My husband used to say my feet were colder than the Arctic wind.

In fact, at one point, he threatened to start sleeping in the guest room if I didn’t wear warm socks to bed instead of warming my cold toes up on his legs.

Well, that was before I got my Hashimoto’s under control. But if you’re dealing with cold toes and you don’t have a thyroid problem, don’t ignore this distress call…

That’s because cold feet can be a sign of a serious circulation problem that may start in the small blood vessels — but can signal big trouble…

Blood vessels and your feet

Since your circulatory system is responsible for head-to-toe blood flow, the blood vessels in your feet can often sound the first alarm of problems to come.

That’s because your heart works extra hard to pump blood through arteries that reach vital organs, like the brain. By the time your blood vessels reach your feet, they’ve branched in numerous directions, getting smaller and smaller in size, much like the twigs that branch off a tree.

And it’s in these smaller vessels where trouble can quickly escalate…

Tiny, little masses called microemboli, made of cholesterol, can get stuck.

While these little clogs, also known as emboli, pass easily through large vessels, they struggle to pass through smaller vessels, making it easy to cut off the blood supply to your toes.

Two signs you shouldn’t miss

When this happens, your feet are going to sound an alarm — and it won’t just be cold feet. They’ll be painful and even change color, turning blue or purple.

Doctors call it blue toe syndrome.

It can be dangerous because when the tissues of your feet are starved of oxygen, it can lead to cell death, gangrene and even amputation of the toes and feet.

What’s worse is that the microemboli that cause blue toe syndrome can indicate a potentially serious problem in larger arteries that are upstream from these little guys.

Other signs that could indicate blue toe syndrome include:

• Foot pain
• Muscle pain in the legs
• Ulcers on the feet
• Nodules or lesions on the feet
• Bruising

Be sure to let your doctor know if any of these are occurring.

Supporting head-to-toe blood flow

Fibrin is a protein the body uses under normal circumstances to keep a clot from spreading while tissue heals. It helps a clot dissolve once it's no longer needed, such as after a wound heals. 

The body's fibrin production declines with age, and that's one reason circulation issues arise with age as well. 

Nattokinase is a fibrinolytic enzyme discovered over 40 years ago by Japanese medical researcher Hiroyuki Sumi, M.D., who demonstrated its ability to support circulation. 

Dr. Sumi stumbled upon nattokinase while testing several natural substances on clots in the lab. One of the substances he tested was natto, a traditional Japanese dish made from fermented soybeans, and considered a health food.

The benefits of nattokinase have been studied in over 17 scientific studies, including human clinical trials. According to the University of Cincinnati, a single dose of 100 mg nattokinase was sufficient to enhance circulation profiles.

Natto is readily available at specialty markets. Vitamin K2 is also a good source. Just nature's way of helping to keep your toes warm and signaling healthy circulation.

Sources:

What is blue toe syndrome — Medical News Today

Blue Toe Syndrome — DermaNet

An often overlooked body part could give you clues about your health – CNN