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What Causes Cold Sensation From Knees Down?

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Posted on Mon, 22 Jun 2015
Question: I am an elderly lady -=-94-- and last evening I suddenly started having chills from my knees down. Both legs. I was so cold that I wrapped up my legs. Finally I went to bed with extra flannel pajama bottoms, a flannel night gown, bed socks and turned on my warming blanket. It took about half hour and I fell asleep.

I feel ok this morning, but my legs are colder that usual. My home is in the 70's.
doctor
Answered by Dr. Chobufo Ditah (30 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
Try increasing the temperature in your home....75F at minimum!

Detailed Answer:
Hi and thank you so much for this query.

I am so sorry to hear about these chills that you suffered last night. I must tell you am proud to talk to an elderly lady of your age. It is a rare opportunity and am grateful for this.

I have reviewed your information fully. Chills last night might have been caused by the low temperatures in your home. 70F might not have been high enough to help you. Also, with age, the fatty layer of the skin which both generate and protect heat from escaping from the body is not as efficient as it was in our youths. For this reason, dressing warmer and maintaining room temperature around 75-80F would be great.

With diabetics, blood flow to the limbs is not as great as usual. As a result, the extremities would be more sensitive to lower temperatures than the rest of the body. These are some of the reasons for the chills you suffered.

for now, I recommend that you dress warm, increase the room temperature and monitor your response. Unless something else comes up, you should not panic.

Please, elderly drink much water to stay hydrated. They also exercise as often as possible to keep their health great. A good diet is always a big boost to your health. I cannot emphasize enough the importance of these.

I hope this helps. I wish you well. Thanks for using our services and do feel free to ask for more information and clarifications if need be.
Note: For further queries, consult a joint and bone specialist, an Orthopaedic surgeon. Book a Call now.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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Answered by
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Dr. Chobufo Ditah

General & Family Physician

Practicing since :2009

Answered : 6323 Questions

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What Causes Cold Sensation From Knees Down?

Brief Answer: Try increasing the temperature in your home....75F at minimum! Detailed Answer: Hi and thank you so much for this query. I am so sorry to hear about these chills that you suffered last night. I must tell you am proud to talk to an elderly lady of your age. It is a rare opportunity and am grateful for this. I have reviewed your information fully. Chills last night might have been caused by the low temperatures in your home. 70F might not have been high enough to help you. Also, with age, the fatty layer of the skin which both generate and protect heat from escaping from the body is not as efficient as it was in our youths. For this reason, dressing warmer and maintaining room temperature around 75-80F would be great. With diabetics, blood flow to the limbs is not as great as usual. As a result, the extremities would be more sensitive to lower temperatures than the rest of the body. These are some of the reasons for the chills you suffered. for now, I recommend that you dress warm, increase the room temperature and monitor your response. Unless something else comes up, you should not panic. Please, elderly drink much water to stay hydrated. They also exercise as often as possible to keep their health great. A good diet is always a big boost to your health. I cannot emphasize enough the importance of these. I hope this helps. I wish you well. Thanks for using our services and do feel free to ask for more information and clarifications if need be.