Primary Raynaud's happens on its own, usually starts in the teens or twenties, and is generally mild. Secondary Raynaud's is caused by another condition, medicine or exposure, often begins later in adulthood, and is more likely to cause finger sores. Clinicians tell them apart with a history, an exam, a look at the nailfold capillaries and blood tests such as ANA.

Cold hands and feet are usually the body's normal way of protecting core temperature by narrowing blood vessels in the skin. The pattern tells you more than the coldness itself: episodes of white or blue fingers suggest Raynaud's, one-sided coldness can point to blocked arteries, and numbness with cold feet may reflect nerve damage. Most people improve by warming the whole body.

Feeling cold all the time is often a normal difference in how your body conserves heat, shaped by body size, activity and clothing. Persistent or worsening cold can also come from hypothyroidism, anemia, very low body weight, Raynaud's phenomenon or other blood vessel problems. If cold intolerance is long-term, extreme or comes with fatigue or other new symptoms, see a clinician.

Feeling colder than the people around you is common and often harmless, but it can also point to Raynaud's phenomenon, an underactive thyroid, anemia or nerve changes. A practical plan has two parts: notice the pattern of your symptoms so a clinician can look for a cause, and build a warmth routine that keeps your whole body, especially your core, comfortably warm.