Cold nose?
That can be behind it!
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A cold nose can have several causes. In this article, we explain what triggers there are and what helps against the cold tip of the nose.
How does a cold nose develop?
In general, a cold nose occurs because the blood that is supposed to warm the nose is more or less withdrawn, so that the body can use it for other purposes – for example to heat vital organs and thus maintain our body temperature. The principle is the same as with cold hands and feet. In fact, a cold nose often occurs in combination with cold extremities.
This also means that a cold nose or cold hands and feet are initially harmless to our health, even if we are uncomfortable with the cold. Incidentally, women are generally more likely to feel cold than men – This is partly due to the fluctuating estrogen level, as the hormone regulates body temperature, among other things. On the other hand, women have less muscle mass and thinner subcutaneous fat than men. Both ensure that we freeze faster.
What are the causes of a cold nose?
The change in blood flow that makes the nose cold has more than one possible cause. The main triggers include:
- General circulatory disorder
- Cold outside temperatures
- Low blood pressure
- stress
Why stress causes a cold nose
Scientists from the University of Nottingham were able to show in a study that a cold nose can also indicate stress. The principle behind it is the same as when the body regulates blood flow to keep warm: The blood flows to other parts of the body where it is needed more urgently, than in the nose.
In this case, various stress hormones such as cortisol are responsible for this. They ensure that the body is on the alert and can decide in seconds whether we should flee or fight. The concept is a leftover relic from the Stone Age, in which a decision made too slowly could quickly mean death.
For their investigation, the researchers gave their test subjects various tasks and, using a thermal imaging camera, observed how the test subjects' body temperature changed. Your conclusion: The more demanding the tasks became, the more the temperature on the subjects' faces decreased – The effect was most noticeable on the nose.
These tips will help against a cold nose
To get rid of the cold nose The main thing is to treat the cause:
- Freezing / Cold Temperatures / Low Blood Pressure: If you just freeze for various reasons, you should, for example, dress warmer according to the onion principle and make yourself a hot tea that heats up from the inside – ginger tea, for example. A hot water bottle can also help.
- Circulatory disorders: You can promote blood circulation, for example, by alternating showers and hot spices in your food, e.g. B. Chili. If that doesn't help, a doctor should be consulted.
- Stress: You can reduce stress, for example, by taking time for yourself and the things that mean a lot to you: a meeting with your best friend, for example, or doing sports. If you have stress at work above all, you should address the reasons for it. Maybe some work can be delegated or solved differently? Conflicts with colleagues should also not remain unspoken in the room, it only creates a burden.
Reading tips: You can find out what helps against cold hands here. We also explain how painful limbs arise and what a superinfection is.
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