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- Raynaud's Disease is a
disease process that causes the fingertips to turn white or
blue when exposed to cold or when one is under stress.
It is caused by reduced circulation to the fingers because
the blood vessels tighten (or constrict). Young women
are most commonly afflicted. It is usually a mild disease
that does not cause severe problems.
- Raynaud's affects the circulation, most often of otherwise healthy, young women, usually between 15 and 45 years old. The main symptom involves the fingertips turning very white (or occasionally blue) when exposed to cold, or when one is under emotional stress. The fingers then turn red when re-warmed. There may be some pain or numbness. The disease is usually mild and, in most cases, does not cause any permanent problems. Treatment is mainly to keep the hands warm.
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- Most people with this disease notice
that their hands turn very white (or perhaps even blue) when
they are exposed to cold conditions or when they are under a
lot of stress.
- The process usually affects the
fingers, but may also affect the toes.
- Initially, only one or two fingers
may be affected. However, eventually it will affect
the other fingers and sometimes even the palms. The
thumbs usually are not involved.
- The disease usually affects both
hands, not just one hand.
- Symptoms either go away by
themselves or when the hands are re-warmed, for example with
a heater or with hot water.
- Once the hands are re-warmed, they
usually turn very red.
- Some people may notice pain,
numbness, stiffness, or swelling as the symptoms disappear.
- In between attacks, there are
usually no symptoms at all.
- When the pulses are checked, they
are normal. The arteries supplying the hands are fine
and are not narrowed. Rather, the problem is that the
blood vessels spasm and contract when exposed to cold or
when the person is under stress.
- If the condition is very severe,
ulcers may form on the fingertips or the muscles, and skin
in the fingertips may become weak and atrophied.
- Symptoms of Raynaud's Disease may
slowly get worse. The episodes of the hands turning white
may occur more often and last longer.
- Symptoms usually disappear when the weather becomes warmer.
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- It is not clear what causes Raynaud's Disease. Basically, the blood vessels tighten up and there is reduced circulation to the fingers. It is believed that there is some nerve involvement as a causal factor. However, this has not been conclusively proven.
- Others feel that there may be some relation to an infection caused by a bacterium known as Helicobacter pylori. However, this is still being studied. (Need to check with a rheumatologist.)
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- Primarily based on symptoms
- There are no specific tests for the disease.
- However, tests to rule out other diseases usually need to be done.
- If the symptoms fit and the person has symptoms for more than 3 years without developing another disease, then the diagnosis can be made.
- Most blood tests are normal in people with Raynaud's Disease.
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- There are no specific risk factors other than exposure to cold or emotional stress. We are still not sure what causes the disease.
- It is believed that smoking may worsen the disease.
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- The primary treatment is to keep the hands warm. Protect them from exposure to cold.
- Also, hands should be protected from any injury. Due to the problems with circulation, wounds heal more slowly in people with this disease. If an infection does occur, it is harder to treat because of reduced circulation.
- Lotions and moisturizers should be used to keep the hands and fingertips moist.
- If you smoke, you must stop immediately.
- Medication can be tried when the above measures are not effective. However, the response to medications varies from person-to-person.
- Nitroglycerin -- this can be taken as a pill or applied as a patch. In a few cases, nitroglycerin ointment applied directly to the fingers has been tried with some success. However, this is not very practical.
- Nifedipine -- this medicine is generally used to control blood pressure. It can also be used to treat the disease, but, once again, results vary from person-to-person.
- Sympathectomy -- this is a type of surgery. If the condition becomes very severe and medications are not working, then surgery can be done to cut the nerves that cause the blood vessels to tighten (or constrict). This will let the blood vessels dilate and help improve circulation. However, in many cases, the body adapts after a few years and the symptoms reappear. This is truer in the hands. In the feet, surgery usually results in a more permanent solution. If the symptoms do reappear, they are often not as severe.
- Most cases of Raynaud's Disease are not severe. It usually only causes mild symptoms. In a few cases, however, the disease may get worse fairly rapidly and lead to more severe symptoms -- causing significant disability.
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- Formation of ulcers on the fingertips
- Numbness or tingling
- Pain
- Weakening of the muscles of the hand
- The skin may thin and weaken.
- Stiffening of the joints
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- Seek medical attention.
- Also, try to keep your hands warm as much as possible.
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- There is no real way to prevent this disease. You can try to reduce the symptoms by avoiding exposure to cold.
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