What to do when it's cold. Constantly cold? This could be a bad sign. If you are constantly freezing, you can try folk remedies
It is not so easy to answer this question unequivocally. There are many reasons for chilliness, so a thorough medical examination is necessary to identify the specific source of constant “underheating.”
WHAT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR HEAT?
All systems and organs under the guidance of three - the heart, liver and hypothalamus - participate in the regulation of heat in our body.
The liver uses biochemical reactions to heat the blood. Pumped by the heart, it runs throughout the body, evenly delivering heat to all its parts. Therefore, the vessels can be compared to the pipes of central heating radiators.
Depending on the external temperature, the “pipes” either expand to transfer excess heat outside the body (in summer) or contract to better retain it (in winter). But this process can be disrupted under the influence of various diseases or pathologies, which cause constant “frozenness”.
Why do people always feel cold?
1 – SAUNA SYNDROME
Iron deficiency anemia or simply insufficient hemoglobin levels in the blood cause a delay in the delivery of oxygen to the internal organs and tissues.
The body tries to improve the situation of oxygen supply to the organs, and the vessels dilate to increase blood flow, that is, they behave as if tropical heat has set in or you are in a sauna. Accordingly, heat transfer increases - the body is deprived of the necessary supply of “heating” and freezes.
2 - THESE IMPORTANT VITAMINS A AND E
In fact, you didn’t sit - a lack of vitamins A and E, as well as fats in the diet can also lead to constant chilliness even in warm weather.
The biochemical processes in the liver that are responsible for heating the blood become unbalanced, and the “batteries” slowly cool down.
Fat deposits are not just a dubious decoration, but a dense compressor. By squeezing the vessels, it leads to a narrowing of blood flow, and then everything follows the well-known pattern - inadequate oxygen supply to the internal organs and an attempt by the vascular system to compensate for this deficiency. The heat goes to the side, the person freezes.
4 - THIS LITTLE MESS
The thyroid gland is responsible for regulating energy processes in the body - distributing energy reserves, including for heating.
When its function decreases (with hypothyroidism), the energy “industry” experiences a lack of attention, processes are disrupted, and high-quality heating becomes impossible. A thyroid gland that works at half capacity also slows down the metabolism. Accordingly, the formation of heat from calories received from food is inhibited.
Cold feet at any time of the day may indicate a hormonal cause of “frozenness.”
5 - CAPILLARIES
But most often, cold feet (and sometimes hands) are a sign of impaired peripheral capillary circulation. The heating simply does not reach its final destinations - the limbs. This is often associated with a condition such as vegetative-vascular dystonia (mainly of the hypotonic type), and a person begins to feel colder the more they worry, or experience stress, or suffer from physical inactivity.
Vascular problems that lead to chilliness can also be of a completely different nature. For example, nicotine addicts and people suffering from atherosclerosis often experience spasms.
Age-related “frost,” which forces older people to pull on several layers of clothing or blankets, is also associated with deterioration of vascular function.
6 - WHEN THERE IS NO FUEL
People who eat too little and don’t get their daily calorie intake are also doomed to freeze. After all, they simply do not provide the “stove” with “wood” - in the absence of a regular supply of calories, the body has nowhere to get energy from.
If a person is thin and moves little, he is doomed to slowly cool down during his lifetime. His body temperature even drops.
7 - DIABETES
Diabetes mellitus is “to blame” for almost any disorder in our body, and constant chilliness is no exception. The root cause is serious disturbances in metabolism and the functioning of the cardiovascular system, but it is impossible to explain everything that happens in a nutshell. A clear sign of diabetes can be considered cold feet, in which sensitivity also disappears.
8 - RAYNAUD'S DISEASE
There is also a specific cold syndrome - Raynaud's disease, which is expressed in disruption of the arterial blood supply to the extremities. At the slightest emotional stress, as well as under the influence of too cold or warm temperatures, such people experience severe vascular spasm, disrupting thermoregulation.
When it's freezing outside, the temperature in apartments in multi-storey buildings often leaves much to be desired. Residents are forced to constantly wear warm clothes, turn on electric heaters, and sleep under layers of warm blankets, which causes significant discomfort. What to do if it is very cold in your apartment? Where to turn in such situations?
