Sensitivity to cold

[JJTrotta]

Over the past three years, my fingers have gotten overly sensitive to the cold (under 65 degrees F).

 

I have lost 50 pounds and quit drinking. Do not smoke. Am a blast at parties. 
 

Does anyone have any idea how to cope with this?

[Stokely]

I've always had issues with cold hands, even when I was young and very fit.  I'm not so young and not so fit now.   Ironically even though I've lived most of my life in sweltering FL, I love cold weather--except for my cold hands.   Also ironically, I can sweat at the drop of a hat with any kind of exertion even in cold weather.  My kids are the same way.

I realize this may be a different thing as fingers being sensitive, as in my case it's certainly a circulation issue.  I'm tall and have long arms so maybe that's all it is.   My feet have the same issue once the socks and shoes come off   Next time I go camping, if I ever do, I'm bringing those little warmer packs!

As far as it affecting my playing at some outdoor gigs, I've tried some fingerless gloves but they were kind of awkward and too thick; I got another set but didn't realize they were compression gloves (for arthritis) and that made it too hard to play!  I bought a hand warmer/usb charger that I kept in my jacket pocket at one gig, that was pretty nice to warm things up between tunes.   I use the old trick of doing arm windmills or jumping jack movements to get the blood moving to my hands.

Might be worth getting it checked out.

[GovernorSilver]

If you lost 50s pounds and most of that 50 pounds was bodyfat, then it's not a surprise you might be more sensitive to cold.  Fat is part of your body's natural insulation.

 

That said, I agree about getting checked out if this is a worry for you

[Anderton]

10 hours ago, Stokely said:

I realize this may be a different thing as fingers being sensitive, as in my case it's certainly a circulation issue.  I'm tall and have long arms so maybe that's all it is. 

 

I'm no doctor, but I walk at least 1-3 miles every day, and have for most of my life. I've been told that's why my circulatory system is in good shape. Then again, maybe I just got lucky at genetic roulette.

[Notes_Norton]

I've lived in South Florida, most of my life, and they only time my AC goes on, is when company comes over.

Anything under 70F in my opinion is too cold for man or beast.

Since COVID, we gig at least 3 days a week outdoors. Since I don't use AC, I'm acclimated to the heat, but since cold comes infrequently down here, I never get used to it. Acclimation is a slow, seasonal process. I'll get cold and windy (for us) when the tail end of a northern blizzard arrives, and then warm back up the next day or two. So I never get used to the cold.

Sax is my primary instrument, when it gets cold it goes flat, sometimes to the point where I can't quite play it in tune. It was explained to me that in cold weather, the speed of sound is slower. So the horn seems longer to the sound and longer wind instruments are pitched lower. I push the mouthpiece in as far as it goes, but if it gets to the low 60s, it won't go in far enough to compensate.

Guitar is my 7th instrument, and when it gets cold, I can't feel the difference between the string gauges as well. So it takes some concentration to get my finger(s) on the right string when starting to play a lick. Chords are somewhat easier.

I feel your pain.

I tried light gloves with the fingertips cut out, but that didn't work. I can bundle up everything but my hands, but I can't play music without them. So I just suffer and put my hands in my pocket between songs.

 

I'll monitor this thread, because if anyone has a solution, I'd be interested in it too.

 

 

Insights and incites by Notes ♫

[Jeff Leites]

Have you seen a doctor about this?  It may be nothing, but it could be something serious.

 

https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&q=cold+extremities

[Nowarezman]

I have a mild case of Raynaud's disease.  Doc says we'll just watch it, no action needed so far.  At times, grabbing something cold (say, under 50 degrees) gives me a sensation close to pain, sort of in-between cold and pain.  And my fingertips turn whitish at times - that's the small arteries shrinking up in a sort of faux/minor shock-like response. 

 

I get by fine - I warm up my hands running warm water over them or heating up a bean-bag to hold.  I have good circulation in general and have been a regular exerciser since about age 15.  Just one of those things - I got a bunch, not just one of those things, believe me! 

