Weird Symptom: Some Fingers Are Warm And Some Are Cold

[lalalisa]

Hello,

I am sitting here tonight and noticing (not for the first time) that my "pinky" fingers are both freezing to the touch and meanwhile my thumbs and 2nd and 3rd fingers are fine and warm. Do any of you experience this as well?

Also....Does anyone have any recommendations for some really warm good quality socks? My feet are SO icy cold, they hurt.

Thanks!

Lisa

[Guest tearose]

Lisa,

I have funky fingers too! Sometimes just two fingers and sometimes all will have cold feeings.

I have Raynaud's though and keeping my hands protected helps a lot!

I always use gloves when I can. Cutting vegetables, washing dishes...use gloves. Also, there are heated gloves if you have trouble going outside.

As for feet, you just must discover SmartWool socks!!! They are soft, non-itchy wool socks.

best regards,

tearose

[Rachel]

Wool socks are the absolute best for keeping feet warm. I've never tried smart wool, but I've heard that those are good.

I have had these slippers before too, and they are very, very warm.

Rachel

[jjb]

Hi Lisa. Yes, I have the cold pinkys and half of the finger next to it gets cold. It will get numb and achy sometimes too. I do not know it it is a nerve or circulation thing. Probably nerve.

I also often get cold feet (unless I am sleeping, lately my hands and feet get very hot during sleep, but that has to do w/ my veins and blood flow).

Anyway for cold feet I use the LL Bean slipper socks or the Acorn socks. Smart wool is pretty good too.

[flop]

The nerves and blood vessels that supply different parts of the hand go different routes through the wrist. The ulnar nerve that supplies the little/pinky finger and half of the ring finger passes along the side of the wrist. (I discovered this when I injured my ulnar nerve by using crutches for a long time, I had horrid tingling in the pinky and ring finger for months). The nerve that supplies the other part of the ring finger, the middle and index fingers and part of the thumb is the median nerve - it is this nerve that gets pinched in carpal tunnel syndrome.

The arteries that take blood to the fingers also run on both sides of the wrist (radial and ulnar arteries) (if you have sensitive fingers and a volunteer with good BP you can just feel the ulnar artery pulsing, it is much easier to feel the radial artery below the thumb). I guess that if only the ulnar artery goes into spasm (Raynauds) then only the pinky and ring fingers would go white.

(sorry my description of the anatomy is rubbish - it is much better on wikipedia! This picture shows which fingers get sensation from each nerve. This diagram is complicated but it is the red and yellow coloured blobs that I was talking about above. I can't find a picture that shows which fingers get blood from the ulnar artery but I guess it is the pinky and ring?)

Flop

[flop]

I don't have Raynauds but my feet get freezing cold. I don't notice that they are cold until a foot touches the opposite leg - then it is like having ice on my skin! I get really hot at night (sleep with a very light summer duvet and a fan blowing on me) but I have to wear bedsocks otherwise I wake myself up when my foot touches my other leg! I got some lovely soft fleecy ones for Christmas.

Flop

[runningshoe]

I have the multicolored fingers too! The worst is if I forget my gloves and have to drive on a freezing day....

Costco has great imitation smartwool socks - big pack small price!