Understanding Raynaud's Disease: Symptoms, Causes, and Prevention Tips
Doctor explains Raynaud's Disease: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatments. Discover how to manage this condition, prevent attacks, and when to seek medical help. Learn about primary and secondary Raynaud's and their risk factors.
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Topic Breakdown
Raynaud's disease can cause certain areas of the body, such as your fingers and toes, to feel numb and cold in response to cold temperatures or stress. Many of you on the channel have asked me to make a video on this topic, so here it is. I hope you find it helpful. In this blog post, we'll discuss what Raynaud's disease is, its symptoms, causes, risk factors, treatment, prevention, and when to see your doctor.
Raynaud's disease occurs when smaller arteries that supply blood to the skin narrow in response to triggers like cold weather. This limits blood flow to the affected areas, a condition known as vasospasm. Over time, the small arteries can thicken slightly, further limiting blood flow.
When it comes to signs and symptoms, the first thing you'll likely notice is that the affected areas of your skin can turn white and then blue. Depending on your skin color, these changes may be harder or easier to see. You may also notice particularly cold fingers or toes, or experience changes in sensation, such as a numb, prickly feeling or stinging pain. When the skin warms and blood flow improves, the affected areas may change color again and may throb, tingle, or swell. While Raynaud's most commonly affects fingers and toes, it can also affect other areas of the body, such as the nose, lips, and ears. Even after warming up, it can take up to 15 minutes for blood flow to return to the area.
As for the causes, experts don't fully understand why Raynaud's attacks occur, but blood vessels in the hands and feet appear to react too strongly to cold temperatures or stress. Cold temperatures are the most likely cause of an attack, with examples including putting hands in cold water, taking something from a freezer, or being in cold air. Emotional stress can also trigger an episode.
There are two main types of Raynaud's disease: primary and secondary. Primary Raynaud's, also called Raynaud's disease, is the most common form and is not the result of another medical condition. It can be so mild that many people with primary Raynaud's don't seek treatment, and it can even go away on its own. Secondary Raynaud's, also called Raynaud's phenomenon, develops because of another health condition. Although less common than the primary form, secondary Raynaud's tends to be more serious. Symptoms of secondary Raynaud's usually appear after the age of 40, which is later than for primary Raynaud's.
Causes of secondary Raynaud's can include connective tissue diseases like scleroderma, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and Sjogren's syndrome. Diseases of the arteries, such as the buildup of fatty deposits in blood vessels that feed the heart, and a disorder in which the blood vessels of the hands and feet become inflamed, can also be causes. A type of high blood pressure that affects the arteries in the lungs may cause secondary Raynaud's as well. Carpal tunnel syndrome, which involves pressure on a major nerve to the hand, can make the hand react more to cold temperatures. Repeated actions or vibrations, such as typing, playing the piano, or using vibrating tools like jackhammers, can cause overuse injuries leading to secondary Raynaud's. Smoking, injuries to the hand or feet, and certain medicines can also be contributing factors.
Risk factors for primary Raynaud's include being female, as women are more commonly affected than men. Age is another factor, with primary Raynaud's often beginning between the ages of 15 and 30. The likelihood of developing Raynaud's is higher for people who live in colder climates and those with a family history of the disease.
Risk factors for developing secondary Raynaud's include having the diseases mentioned earlier, jobs that cause repeated trauma, using certain substances like smoking, taking medicines that affect blood vessels, and exposure to certain chemicals like vinyl chloride.
To help prevent Raynaud's attacks, bundle up outdoors when it's cold. Wear a hat, scarf, socks, boots, and two sets of mittens or gloves. Thermal underwear and a coat with cuffs that can be closed around the mittens or gloves can also help. Consider wearing ear muffs and a face mask if the tip of your nose or earlobes get too cold. Warm your car before driving in cold weather, and take care indoors by wearing socks. When taking food out of the refrigerator or freezer, try wearing gloves or oven mitts. Some people might find it helpful to wear mittens and socks to bed during winter. Air conditioning can also cause attacks, so set your air conditioner to a slightly warmer temperature, especially during summer.
If your symptoms are very bad or getting worse, your doctor may prescribe a medicine to help improve circulation, such as nifedipine, which is used to treat high blood pressure. This will be done on a case-by-case basis, weighing the potential risks and benefits. Some people need to take this medicine every day, while others only use it to prevent Raynaud's during cold weather. Your doctor may also arrange other tests if they think Raynaud's could be a sign of an underlying condition, like rheumatoid arthritis or lupus.
You should see your doctor if you have symptoms of Raynaud's that are very bad or getting worse, if Raynaud's is affecting your daily life, if your symptoms are only on one side of the body, if you also have joint pains, skin rashes, or muscle weakness, if you're over 30 years old and get symptoms of Raynaud's for the first time, or if your child is under 12 years old and has symptoms of Raynaud's.
Finally, I've included resources from Scleroderma and Raynaud's UK, a charity in the UK with many useful resources on their website. You might find it helpful and informative, as it contains more information than we could cover in this post. If you have any questions or comments, please leave them below. Consider liking this post and sharing it with a friend or family member. Thank you for reading, and until next time, take care.
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