Question – hands cold

[Scott Ireland]

So up until last winter, I almost never felt cold…could hike in the nastiest of weather with basic winter gear. But this past March, I underwent a big neck surgery (four level fusion, front and back – 10 1/2 hours in surgery). Ever since then, the one hand that had been most affected by the spinal nerve damage is ALWAYS cold…even when it doesn't seem cold. Any thoughts or experience with something like this, and any suggestions for basic gloves (I used to use the old military surplus wool liners) but they don't seem warm enough now.

[Paul Magnanti]

First, mitts are going to be warmer than gloves. May want to use them instead.

IF you want the absolute most bomber mitts that are uber warm, get some boiled wool mitts.

http://www.bradleyalpinist.com/cart/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=42
http://store.mountaineer.com/product_p/arcticmitts.htm
http://www.sweatersintl.com/woolmittens.html

I suggested them to a person with Raynaud's syndrome and he has been super stoked since.

I'd still wear them with a very light liner.

Down mitts are warmer and lighter, but are less versatile IMO.

[Scott Ireland]

Ah yes – know the Mountaineer well (and they know my money well!). Might be a good idea…I've tried mitts before and didn't like them, but that was before the freezing hand syndrome hit!

[Greg Mihalik]

I've battled with (idiopathic) cold hands for a while. Seemingly no rhyme or reason with regards to air temperature or level of effort. Even chemical heaters were marginal.

Go out wearing mittens, under vapor barrier shells, and a light or mid-weight base layer with an integrated hood (crucial in my opinion), and a light hooded wind shell. It should be seamless at your wrists (No gaps.)

I know that's overkill, but it will tell you if there's any hope. And if there is, you can swap and mod to get something dialed.

With a hoody and wind shell I often get by with light mitts, whereas before my hands would be useless. The full-on set gets me to zero with no problem.

Good luck.

[Paul McLaughlin]

First of all make sure you are keeping your core temperature up, because if your core temp dips you'll have a much harder time keeping your hand warm. As a guy who tends toward furnace when moving but cools off fast when stopped, and having some issues with Reynauds (or something similar), I find I have to watch my layers more carefully to stay in the right range. I used to be able to get a little cold all over and not have it be a problem – I'd warm up as soon as I started moving. But now If I let that happen I'll have a hell of a time with my fingers. So I have to manage more closely; as soon as I stop I'll add a layer or so to keep the core temp up. Good handwear helps, but if the circulation to your hands drops they won't warm up no matter what you have on them.
A question – have you had a change in perception of cold? In other words, your hand can feel cold to you while it doesn't feel cold to the touch (and vice versa). If you have had changes in that relationship (which wouldn't be surprising with the nerve damage), then the approach/remedies my be different. I have some nerve damage in both hands (too many years of carpentry during the day and keyboard at night)and have seen a hand specialist about it. He couldn't help me much but I did learn that nerves heal very slowly – if they heal at all.
Good luck.

[Scott Ireland]

Thanks Paul…

Interestingly enough, most of the cold sensation is not in my fingers, but the back of my right hand…and it is cold to the touch as well. My fingers do the same thing, but not as intensely as the back of the hand does.

I do take a few blood pressure meds as well – my doctor warned me about hypothermia and frostbite issues because she said one of them actually makes me more sensitive to cold – but this is really the first year I've noticed it as a problem, which is why I figured it's related to the surgery.

I'm going to try the wool mitts with a shell (I have a good Outdoor Research shell mitt) and hope for the best with the dexterity. And pack a few handwarmers just in case!

Thanks again for all the suggestions…keep them coming!

[Roger Caffin]

That's probably a nerve problem, and very hard to fix.

But make sure your ARM is quite warm, so the blood reaching your hand is warm. No use putting mega-gloves on when the incoming blood is cold.

Cheers

[Katherine .]

I have some very slight nerve damage from a wisdom tooth removal. Left side of my lower jaw feels a little stiff sometimes. More noticeable when it's cold.

So yeah: nerve stuff + cool, i get it. Over 24 years mine has not gone away, but it bothers me much less now. Maybe I got used to it?

[Richard Fischel]

i wonder which bp medicine is at issue with the cold. nifedipine, a bp medicine, is the only drug approved to treat Raynaud's. maybe it's vasodilating effect results in a more rapid reduction in core temperature as blood more easily flows to the extremities and that triggers hypothermia, similar in effect to when the thermostat on your car is stuck in the open position. nifedipine is also used to help prevent the onset hape, so if it makes you more susceptible to hypothermia that would be good to know.

[Scott Ireland]

I'm not sure I remember – but I don't take nifedipine…still, it's probably the calcium channel blocker that is causing this. I'll confirm with her and reply.

[Eric Blumensaadt]

Sounds like a surgically caused Renaud's syndrome. It's a nerve problem that leaves hands with very poor circulation. They even turn blue. I had a friend with this and he had surgery to CURE it.

[Rick Reno]

I have a similar problem, dating back (I'm told) to repeated mild cases of frostnip/bite as a child growing up skiing in NH.

Last year I got a pair of Pacerpoles, and this winter for the first time I'm using "overmitts" made of neoprene, which slip and stay over the handles of the poles. For while you're moving at least, they are PHENOMENAL… check them our here- http://www.pacerpole.com/product/pacerpole-over-mitts- and yo might be able to adapt them for regular poles or make something similar. Better yet: make the switch to PacerPoles!

No, I don't have any vested interes tin the company ;-)

Have fun!

[Scott Ireland]

Thanks for the ideas…so far I've been using a pair of woolen (Dachstein like, but different brand) with a pair of Outdoor Research shells, and they seem to be working pretty well. I still HATE mittens, but my hands are warm!

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[Scott Ireland]

Yep – definitely something to be aware of, but not an issue here (not that the body hasn't expanded after too many holidays over the years).

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