Women’s hands tend to be colder than men’s. Using thermal studies, scientists from the University of Utah compared the temperature of men’s and women’s hands. As a result, they found that women’s hands were generally 17℃ colder than men’s. Exposure to cold temperatures, whether it’s a cold shower or a walk outside in the winter, causes the blood vessels in the hands and feet to constrict. This reduces blood flow to these areas and directs it to the vital organs in the body. This process occurs in both sexes, but in women it is much faster. According to experts, the faster occurrence of these processes in women is due to the differences in the size and configuration of the body, as well as in the levels of individual hormones. Women tend to have more body fat and less muscle than men. The presence of body fat leads to the maintenance of heat in the central area of the body – the vital organs, but also limits the flow of blood to the extremities. Another reason for the faster drop in body temperature in women in general is their smaller body size. Heat evaporates through the skin, and this process occurs faster in women because they are generally smaller than men. Hormones could also cause women’s overall body temperature to drop. Estrogen can lower a woman’s body temperature, cause heat to dissipate, and slow blood flow to the hands and feet, making them more sensitive to cold. Also, depending on the phase of the menstrual cycle and different hormone levels, a number of studies show that the female body can change the way heat is regulated during this period. The constant presence of cold hands, on the other hand, is not to be underestimated, as it can be an indication of a problem with the blood flow or blood vessels in the hands. Some of the conditions that lead to constantly cold hands are anemia, Buerger’s disease, diabetes, frostbite, systemic lupus erythematosus, Raynaud’s disease, and scleroderma. References: https://www.raynauds.org/2022/07/20/research-confirms-womens-hands-are-colder-than-mens/ https://medicalxpress.com/news/2017-12-women- colder-men-scientists.html#google_vignette https://www.mayoclinic.org/symptoms/cold-hands/basics/causes/sym-20050648
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