 

Best of luck - yeah, just pay close attention to your symptoms, maybe make some notes on your phone, then tell your doc, especially if there are changes in severity or your condition starts to hinder your daily activities. 

 

nat

   

[Stokely]

I do the hot water thing at home as well.  Obviously probably not possible at gigs, though I've done it between sets if the joint has hot water!

I mentioned that I got a usb charger that is also a hand warmer, but you could just go low-tech and get those little disposable packets.  Between songs or even during if you aren't two-handed super busy the whole time you could put a hand in your pocket to warm them up.

I had a little heater I bought for work (I'd often take my laptop out to the picnic area to gtfo of the noisy distracting "open office" madness, and in the winter it would get chilly!)  However, you'd need something bigger for a gig especially if you stand--I tried it once, and the wind took the heat away before I ever felt it.

I already preemptively miss the cooler weather, we have outdoor gigs coming up all through summer and I'm going to do my best Wicked Witch of the West impression--either melting in sweat, or swept away by monsoon rain.

[Notes_Norton]

I suffer when it's cold, and am uncomfortable when it's hot. 

I bring fans to outdoor gigs and that solves the heat problem. Nothing I know of solves the cold problem.

 

For me anyway. We are all different.

 

 

Insights and incites by Notes ♫

[ElmerJFudd]

What you don’t want to do is travel down the internet rabbit hole and diagnose yourself with an incurable ailment that causes you great stress.  
 

Cold fingers, cold toes are fairly common issues.  In the short term. Keep them warm with loose footing gloves or mittens.  Under the blanket where you’re watching TV., etc. Then speak to the doc when you get a chance. 

[Notes_Norton]

11 hours ago, ElmerJFudd said:

What you don’t want to do is travel down the internet rabbit hole and diagnose yourself with an incurable ailment that causes you great stress.  

Dr. Google makes more bad diagnoses than correct ones. 

Find a doctor you trust, explain your symptoms, and hope he has better skills than Dr. Google.

Advice from a guy who knows little about medical diagnosis (probably worse than Dr. G.)

 

 

Notes ♫

[Stokely]

I couldn't agree more.

I've had two serious varieties of cancer (I don't count a couple types of minor skin cancers) and after a brief time of looking things up online after the first one I quickly learned that being a head-in-the-sand ostrich is far preferable.  More accurately, I put blinders on for all but my doc's advice.   If you aren't reading about some snakeoil conspiracy "I've got the real cure they don't want you know about!" alternative bullshit, you are reading horrific stories about how people died in a week after receiving their diagnosis.  Much better to, as said above, find a good doc you trust.   That of course can be the rub especially considering our shitty insurance situation--sometimes you are mandated what and who you can see, and good luck paying for stuff without it.    I got lucky to have a specialist in the somewhat-rare cancer I had the first time right in town.  Not to mention, "cancer" is hundreds of different types and then you get into stages and encapsulation (ie, has it broken off pieces or is it contained in a sort of shell) and everyone's case can be different.

TLDR;  I'd see a doc before researching yourself.

[Nowarezman]

I try to just leave the doctoring up to my docs.  But I do read up - I find the websites for the Mayo Clinic and the NHS to be pretty reliable.  The NHS seems to give more "try this at home" advice, which, since they have their heads screwed on right, can be helpful.

 

Misinformation about medical stuff is now a real threat to public health, especially for pop-med topics like diet, immune systems, and the sketchy world of alt medicines and trendy potions/herbs/vitamins/powders/pills and other various cures that range from "won't help but can't hurt" to "you just shortened your lifespan taking that stupid stuff!".

 

What happened to societal progress in a discernible, albeit slow and wandering, direction??

 

nat

 

[Dave Bryce]

I also appreciate the value on being able to read up (from sites where it’s fairly easy to see the info should be reliable), and especially to be able to do things like watch videos on ailments and their possible remedies.  

 

I just had a procedure last week which I managed to find fairly well captured on video before going through it.  I found it so much cooler to be able to visualize what’s going to happen rather than leaving my imagination to run free… 😬

 

dB