The problem of insufficient heat in the room can be solved in two ways: on your own or with the help of utility services. Don’t know how to properly cope with the current situation and what to do?
If your apartment is cold in winter, first try to solve this issue on your own. Perhaps heat leakage is due to old windows or defects in the design of entrance doors.
What temperature is considered normal for a home?
Payment for heating in full can be made if a stable temperature is maintained in the apartment throughout the entire month. There are standards that indicate how warm your home should be in winter.
In accordance with the law of the Russian Federation, the temperature in the apartment must be maintained from 18 to 20 degrees, if the temperature outside is -30. When the thermometer readings are within -31 and below, heating of apartments should increase to 20-22 degrees Celsius.
It is also worth considering that during emergency work, your home cannot be left without heating for more than a day. One-time shutdowns of radiators are allowed for no more than 16 hours, and the average temperature in the apartment should not fall below 12 degrees.
The law provides for minor deviations from the standards. Temperature increases are allowed within 4 degrees. It can be 3 degrees colder in the apartment only at night, strictly until 5 o’clock in the morning.
It's cold in the apartment: reasons
What to do if the temperature in your home is lower than specified in the standards? First you need to find the causes and eliminate them.
Heat loss is facilitated by:
- old windows, the cracks of which let the cold in;
- insufficiently insulated balcony;
- thin walls that are prone to freezing at low outside temperatures;
- worn out old type batteries;
- very cold floor or ceiling;
- poorly installed front door;
- drafts;
- insufficient heat supply to the boiler room.
We replace old windows
Wooden structures of the old type have already become obsolete. Such windows have impressive gaps, and even closed windows fit so loosely that in a strong wind you can see the curtains fluttering. Here we have found one of the reasons why it is cold in the apartment. What to do? Of course, it is worth replacing the old window frames.
Modern double-glazed windows can protect your home from drafts, low temperatures and retain heat. You should not install them yourself - in this case, there is a high probability of incorrect installation, which will lead to their depressurization and the formation of cracks - trust the professionals.
If you already have plastic windows, but there are clear signs of drafts, you should call a professional. Perhaps there is some kind of defect, or the reason lies in the destruction of the mounting foam from the outside under the influence of precipitation. The rubber seal or any structural element may also be deformed. All these problems are easily eliminated and can be corrected.
Wooden window
If it is not possible to install high-quality double-glazed windows, you can try to insulate the old window. The simplest, but short-lived method is to use cotton wool and regular tape. Very easy and economical. Cotton wool is carefully pushed into all the cracks, and tape is placed on top of the cleaned and dry window.
Also, adhesive foam insulation will help in the fight against heat leakage from windows. It is also easy to use. All problematic window joints must be sealed with insulation, pressing it well. This ordinary material is capable of retaining heat efficiently, but has a significant drawback - its strength is destroyed under the influence of moisture.
You can also try using silicone caulk, window putty, or rubber sealant. These are more reliable ways to retain heat.
Is the apartment still cold? What to do? The best thing to do would be to install new plastic windows or look for another cause of the leak.
Wall insulation
A cold apartment can cause a lot of trouble. What should residents do? Think about high-quality wall insulation. They can be finished both inside and outside. And it is best to carry out this work during repairs.
Insulation is glued to clean, dried surfaces at the junctions of ceilings and walls. This procedure should be done in all corners. If there are visible gaps between the panels, they should be sealed with cement, foam or gypsum mortar. Tow is tightly packed into very large recesses, and a layer of plaster or foam is applied on top.
External insulation is carried out only by specialists - industrial climbers. The procedure is carried out using polystyrene foam and mesh, which are attached to the wall with special glue. A layer of high-quality façade paint is applied on top.
Problem - cold balcony?
Do you feel constant drafts and don’t know what to do? If the apartment is cold, pay attention to the balcony - most likely the problem is there.
