Raynaud's Syndrome

Many people suffer from Raynaud’s attacks during cold weather, and it’s a mild condition in most of the cases and can be managed easily.

Raynaud’s syndrome

Raynaud’s syndrome causes coldness and numbness in some parts of the body, such as the fingers and toes. There are two types of Raynaud’s syndrome:

Primary Raynaud’s (Raynaud’s disease): this is the most common type, and it’s usually mild and resolves on its own. It’s more common in females, people under the age of 30, and people with a family history.

Secondary Raynaud’s (Raynaud’s phenomenon): this type occurs due to an underlying medical condition, and it’s more serious.

Causes of Raynaud’s syndrome

• Raynaud’s syndrome occurs because the small blood vessels that transfer blood to the skin narrow, and this is called a vasospasm.
• There isn’t a clear reason for primary Raynaud’s.
• Causes of secondary Raynaud’s may include carpal tunnel syndrome, lupus, hypothyroidism, pulmonary hypertension, vasculitis, Sjogren’s syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, scleroderma, cancer, Burger’s disease, connective tissue disease, frostbite, repeated actions or vibration, smoking, injuries, and certain medications (like beta blockers, phenylephrine, pseudoephedrine, ergotamine, methylphenidate, and others).
• Raynaud’s syndrome can be triggered by anxiety, stress, holding cold things, and sweat that cools down the skin.

Symptoms of Raynaud’s syndrome

Symptoms of Raynaud’s syndrome are episodic, which means that they come and go, and they include:

• The feeling of coldness and numbness.
• Changing of the skin color from white to blue to red.
• The feeling of warmth and tingling when the blood flow returns.
• Some Raynaud’s attacks may cause ulcers and sores on the fingertips.
• In rare cases, Raynaud’s syndrome can cause tissue damage or gangrene.

Diagnosis of Raynaud’s syndrome

• Physical exam.
• Blood tests.

Treatment of Raynaud’s syndrome

• Treating Raynaud’s syndrome depends on the cause.
• In mild cases, some changes are enough, such as avoiding cold spaces and touching cold things, managing stress, and dressing properly when going out in cold weather.