Thermoregulation is the process by which your body naturally regulates and maintains you body temperature. Unfortunately, this may not be enough for people who are impacted more by the freezing temperatures. Learn why some people feel colder than others.

How do you stay warm in the freezing winter months? The first way is by wearing lots of layers of comfortable and woolen clothing and the second way is by keeping your body temperature warm. When it is freezing outside, your body temperature will also fall and this is natural. But, it should not fall too low otherwise you are at risk of getting hypothermia. Thermoregulation is the process by which your body naturally regulates and maintains you body temperature. Several parts of our body play a vital role in thermoregulation for instance: the skin, our sweat glands, the hypothalamus ad the circulatory system. Here are its main functions:

• Your skins function is to keep the internal organs protected from the outside temperature.
• The sweat glands secrete water in the form of sweat to cool the body. But, in winters you do not sweat as much because the temperature outside is already cool.
• The blood vessels of the circulatory system adapt to the temperature outside and protect internal blood flow.
• Hypothalamus is present in the brain and its function is to regulate the body temperature depending on what the temperature is outside.

Factors That Impact Body Temperature Regulation

During the freezing cold winters, some people are able to cope and deal with it easily while others feel very cold and no matter how many warm clothes they were, their body temperature does not become warmer. These people are impacted by cold temperatures more and there are some factors that play a role.

1. Elderly people are less immune to cold weather and it may be difficult for them to control their body temperature. The same thing happens to young people. They lose body heat more easily hence, feel colder than others.
2. People who have a skinnier body type may feel more cold than people who are slightly on the heavier side. This is because, heavier bodies contain more fatty layers which provide natural warmth. But unfortunately, skinny people do not have this advantage.
3. Underlying medical conditions like diabetes, hypothyroidism can also impact body temperature.
4. Certain medications also have an impact on body temperature regulation for instance: sedatives, blood pressure medicines, psychiatric medicines. These can increase your risk of feeling cold.

Tips To Regulate Your Body Temperature

If your body temperature is dropping below normal, it is a concern as you might get hypothermia. It is important to take every precaution there is to keep yourself warm:

1. Cover your ears, face, hands and feet with warm clothes.
2. Wear warm jackets and sweaters.
3. Use a room heater or blower.
4. Drink hot beverages and eat hot food.
5. Exercise to keep your blood circulation active.
6. Take a warm shower as it is known to warm your body.