Contact a reliable company that will take care of the heat in your home. The balcony is covered with foam plastic from the outside and inside. First, its facade is sheathed, and then the internal walls are insulated. Also, some companies choose mineral wool or expanded polystyrene as materials that will perform heat-saving functions.
On the balcony, the areas under the window, floor, ceiling and walls are mainly subject to insulation. The procedure is carried out simultaneously with glazing the window with high-quality double-glazed windows, which will retain heat in the apartment for a long time and eliminate the appearance of any drafts.
High-quality radiators - comfort and warmth in your home
The cause of a constant lack of heat may be old batteries. What to do? If the apartment is cold and the radiators are barely warm, it is better to replace them. It is better to opt for cast iron or bimetallic products. These radiators are very strong, durable, and corrosion resistant. They are distinguished by high power, dissipate heat well and have a temperature regulator.
Good radiators can quickly solve the cold problem in your apartment. In addition, the service life of some of their types reaches 50 years. By replacing radiators just once, you will enjoy the warmth and will forever forget the time when you saw cold radiators in your apartment. What to do and what products to choose is up to you to decide.
Cold from the ceiling and floor
It happens that even with new radiators, windows and an insulated balcony, the temperature in the room still remains low. What to do? If your apartment is cold in winter, heat may be lost due to a thin ceiling or floor. This is especially true for the first and last floors of houses.
The ceiling may freeze due to insufficient insulation of the attic or deformation of the roof. Due to these factors, water may seep into the room, leading to mold and mildew. To solve this problem, you need to repair the roof and insulate the ceiling on both sides.
The problem of cold floors is solved in the same way. It must be insulated or the coating must be replaced with a warmer one. The best option to keep the floor warm is to install a modern heating system.
Checking the door design
If the front door does not fit well and there are gaps in it, about 40% of the heat can be lost. And in most cases, this is precisely why the apartment is cold. What to do in such a situation?
It is urgent to warm yourself, otherwise the winter cold will take you by surprise. First you need to make the door itself airtight. To do this, its inner lining is removed, and the empty space is filled with insulation.
Finishing a single-layer metal door is done in the same way, only in this case a layer of material or foam is glued to its surface, and fiberboard or plywood is laid on top.
Eliminating drafts
The door leaf is insulated, but it’s still cold in the apartment? What and how to do next? Proceed with insulation of other sections of the structure. It is necessary to seal cracks and gaps. Most often they occur when the door is installed incorrectly or when the building shrinks. The resulting space can be finished with a rubberized sealant by gluing it to the frame.
To prevent the cold from penetrating into your home, it is very important to choose the right material for sealing cracks. Buy a seal of optimal thickness - too thin will not have any effect, and a large width of the material will not allow the door to close.
All insulation procedures have been completed, but it’s still cold in the apartment? What to do? Solve this problem with utility services.
What to do if there are cold radiators in the house?
Before running to the utility company, you should talk to your neighbors. This problem may only occur in your home.
If there is a sudden shutdown of heat in the entire entrance, immediately call the housing and communal services department. Perhaps there was an accident on the heating mains, and utility workers were forced to turn off the heating to carry out repair work.
If the temperature has dropped only in your apartment, you should take this situation seriously. Most likely, the problem is related to a malfunction of the heating system in your area. Where to go if it’s cold in the apartment? Apply to the company that services your home.
After receiving the signal, a technician is sent to the problem apartment to inspect the heating system and find out the reason for the lack of heat. If minor problems can be eliminated, they are repaired immediately. By law, utility workers are given 24 hours to do this.
More complex problems are corrected within a week, after which heat should be supplied to the apartment within the standards.
Complaints and claims
If you are provided with low-quality services or after repairing the heating system in the apartment it does not become warmer, you need to make drastic decisions. You have the right to write a complaint and take it to the company responsible for supplying heat to your home.
After the telephone call, you must make a written statement regarding your problem. It is usually provided in duplicate. Next, you need to go to an appointment with a company employee to consider your complaint.
You must keep one copy of the application for yourself. The second must contain notes on the date of submission of the document and the serial number of its consideration. These nuances are necessary in case you have to resolve your issue in higher authorities or judicial authorities.
