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Raynaud's disease, syndrome or phenomenon, whether primary or secondary, is characterized by extreme coldness in the hands or feet, the fingers or toes becoming white and numb. The color may change to blue and finally red, as the blood returns to the tissues. This can take from several minutes to many hours, and can be extremely painful. It may also affect the ears and nose.
When exposed to cold, do your fingers feel numb, tingling, and painful, and look pale and blue? You may have an annoying type of circulation problem called Raynaud's phenomenon, also known as Raynaud's disease or syndrome. It usually affects the same two or three fingers on each hand.
Incidence; Causes & Development
It is much more common in women than in men and in smokers than in nonsmokers.
Why Raynaud's phenomenon occurs is not well understood. Usually, the body conserves heat by reducing blood circulation to the extremities, particularly the hands and feet. This response uses a complex system of nerves and muscles to control blood flow through the smallest blood vessels in the skin. In people with Raynaud's phenomenon, this control system becomes too sensitive to cold and greatly reduces blood flow in the fingers. Damage to either the muscles or nerves that control blood flow may be the cause of Raynaud's phenomenon.
Raynaud's is caused by tiny arteries that go into spasm, clamping down on the blood supply to the fingertips (and, less often, the toes). Stress can make it worse. The phenomenon may occur along with certain disorders, such as rheumatoid arthritis or lupus erythematosus, but in most cases the underlying cause for the blood-vessel spasm is unknown.
Treatment & Prevention
Treatment may vary according to the severity of the symptoms. In mild cases it may be sufficient to maintain a constant body temperature, and, if possible, avoid extreme cold and sudden changes in temperature. Attacks can also be caused by stress and smoking. It is important to try and prevent attacks occurring in the first place.
There are a number of options for treating more severe Raynaud's, such as calcium channel blockers, vasodilators, or infusions of Iloprost. Your doctor will decide on the most suitable treatment.
Natural treatments can provide benefit. Consider the use of Vitamins C and E, cayenne, ginger, garlic, gingko biloba, and/or Inositol Hexaniacinate (IH, the non-flushing form of niacin). IH does dilate blood vessels. There is one study supporting its use in Raynaud's: it may work by keeping vessels chronically dilated. In trials, 500mg once a day was the initial dose, then twice a day up to a total of 4gm per day. Check with your doctor. Though liver involvement is less with IH than niacin, larger doses may require monitoring for liver enzyme elevations. Objective and subjective improvement in patients with coldness, pain, numbness and burning was statistically significant. It may need to be taken regularly over a significant period of time (6 months or longer) for full effect.
Various medications have been tried for Raynaud's, but the simplest management is to wear thick or thermally insulated gloves and socks and avoid direct contact with cold surfaces, air, or water. And, of course, give up smoking.
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Conditions that suggest Raynaud's Phenomenon:
Risk factors for Raynaud's Phenomenon:
Raynaud's Phenomenon suggests the following may be present:
Recommendations and treatments for Raynaud's Phenomenon:
KEY | | Weak or unproven link |  | | Strong or generally accepted link |  | | Proven definite or direct link |  | | May do some good |  | | Likely to help |
GLOSSARY
Arterial (Arteries, Artery)
Blood that leaves the heart. When it leaves the right ventricle, it is venous blood; and when it leaves the left ventricle, through the aorta, it is fresh and oxygenated. After it has passed out to the capillaries and started to return, it is venous blood.
Calcium
The body's most abundant mineral. Its primary function is to help build and maintain bones and teeth. The body also needs calcium to carry nerve signals, keep the heart functioning, contract muscles, clot blood and maintain healthy skin. Calcium helps control blood acid-alkaline balance, plays a role in cell division, muscle growth and iron utilization, activates certain enzymes, and helps transport nutrients through cell membranes. Calcium also forms a cellular cement called ground substance that helps hold cells and tissues together.
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS, Chronic Fatigue)
A disorder of unknown cause that lasts for prolonged periods and causes extreme and debilitating exhaustion as well as a wide range of other symptoms such as fever, headache, muscle ache and joint pain, often resembling flu and other viral infections. Also known as Chronic Fatigue and Immune Dysfunction Syndrome (CFIDS), Chronic Epstein-Barr Virus (CEBV), Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME), "Yuppy Flu" and other names, it is frequently misdiagnosed as hypochondria, psychosomatic illness, or depression, because routine medical tests do not detect any problems.
Enzymes (Enzyme)
Specific protein catalysts produced by the cells that are crucial in chemical reactions and in building up or synthesizing most compounds in the body. Each enzyme performs a specific function without itself being consumed. For example, the digestive enzyme amylase acts on carbohydrates in foods to break them down.
Fibromyalgia (FMS)
Originally named fibrositis, it is a mysteriously debilitating syndrome that attacks women more often than men. It is not physically damaging to the body in any way, but is characterized by the constant presence of widespread pain that often moves about the body. Fibromyalgia can be so severe that it is often incapacitating.
Gram (gm, gms, Gramme, Grammes, Grams)
A metric unit of weight, there being approximately 28 grams in one ounce.
Inositol
Usually considered part of the vitamin B complex. It is thought that along with choline, inositol is necessary for the formation of lecithin within the body. Involved in calcium mobilization.
Liver (Hepatic)
The largest and one of the most complex organs of the body, the liver is responsible for much of the metabolism of fats, proteins and carbohydrates. It is the site of much of the body's detoxification. It is connected very closely with digestion and the regulation of blood sugar, among many other functions. Found behind the ribs on the right side of the abdomen, it has many important functions such as removing harmful material from the blood, making enzymes and bile that help digest food, and converting food into substances needed for life and growth. Hepatic: Pertaining to the liver.
Milligram (mg, Milligrams)
0.001 or a thousandth of a gram.
Niacin (B3, B-3, Niacinamide, Vitamin B3)
A coenzyme B-complex vitamin that assists in the breakdown of carbohydrates, fats and proteins. Essential for the health of the skin, nerves, tongue and digestive system. It is found in every cell of the body and is necessary for energy production. Niacin is also needed for DNA formation.
Raynaud's Phenomenon (Raynaud's, Raynauds Disease, Raynaud's Disease, Raynauds Phenomenon, Raynauds Syndrome, Raynaud's Syndrome)
Raynaud's disease or syndrome is a disorder of blood circulation, mainly in the fingers and toes. It is of unknown cause and characterized by changes of the skin that are aggravated by exposure to cold: first, becoming white with numbness and pain as a result of inadequate oxygenation of the blood, then red/purple with a burning sensation. The sudden constriction of blood vessels causes decreased blood flow to the extremities and can, in extreme cases, lead to gangrene. Also called "white finger", "wax finger" or "dead finger".
Rheumatoid Arthritis
A long-term, destructive connective tissue disease that results from the body rejecting its own tissue cells (autoimmune reaction).
Spasm
Involuntary contraction of one or more muscle groups.
Syndrome
A medical condition characterized by a collection of related symptoms (what the patient feels) and signs (what a doctor can observe or measure).
Last updated: Jul 19, 2008
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