Description

Raynaud's (ray-NOSE), the disease causes some areas of the body like the fingers of hands and feet — numbness and cold in response to cold or stress. In Raynaud's disease, a disease of the small blood vessels that supply blood to the skin narrow. This limits the flow of blood to the affected areas, which is called vasospasm.

Other names for this condition are:

  • Raynaud's phenomenon.
  • Raynaud's syndrome.

Women are more likely than men to have Raynaud's disease. It seems to be more common in people who live in colder climates.

The treatment of Raynaud's disease depends on how bad it is and whether you have other health conditions. For most people, Raynaud's disease is not disabling, but it can affect your quality of life.

Symptoms

The symptoms of Raynaud's disease include:

  • Cold fingers or toes.
  • Areas of the skin that becomes white, then blue. Depending on your skin color, these color changes may be more difficult or more easy to see.
  • Numb, prickly feeling or stinging pain upon warming or stress relaxation.

During an attack of Raynaud's, affected areas of your skin usually first turn pale. Next, that often change color and feel cold and numb. When the skin is warmed up and the blood flow improves, the affected areas can be changed color again, vibration, tingling, or swelling.

The phenomenon of Raynaud's most commonly affects the fingers of hands and feet. But it can also affect other areas of the body such as the nose, lips, ears and even nipples. After warming up, the return of blood flow to the area can take up to 15 minutes.

When to see a doctor

Consult with your healthcare provider right away if you have a history of severe Raynaud's disease, and pain or infection in one of your affected fingers or toes.

Causes

The experts don't fully understand the cause of Raynaud's attacks. But the blood vessels in the hands and feet seem to react too strongly to cold or stress.

With Raynaud's, the blood vessels of the fingers of the hands and feet narrow when exposed to cold or stress. The narrowing of the vessels to limit the flow of blood. Over time, these small blood vessels can thicken slightly and limit the blood flow even more.

Cold temperatures are the most likely cause of an attack. The examples are by putting your hands in cold water, taking something from a freezer, or being in the cold air. For some people, the emotional stress can trigger an episode.

Primary vs secondary Raynaud's

There are two main types of the disease.

  • Primary Raynaud's. Also called Raynaud's disease, this most common form is not the result of another medical condition. You can be so mild that many people with primary Raynaud's do not seek treatment. And may disappear on its own.
  • Secondary Raynaud's.Also called Raynaud's phenomenon, in this way it develops due to another health condition. Although secondary Raynaud's is less common than the primary form, tends to be more severe. The symptoms of secondary Raynaud's usually appear around the age of 40. That is after they appear the primary symptoms of Raynaud's disease.

Secondary Raynaud's. Also called Raynaud's phenomenon, in this way it develops due to another health condition. Although secondary Raynaud's is less common than the primary form, tends to be more severe.

The symptoms of secondary Raynaud's usually appear around the age of 40. That is after they appear the primary symptoms of Raynaud's disease.

Causes of secondary Raynaud's include:

  • Diseases of the connective tissue. Most of the people who have a rare disease that leads to hardening and scarring of the skin, known as scleroderma have Raynaud's. Other diseases that increase the risk of Raynaud's disease include lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and Sjogren's syndrome.
  • Diseases of the blood vessels. These include a buildup of fatty deposits in the blood vessels that feed the heart and a disorder in which the blood vessels of the hands and feet are swollen. A type of high blood pressure that affects the blood vessels of the lungs can also cause secondary Raynaud's.
  • The carpal tunnel syndrome. This condition involves the pressure on a major nerve to the hand. The pressure that causes numbness and pain in the hand that can make the hand to react more to the low temperatures.
  • Repeated actions or vibration. Write, play the piano or doing movements like that for long periods of time can cause overuse injuries. So that you can use vibrating tools such as jackhammers.
  • The habit of smoking. Smoking narrows the blood vessels.
  • Injuries to the hands or the feet. Examples include a wrist rest, surgery or freezing.
  • Certain medications. These include beta-blockers for high blood pressure, certain drugs for migraine, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder with medications, certain medicines for cancer and some cold medicines.

Risk factors

Risk factors for primary Raynaud's include:

  • The sex assigned at birth. The condition affects more women than men.
  • Age. Although anyone can develop the condition, primary Raynaud's often begins between the ages of 15 and 30.
  • Climate. The disease is also more common in people who live in colder climates.
  • The history of the family. Having a parent, sibling or child with the disease seems to increase the risk of primary Raynaud's.