Recalculating heating costs
According to the law of the Russian Federation, a written complaint is considered within three days. During this time, a specialist should visit your apartment and take the necessary heat measurements in each room. Please note that the measuring device must be located 1.5 meters from the floor and 1 meter from the walls. Based on the results obtained, an act is drawn up in two copies. This document is the main basis for recalculating heating costs in the event of poor quality work by the service company.
Despite the modern approach of many management companies to solving citizens’ problems related to heating, order in the housing and communal services sector will not be restored soon. Therefore, all residents need to know where to go if it’s cold in the apartment, how to properly resolve controversial situations and how to correctly fill out their applications.
Take care of the warmth in your home, because your comfort, mood and health depend on it!
Frosts are rapidly approaching, and the temperature in many apartments is far from the most comfortable. We are forced to wear warm clothes, buy heaters, and sleep under several blankets, which causes discomfort. What to do if it’s cold in the apartment? It is quite possible to solve this problem yourself.
What to do if the apartment is cold
Cold batteries in the apartment: what to do?
High-quality radiators are the key to warmth and comfort in the house. If the radiators are many years old and the apartment is cold in winter, it may be worth replacing them. But before you run out for an expensive purchase, do a survey: sometimes the batteries do not heat up due to air locks or due to the negligence of utility services. We told you where to complain if it’s cold in your apartment.
Many modern radiator models are manufactured with, so you can set the appropriate temperature. High-quality heating appliances can last faithfully for decades, so after spending just once, you will forget about cold radiators in the house for a long time.
There are several types of radiators:
- Cast iron is the most classic option, which has been used for heat supply for more than a hundred years. Cast iron batteries are durable, resistant to corrosion and have high heat transfer. They are not afraid of hard, poor-quality water and pressure changes. The disadvantages of cast iron radiators include bulkiness and unaesthetic appearance. However, the modern design of these batteries with monograms and original coloring will fit well into a classic-style interior.
- Aluminum – durable, lightweight and elegant heating devices. Ease of installation, optimal price and high heat dissipation make aluminum batteries an ideal choice for many. However, this type of radiator is susceptible to corrosion with a high alkali content in the water.
- Steel radiators are often used to supply heat to private homes and offices. They have excellent heat dissipation and corrosion resistance. Their disadvantage is their sensitivity to water hammer - sudden changes in pressure in the pipe.
- Bimetallic The radiator, in simple terms, consists of a steel core and an outer aluminum layer. This design is optimal for city apartments: the steel pipeline is not subject to corrosion, and aluminum, which has good thermal conductivity, perfectly supplies heat to the room. However, all these advantages are overshadowed by the high cost of the product.
- Copper batteries provide effective heating of the room due to their thermal conductivity - it is much higher than that of aluminum and even more so than that of steel and cast iron. But the price of copper radiators, as well as bimetallic ones, will not please everyone.
The choice of radiator depends not only on your tastes and financial condition, but also on compatibility with your heating system. Therefore, before purchasing, you should determine whether the characteristics of the heating device (pressure, permissible temperature, heat transfer, etc.) correspond to the characteristics of the heating system.
When we get sick, it is natural to feel chills. Warm clothes and even a few blankets do not become a salvation until the body temperature begins to rise. As it grows, pathogenic bacteria die, and the person begins to feel feverish. Everything is clear here. And if an outwardly healthy person turns to a doctor and asks to explain what is happening to him. "Help, I'm constantly freezing." There may be more than one reason, so today we decided to dwell on this issue in more detail.
Gender characteristics
Let's remember who makes such complaints most often? That's right, from older people. Everyone has seen grandmothers in warm sweaters or even coats outside in hot weather. This does not surprise anyone, because you can often hear from them: “I’m constantly freezing.” The reason lies in poor circulation, which has age-related causes. However, even among young women this phenomenon occurs much more often than among men. At the same time, such a condition is often attributed to the individual characteristics of the body, and the only recommendation that is given is to dress warmer. However, the roots can lie much deeper, and we will deal with them today.
