Raynaud's illness causes some parts of your body, such as your fingers and toes, to go numb and chilly in reaction to cold weather or stress. Raynaud's illness causes narrowing of the tiny arteries that carry blood to your skin, reducing blood flow to afflicted regions (vasospasm).
Raynaud's illness, commonly known as Raynaud's or Raynaud's phenomenon or syndrome, affects women more than males. It appears to be more prevalent in those living in colder areas.
Raynaud's disease treatment is determined on the severity of the problem and whether you have any underlying medical issues. Raynaud's illness isn't usually debilitating, but it might have an impact on your quality of life.
WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF RAYNAUD'S DISEASE?
Raynaud's disease signs and symptoms include:
- Cold hands or feet
- Your skin's color changes in reaction to cold or stress.
- Numbness, prickliness, or stinging discomfort after warming or stress release
During a Raynaud's episode, the afflicted parts of your skin normally become white initially. They frequently become blue and feel chilly and numb as a result. The afflicted regions may grow red, throb, tickle, or swell as you warm up and your circulation improves.
Although Raynaud's disease most usually affects your fingers and toes, it can also affect your nose, lips, ears, and even your nipples. The recovery of normal blood flow to the region after warming up might take up to 15 minutes.
WHAT ARE THE CAUSES OF RAYNAUD'S DISEASE?
The etiology of Raynaud's episodes is unknown, however blood vessels in the hands and feet appear to respond to cold temperatures or stress.
Blood vessels in spasm
When exposed to cold or stress, the arteries to your fingers and toes contract and temporarily reduce blood circulation. These tiny arteries might harden gradually over time, reducing blood flow even further.
An attack is more likely to be triggered by cold weather. The most common trigger is exposure to cold, such as dipping your hands in cold water, getting something from a freezer, or being in cold air. Emotional tension might set off an episode in certain people.
Primary vs. secondary Raynaud's
The condition is classified into two categories.
- Primary Raynaud's: This most frequent kind, often known as Raynaud's illness, is not caused by a medical ailment. Because it can be so mild, many persons with primary Raynaud's disease do not seek therapy. And it has the ability to resolve itself.
- Secondary Raynaud's: This kind, also known as Raynaud's phenomenon, is caused by an underlying issue. Although secondary Raynaud's is less prevalent than primary Raynaud's, it is more dangerous.
Secondary Raynaud's symptoms commonly occur at the age of 40, much later than original Raynaud's.
Secondary Raynaud's disease is caused by a variety of factors, including:
- Connective tissue diseases: Raynaud's disease affects the majority of persons who have a rare condition that causes skin hardening and scarring (scleroderma). Lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and Sjogren's syndrome are other conditions that raise the incidence of Raynaud's.
- Diseases of the arteries: These include plaque accumulation in blood vessels that supply the heart, an inflammation of the blood vessels in the hands and feet, and a kind of high blood pressure that affects the arteries of the lungs.
- Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS): This disorder causes pressure on a key nerve in your hand, causing numbness and discomfort and making the hand more vulnerable to low temperatures.
- Repetitive movement or vibration: Long durations of typing, piano playing, or similar movements, as well as operating vibrating instruments such as jackhammers, can result in overuse problems.
- Smoking: Smoking causes blood arteries to narrow.
- Hand or foot injuries: A wrist fracture, surgery, or frostbite are among examples.
- Some medicines: Beta blockers for high blood pressure, migraine meds including ergotamine and sumatriptan, ADHD medications, some chemotherapeutic agents, and pharmaceuticals that induce blood vessels to shrink, such as several over-the-counter cold remedies, are examples.
WHAT ARE THE RISK FACTORS FOR RAYNAUD'S DISEASE?
Primary Raynaud's disease risk factors include:
- Sex: Women are more affected than males.
- Age: Although anybody can acquire the illness, it is most common between the ages of 15 and 30.
- Climate: People who reside in colder climates are also more likely to suffer from the illness.
- Family history: A first-degree family with the condition — a parent, sibling, or kid — appears to raise your chance of developing primary Raynaud's.
Secondary Raynaud's disease risk factors include:
- Associated diseases: Scleroderma and lupus are examples of such disorders.
- Certain jobs: These are jobs that involve repeated stress, such as using vibrating instruments.