Risk factors for secondary Raynaud's include:

  • Certain diseases. These include conditions such as scleroderma and lupus.
  • Certain jobs. These include jobs that cause repeated trauma, such as the use of vibrating tools.
  • Certain substances. These include: smoking, taking drugs that affect the blood vessels and being around certain chemicals, such as vinyl chloride.

Complications

If secondary Raynaud's is severe, the reduction of blood flow to the fingers of the hands or feet may cause damage to the tissues. But that is rare.

A complete blockage of the blood vessels can cause sores on the skin or dead tissue. This can be difficult to treat. Rarely, a very bad untreated cases may require the removal of the affected part of the body.

Prevention

To help prevent the disease Raynaud's attacks:

  • Package outdoor.When it's cold, wear a hat, scarf, socks, and boots, and two sets of mittens or gloves. Thermal underwear can help. A jacket with cuffs that close around mittens or gloves help protect the hands from the cold air. Use earmuffs and a face mask if the tip of your nose and your ears too cold.
  • Hot of your car. Run your car heater for a couple of minutes before driving in cold weather.
  • Take care in the interior.Wear socks. To take food from the refrigerator or freezer, use gloves, mittens, or gloves for the oven. Some people find it helpful to wear gloves and socks to sleep during the winter. Because the air conditioning can cause attacks, set your air conditioner on a warmer temperature. The use of the glasses of water to keep your hands feeling cold.

Package outdoor. When it's cold, wear a hat, scarf, socks, and boots, and two sets of mittens or gloves. Thermal underwear can help. A jacket with cuffs that close around mittens or gloves help protect the hands from the cold air.

Use earmuffs and a face mask if the tip of your nose and your ears too cold.

Take care in the interior. Wear socks. To take food from the refrigerator or freezer, use gloves, mittens, or gloves for the oven. Some people find it helpful to wear gloves and socks to sleep during the winter.

Because the air conditioning can cause attacks, set your air conditioner on a warmer temperature. The use of the glasses of water to keep your hands feeling cold.

Diagnosis

Your healthcare provider will ask about your symptoms and medical history and do a physical exam. You may also have tests to rule out other medical problems that can cause the same symptoms.

Tests

A test called the nailfold capillaroscopy can tell the difference between primary and secondary Raynaud's. During the test, the professional uses a microscope or magnifying glass to look for anything unusual in the skin at the base of the nail. This could include inflammation of the blood vessels.

The blood tests can help find out if another condition, such as an autoimmune condition or a connective tissue disease is the cause of Raynaud's disease. Blood tests for Raynaud's disease may include:

  • Antinuclear antibodies test, also called the ANA test. A positive test result often means that the immune system mistakenly attacks the tissue of the body. This is called an autoimmune reaction. Such activity of the immune system is common in people who have connective tissue diseases or other autoimmune disorders.
  • The erythrocyte sedimentation rate. This test shows the rate at which red blood cells fall to the bottom of a tube. A faster than the typical rate could be a sign of an inflammatory or autoimmune diseases.

There is a blood test can diagnose Raynaud's disease. Other tests, such as the rule out diseases of the blood vessels, can help you to find a condition that may be related to Raynaud's phenomenon.

Treatment

Dressing for the cold in layers and the use of gloves or thick socks can usually help mild symptoms of Raynaud's disease. Medications can treat the most severe symptoms. The goals of This treatment are:

  • Reduce the number of attacks and how bad they are.
  • Keep tissue damage occurs.
  • The treatment of the underlying disease or condition.

Drugs

Depending on the cause of the symptoms, the medications can help. The medications used to treat people with Raynaud's disease may include:

  • Calcium channel blockers. These medicines relax and open the small blood vessels of the hands and feet. These drugs can also help to cure sores on the fingers or toes of the feet. Examples include nifedipine (Procardia), amlodipine (Norvasc), felodipine, and isradipine.
  • Vasodilators. These medications relax the blood vessels. These include high blood pressure medication losartan (Cozaar), the erectile dysfunction medicine sildenafil (Viagra, Revatio), the antidepressant fluoxetine (Prozac), and a class of medications called prostaglandins.

