What
is Raynaud’s Disease?
Raynaud's disease is
a condition of the circulation that
affects blood supply to the skin and
causes the extremities of the body
to lose feeling and become numb. The
symptoms of Raynaud’s are most
commonly associated with cold
and stress and sufferers of
this condition will find their toes
and fingers feel very cold or even
lose sensation in response to a stressful
situation or exposure to cold.
People with Raynaud’s
disease may also notice their skin changing
color to pale and then to blue when they
are cold or stressed - particularly the
fingers. They may feel a prickly
numbness when cold or stressed
and sometimes a stinging pain with throbbing
and redness when they begin to relax
or warm up as blood returns to the extremities.
Though not completely understood,
Raynaud’s seems to be caused by an
overreaction of blood vessels in the
extremities to temperature and stress. In
normal physiology, when a person’s
body is exposed to cold the blood vessels
in the extremities become narrowed and
slow down blood supply to the fingers
and toes.
This is to prevent excessive
heat loss from these areas and preserve
the body’s core temperature. Similarly,
in times of stress the evolutionary “flight
or fight” response is triggered
and blood flow to the fingers and toes
is reduced as the body tries to conserve
blood for the vital organs and muscles.
In people with Raynaud’s these
responses are exaggerated - causing troublesome
symptoms. The reduced blood flow leaves
the extremities looking pale or even
blue and cold as no warm blood reaches
these areas.
What causes Raynaud’s?
Some people have Raynaud's
as a complication of an underlying disorder
(Secondary Raynaud’s) though more
commonly this disease appears independently
and on its own and is known as Primary
Raynaud’s. In Primary Raynaud’s
the cause of the condition remains unknown.
Conditions that may cause Secondary
Raynaud’s include Scleroderma, a
condition that causes hardening of
connective tissue, Lupus, Rheumatoid
Arthritis, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and
other diseases that affect the arteries
including atherosclerosis. Smoking,
beta blockers, certain Chemotherapy
agents and some OTC cold and flu medications
can also predispose an individual to
Raynaud’s.
Certain factors may also
increase an individual’s risk of
having Primary Raynaud’s. Women
are generally more commonly affected
as are people who live in cold places
and those who suffer from chronic stress.
Complications:
Complications of Raynaud’s
are fairly rare and the day-to-day discomfort
and inconvenience is the most common
complaint amongst sufferers of this condition.
In severe cases though, blood supply
to the fingers and toes could diminish
on a long-term basis causing poor
healing of sores, development of ulcers
and, in the worst cases, gangrene and
amputation. It is important
to seek medical assistance immediately
if you suffer from Raynaud’s and
develop an ulcer or infection on one
of any of your fingers or toes.
How is Raynaud’s
usually treated?
Conventional treatment
of Raynaud’s will include treatment
of the underlying condition (in Secondary
Raynaud’s) as well as medications to
reduce the frequency of attacks and prevent
tissue damage. These medications work
mostly on the principle of dilating the
blood vessels in order to prevent the
symptoms of Raynaud’s. In severe
cases surgery on the nerves in
the hands and feet may be performed. |