- Exposure to specific compounds: This includes smoking, using blood vessel-dilating drugs, and being exposed to certain chemicals such as vinyl chloride.
WHAT ARE THE COMPLICATIONS OF RAYNAUD'S DISEASE?
Reduced blood flow to your fingers or toes might cause tissue injury if secondary Raynaud's is severe — which is uncommon.
A totally blocked artery can cause sores (skin ulcers) or dead tissue, which are both difficult to heal. Extreme untreated instances may need removing the damaged area of your body.
HOW IS RAYNAUD'S DISEASE DIAGNOSED?
Your doctor will ask you questions about your symptoms and medical history, as well as do a physical examination. Your doctor may also request tests to rule out other medical issues that may be causing similar signs and symptoms.
Differentiating between primary and secondary Raynaud's
Your doctor may do a test called nailfold capillaroscopy to distinguish between primary and secondary Raynaud's. The doctor uses a microscope or magnifier to examine the skin near the base of your fingernail for abnormalities or enlargement of the small blood vessels during the test.
If your doctor suspects that Raynaud's is caused by another ailment, such as an autoimmune disorder or a connective tissue disease, he or she would most likely request blood tests, such as:
- Antinuclear antibody testing: Positive tests for these antibodies may indicate a stimulated immune system, which is common in people with connective tissue diseases or other autoimmune disorders.
- Erythrocyte sedimentation rate: This test measures how quickly red blood cells fall to the bottom of a tube. A higher-than-normal rate might be indicative of an underlying inflammatory or autoimmune condition.
Raynaud's disease cannot be diagnosed with a single blood test. Other tests, such as those that rule out artery illnesses, may be ordered by your doctor to help pinpoint a condition that can be related with Raynaud's.
WHAT ARE THE TREATMENTS FOR RAYNAUD'S DISEASE?
Dressing in layers for the cold and wearing gloves or heavy socks are typically beneficial in treating moderate Raynaud's symptoms. More severe versions of the illness can be treated with medications. The treatment's objectives are as follows:
- Cut down on the number and intensity of assaults.
- Avoid tissue injury.
- Take care of the underlying sickness or condition.
Medications
Medication may be beneficial depending on the source of your symptoms. Your doctor may give the following medications to enlarge blood vessels and enhance blood flow:
Calcium channel blockers: These medications relax and open tiny blood arteries in your hands and feet, lowering the intensity and frequency of episodes in the majority of Raynaud's patients. These medications can also aid in the healing of skin ulcers on your fingers or toes. Nifedipine (Adalat CC, Procardia), amlodipine (Norvasc), felodipine, and isradipine are a few examples.
Vasodilators: Nitroglycerin cream (Nitro-Dur) applied to the base of your fingers to help cure skin ulcers is one of these medications that relax blood vessels. Other vasodilators include the blood pressure medication losartan (Cozaar), the erectile dysfunction drug sildenafil (Viagra, Revatio), the antidepressant fluoxetine (Prozac, Sarafem), and a family of pharmaceuticals known as prostaglandins.
Medical treatments and surgeries
If you have severe Raynaud's disease, your doctor may advise you to have surgery or injections.
- Nerve surgery: The opening and closing of blood vessels in your skin is controlled by sympathetic nerves in your hands and feet. Cutting these nerves stops their excessive reactions.
A doctor removes these tiny nerves around the blood vessels by minor incisions in the afflicted hands or feet. If this operation is effective, it may result in fewer and shorter attacks.
- Chemical injection: To block sympathetic nerves in afflicted hands or feet, doctors might inject drugs such as local anesthetics or onabotulinumtoxinA (Botox). If your symptoms return or continue, the surgery may need to be repeated.
HOME REMEDIES FOR RAYNAUD'S DISEASE
A number of actions may be taken to reduce Raynaud's attacks and make you feel better.
- Avoid smoking: Smoking or breathing secondhand smoke lowers skin temperature by constricting blood vessels, which can result in an attack.
- Exercise: Exercise can improve circulation, among other things. Talk to your doctor before exercising outside in the cold if you have secondary Raynaud's.
- Control your stress: Learning to identify and avoid stressful circumstances may aid in reducing the amount of episodes.
- Avoid extreme temperature changes: Avoid transitioning from a heated atmosphere to an air-conditioned area. Avoid grocery store frozen food departments if at all feasible.