Surgeries and medical procedures

The surgery or injections may be necessary to treat the severe Raynaud's disease.

  • Surgery of the nerves.The nerves in the hands and feet to control the opening and narrowing of the blood vessels in the skin. The cut of these nerves stops those answers. Through small cuts in the affected hands or feet, a health care professional small strips nerves around the blood vessels. This surgery, if successful, could lead to fewer and shorter attacks.
  • Injection of chemicals. Photos of numbing medications or onabotulinumtoxinA (Botox) can block the nerves in the affected hands or feet. Some people need more than once, if your symptoms persist or recur.

Surgery of the nerves. The nerves in the hands and feet to control the opening and narrowing of the blood vessels in the skin. The cut of these nerves stops those answers.

Through small cuts in the affected hands or feet, a health care professional small strips nerves around the blood vessels. This surgery, if successful, could lead to fewer and shorter attacks.

Lifestyle and home remedies

You can take steps to reduce the phenomenon of Raynaud's attacks and help you to feel better.

  • Avoid the smoke. Smoking, or vaping breathe the smoke of another person squeezes the blood vessels. This causes the skin temperature to drop.
  • Exercise. Exercise increases the flow of blood. And it has many other health benefits. If you have secondary Raynaud's, talk with your health care professional before exercising outdoors in the cold.
  • Manage stress. Stress can trigger symptoms of Raynaud's. Find ways to help reduce emotional stress. Do more exercise, the practice of mindfulness and join support groups are some of the ways to reduce and manage stress.
  • Avoid temperatures that vary rapidly. Try not to quickly go from heat to air conditioning.

What to do during an attack

Hot hands, feet or other affected areas. Do the following to gently warm your fingers and toes:

  • In or to a warmer area.
  • Move fingers of hands and feet.
  • Place the hands under the armpits.
  • To make a large circle with your arms.
  • Run warm — not hot — water in the fingers and toes.
  • The massage of the hands and feet.

If stress triggers an attack, to get away from the stress and relax. The practice of a stress-relieving technique that works for you. Warm your hands or feet in the water to help decrease the attack.

Alternative medicine

Certain practices and supplements that help the blood to flow better can help to control the disease Raynaud's. However, alternative medicine, practices need more studies to find out how much it can help Raynaud's disease. If you are interested, talk with your healthcare provider about:

  • The fish oil. Take fish oil supplements might increase the flow of blood.
  • Ginkgo. Ginkgo supplements could help to decrease the number of attacks of Raynaud's.
  • Acupuncture. This practice appears to improve blood flow, which can help Raynaud's attacks.
  • Biofeedback. The use of the mind to control the body temperature can help to Raynaud's disease. Biofeedback includes guided imagery to raise the temperature of the hands and feet, deep breathing, and other exercises to relax. Your health care professional may be able to suggest a therapist who can help you to learn the techniques of biofeedback. There are books and videos on the subject.

Talk with your health care professional if you are thinking of try other treatments. Your health care professional may warn you if there are potential side effects.

Preparing for your appointment

Your primary health care provider will likely be able to diagnose Raynaud's disease based on their symptoms. You may be referred to a provider trained in disorders of the joints, bones and muscles. This type of health care provider is called a rheumatologist.

Here is the information to help you prepare for your appointment.

Make a list of:

  • The symptoms, when they started and what seems to trigger them.
  • Other medical conditions that you and your family, in particular connective tissue or autoimmune diseases.
  • All the drugs, vitamins, and other supplements that you take, including over-dose.
  • Questions to ask your provider.

Have a friend or family member, if possible, to help you remember the information that you receive.

Questions to ask your provider include:

  • What is likely causing my symptoms?
  • If I have Raynaud's disease, it is primary or secondary?
  • What treatment do you recommend, if any?
  • How can I reduce the risk of a Raynaud's attack?
  • I have other health conditions. How can I manage together?

Do not hesitate to ask other questions.

What to expect from your doctor

Your provider is likely to ask questions such as:

  • During a Raynaud's attack, making your fingers or toes change colour, or a feeling of numbness or pain?
  • Has someone in your family has been diagnosed with Raynaud's disease?
  • Do you smoke?
  • The amount of caffeine which, if any, do you have a journal?
  • What do you do for a living and for recreation?
Symptoms and treatment of Raynaud's disease