Raynaud's Disease

________________________________________________________________________

KEY POINTS

• Raynaud’s disease is a problem with your blood vessels that temporarily causes decreased blood flow to your hands or feet.
• To reduce symptoms, protect yourself from cold and keep all parts of your body warm and dry.
• Exercising and stopping smoking can also help reduce symptoms.

________________________________________________________________________

What is Raynaud's disease?

Raynaud's disease is a problem that affects your blood vessels when you get cold or feel stressed. Your blood vessels get narrower, which means that less blood flows to your skin. It most often affects hands and feet, but can affect other areas, such as the nose and ears.

Women over the age of 30 are most likely to have the problem, but it can affect anyone.

What is the cause?

Most people who have this disease have what is called primary Raynaud’s. That means the cause is not known.

You may have Raynaud’s along with other diseases or conditions, such as:

• Scleroderma, which is thickening and hardening of the skin and other body tissues
• Conditions that cause your immune system (your body’s defense against infection) to attack your own tissue, such as lupus and Sjögren’s syndrome
• Rheumatoid arthritis, which is pain, stiffness, swelling, and loss of movement in your joints
• Hardening of the arteries or other problems that affect blood flow
• High blood pressure in the lungs
• Surgery or injury, such as frostbite (freezing of skin and tissues just below the skin), or a broken wrist or foot

Raynaud’s disease may also be caused by

• Smoking cigarettes
• Being exposed to vinyl chloride on the job
• Activities or tasks that cause repeated stress to the hands, like typing, playing piano, or regular use of machinery such as chain saws, jackhammers, and vibrating drills
• Some medicines for heart problems, cancer treatment, or migraine headaches

What are the symptoms?

Symptoms may include:

• Changes in skin color (pale to blue to red)
• Changes in skin temperature (the area feels cooler)

It is common for the area to throb or feel numb, tingly, or painful as it warms up again or as stress is relieved. Each attack may last a few minutes to an hour.

In severe cases, your skin may develop painful sores or turn black.

How is it diagnosed?

Your healthcare provider will ask about your symptoms and medical history and examine you. You may have blood tests. You may have tests or scans to check for other diseases or conditions that may cause your symptoms.

How is it treated?

Your healthcare provider may recommend that you:

• Protect yourself from cold and keep all parts of your body warm and dry. When you are outdoors in the winter, wear scarves, warm socks, boots, and mittens or gloves. Make sure your wrists are covered and that the material keeps your hands dry. When you are indoors, wear socks and comfortable shoes or slippers. When you take food out of the refrigerator or freezer, use mittens, oven mitts, or potholders. Avoid very cold air conditioning.
• Avoid getting cuts, bruises, and other injuries to the areas affected by Raynaud's.
• If you smoke, try to quit. When you smoke, even less blood will reach your fingers. Talk to your healthcare provider about ways to quit smoking.
• Learn ways to manage stress. Relaxation techniques or biofeedback training may help.
• Exercise regularly. Wiggle your fingers and toes often to increase blood flow.

If you have severe symptoms, your provider may prescribe medicine to improve blood flow. You may also need medicine to put on your skin to heal sores. If you are pregnant or are trying to become pregnant, talk with your healthcare provider before taking these medicines.

How can I take care of myself?

Follow the full course of treatment prescribed by your healthcare provider. In addition:

• Take care of your health. Try to get at least 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night. If you want to drink alcohol, ask your healthcare provider how much is safe for you to drink. Exercise according to your healthcare provider's instructions.
• If you are taking a medicine that seems to be causing Raynaud's disease or making your existing Raynaud’s disease worse, let your provider know. Your provider may need to change your medicine or dosage.

Ask your provider:

• How and when you will get your test results
• How long it will take to recover
• If there are activities you should avoid and when you can return to your normal activities
• How to take care of yourself at home
• What symptoms or problems you should watch for and what to do if you have them

Make sure you know when you should come back for a checkup. Keep all appointments for provider visits or tests.

You can get more information from:

• National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
  877-226-4267
  http://www.niams.nih.gov