In his case, the underlying problem is poor circulation. The poor pump, coupled with arteriosclerosis or occlusion of the peripheral blood vessels next to the skin, results in reduced blood flow to the fingers and toes. Other people who are susceptible to freezing digits include those with carpal tunnel syndrome or uncontrolled diabetes, or anyone who uses vibrating machinery such as a jackhammer. Some medications, particularly the beta-blocking drugs used in treating heart patients, exacerbate cold sensitivity. I just have to drink them very fast now.
Stress can play a factor.
So can race. Dr. Elton Adams, a Great Falls, Montana, mountaineer and a physician who specializes in cold injuries, explains that upon exposure to cold, the body's initial response is to constrict the blood vessels near the skin, which directs more blood to the core, where it is needed for survival. Surface vessels re-dilate to flush warming blood into the hands and feet. Regardless of race, more women complain about cold sensitivity than men. That may be partly due to smaller body size, says Adams, but he points out that more women than men also suffer from Raynaud's disease.