Understanding Red Hands: Nervousness & Cold

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Thank you for reaching out to Dr. Galen. Please find the below response to your query.

When you feel nervous or cold, your body tries to adjust to these feelings by changing how much blood flows to different parts of your body. One common response is that the blood vessels in your hands constrict, which means they become narrower. This can make your hands look redder because less blood is flowing through them. When you're nervous, your body might also release hormones that make your heart beat faster and your hands sweat more, which can also make them appear redder or flushed. So, basically, when you're nervous or cold, your body does things to try to keep you comfortable. One of those things is reducing blood flow to your hands to keep the warmth in your body. Therefore, the combination of vasoconstriction followed by sudden vasodilation is what causes your hands to turn red when you're nervous or cold. It's a physiological response triggered by your body's attempts to regulate temperature and respond to stress. This can make your hands look red. It's a normal response and nothing to worry about unless it happens very often or you have other symptoms you're concerned about.

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