Why does the body begin to tolerate cold worse with age?

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Various physical changes that occur in the body as we age affect sensitivity to cold.

Impaired blood circulation. With age, the blood vessels of the body become less flexible and less able to maintain active blood flow. First of all, blood circulation in peripheral areas decreases, and therefore hands and feet begin to freeze more often and more.

Thinning of the skin. As old age approaches, the structure of the skin changes. It consists of different layers, the lowest of which is the layer where the body stores fat. This layer of fat is not only the body's energy reserve, but also a heater. With age, the thickness of this layer of skin decreases, and therefore the thickness of the insulating fat layer decreases. As a result, our body loses heat faster than before.

Slowing down of metabolism. The older a person gets, the worse their metabolism works – this means that the body spends fewer calories on energy production. The worse energy is produced – less heat, which also explains why the body begins to tolerate cold worse with age.

Medical reasons. Heart and thyroid disease, anemia, diabetes – there are various diseases that affect blood circulation, and the tendency to them increases with age. For example, nerve damage, such as that caused by diabetes, contributes to a stronger feeling of cold, especially in the hands and feet. Also, as we age, we become more susceptible to developing conditions that increase the risk of hypothermia, i.e. a drop in body temperature.

Taking medications. The older people get, the more reasons there are to take medications. Some of them, in particular, high blood pressure medications, can cause cold hands and feet.