Alarm bell
You can laugh at a person who repeats: “I’m always cold.” The reason for this, however, may not be the desire to show off one’s effeminacy and attract attention. At the same time, it can be noted that very rarely such a symptom is an independent manifestation of the disease. Most often this is a symptom of some kind of disorder in the body. But here you will have to spend a lot of time to find the true reason.
Tea, warm bath and wool socks
Have you ever come home from the cold and felt cold in your extremities for a long time? It was as if the blood had stopped circulating through them. This phenomenon is considered a variant of the norm. In some cases, it is enough to take a hot bath, drink tea and put on warm clothes, and the condition returns to normal. It turns out much more interesting if, being in a warm room, you still cannot get rid of the feeling of chilliness. In this case, you should definitely visit the doctor and tell him: “I am constantly freezing.” The reason may lie in the functioning of internal organs, metabolic disorders and even an incorrect diet. But a specialist should understand this.
Vegetative-vascular dystonia
A mysterious disease whose cause is psychosomatic. That is, stress leads to disruptions in the functioning of the autonomic nervous system, and it, in turn, triggers a number of physiological processes that we ultimately try to treat. In particular, if your feet are constantly cold, then pay attention to the situations in which this happens. If you have an important meeting, a visit to the director, or a significant event, and you notice a strange feeling of coldness in your body, then it is quite possible that this is your reaction to stress. A person with VSD may also complain of low blood pressure or heart problems, his hands are constantly cold, but in fact the root of the trouble lies in instability to stressful situations.
Iron deficiency or anemia
Usually an adult knows well if he has a similar problem. However, if until now your blood tests have been normal, but lately your feet have been constantly freezing, then it is recommended to go to the laboratory again. A biochemical blood test will show hemoglobin content. Acute iron deficiency is the most common cause of cold limbs. This is easy to explain: the tissues suffer from a lack of oxygen and muscle spasms occur. Accordingly, blood supply deteriorates. Even mechanical rubbing and hot baths give only a temporary effect of dilating blood vessels and filling them with blood.
Hypothyroidism or thyroid dysfunction
And we continue to talk about why a person is constantly freezing. The reasons may also lie in the activity of the endocrine glands. In particular, doctors know well that when there is a lack of hormones produced by the thyroid gland, a number of processes are triggered in the body that seriously change its functioning. In particular, weakness, decreased blood pressure, decreased body temperature and a significant decrease in heart rate are observed.
As a consequence of this, increased sweating of the extremities develops, but at the same time the body constantly freezes, and the hands and feet never warm up at all. Disorders of the thyroid gland are diagnosed by an endocrinologist based on blood tests and ultrasound of the gland.
Allergic reaction to cold
At first glance, this sounds strange, but this phenomenon really occurs. The mechanisms at work here are somewhat different, but in general it is the same allergy, only its cause is low air temperature. It is usually difficult for a suffering person to stay warm, no matter how many layers of clothing he or she is wearing. How can you understand that this is the reason? If, in addition to your limbs, your back is constantly cold, then this may be your case. At the same time, redness of the skin, cracking of the lips and the appearance of swelling under the eyes are observed.
Errors in diet
The heat exchange of our body is highly dependent on body weight. If your weight is normal, it means there is a thin layer of fat under the skin that perfectly retains heat. However, today girls are keen on losing weight, very often driving themselves to the point of exhaustion. By resorting to strict diets and overloading themselves with training, they try to achieve ideal parameters without thinking about the consequences. And as a result, they come to the doctor with complaints: “I’m constantly freezing, what’s wrong with me?” And everything is quite simple. lack of iron and iodine - this leads to such consequences.
Raynaud's disease
It doesn't happen often, but that doesn't mean it can be ignored. The fact is that in this case, the hands and feet freeze due to spasms that occur in the small capillaries of the limbs. The origin of this disease is unknown, and many times researchers have refused to classify it as a separate disease, considering such a manifestation to be a symptom of some other illness. But with the development of medicine, enough empirical material has accumulated to understand that this is truly an independent disease that has its own clinical picture.
