually cause severe problems and you can treat the symptoms by keeping warm and avoiding sudden changes in temperature.
You’ll know you have Raynaud’s if your fingers and toes change colour when you’re cold, anxious or stressed, according to the NHS.
This is sometimes accompanied by numbness, pain and pins and needles.