Raynaud's disease leads to very serious consequences. This may include peeling of the fingers and loss of skin elasticity, but the main thing is intolerance to cold. A person does not enjoy walking in the fresh air, skiing, or swimming in the sea. This is not surprising, not only is he very cold outside. Also, the warming process is accompanied by severe pain. Hands and feet become swollen and red.
What can you do
As we found out, whatever the reason behind this phenomenon, it is associated with problems of capillaries and blood vessels. Impaired blood supply to tissues can be corrected to a certain extent. The procedure is not very simple, but useful. In order not to expose the body to severe stress, you should first take foot baths: hot or contrast.
To strengthen blood vessels, it is recommended to go to a sauna or bathhouse. After the steam room, you can swim in a cold pool, this is also very good for your health. A contrast shower is a procedure from the same opera. But we must remember that any such event is stressful for the body and must be approached with caution.
Let's give up bad habits
First and foremost is smoking. It causes your hands and feet to constantly feel cold. And all because nicotine causes vasospasm. The sooner you break this habit, the better. But that's not all. Also try to limit your consumption of coffee and strong alcoholic drinks, as well as soda. This will only add health to your body, and will also seriously improve your well-being. And before going outside, it is recommended to drink chicken or beef broth.
Nutrition and physical activity
Your diet should be complete, then you will not have a deficiency of iron and vitamin B12. This means that the table should always have dried apricots and raisins, nuts, pomegranates and rolled oats, pumpkin and vegetable salads, and fresh fruit. Don't forget about red meat and legumes, they are also rich in iron. But special attention should be paid to seafood. Red fish - salmon and mackerel, herring and trout - are perfect for your diet. Rich in iodine, they normalize the thyroid gland. Vitamin and herbal decoctions, compotes and fruit drinks increase blood circulation. That is why you need to drink them every day. And the last component is physical activity. You need exercise every day; this is an essential element of treatment.
So, the first reason is you need to eat more fat. It’s not for nothing that in winter we want to eat more and more fatty and unhealthy foods. Fats are bad, but there is no point in being afraid of them, because you need to eat healthy fats, such as nuts, avocados or seeds.
The second reason is that you have problems with the thyroid gland. The fact is that the thyroid gland is a strong part of our body, which has many functions, so there can be many problems with it. If you constantly feel cold, then perhaps these may be symptoms of hypothyroidism - this is a condition when the thyroid gland does not receive enough hormones necessary for the body.
The metabolism begins to slow down and the body does not have time to warm up, which is why you freeze. Symptoms of this disease may also include hair loss, dry skin and fatigue. By the way, 12% of people have problems with the thyroid gland, and 60% are not even aware of their problems.
The third reason is poor blood circulation. If it seems to you that your body temperature is fine, only your hands and feet are constantly cold, then these are problems with blood circulation. If blood circulation is not impaired, then heat spreads evenly throughout the body and the limbs remain warm, but if it is impaired, then, on the contrary, the hands and feet are constantly cold. Blood circulation may be impaired for a number of reasons, for example, you have problems with the cardiovascular system.
Weight below normal is the fourth reason why you are constantly freezing. When the weight is below normal, then accordingly there is not enough fat in the body, and for warmth you need insulation, which in this case is practically non-existent. If you are underweight, you deliberately slow down your metabolism, and this deprives you of heat.
Lack of water in the body also leads to a constant feeling of cold in the extremities. Water helps maintain the balance of metabolism in the body, because the body is almost 80% water. And if the body is dehydrated, then a huge number of its functions are disrupted.
If there is a lack of iron in the body, then it will also systematically freeze. Blood cells contain iron, which helps move oxygen throughout the body, and therefore delivers heat along with it to the body. If there is a deficiency of iron in the body, then this also causes hypothyroidism, which we discussed above. In this case, you need to add foods that are a source of iron to your diet, such as broccoli, apples, spinach or lentils.
A lack of vitamin B12 is another reason why you may systematically feel cold. Red blood cells are involved in maintaining normal body temperature in the body, and vitamin B12 plays a major role in this process. If the body lacks this vitamin, then there are much fewer red blood cells than needed. But replenishing vitamin B12 in the body is not so difficult; you need to consume dairy products, eggs, chicken, fish and red meat.