What Causes Raynaud's Phenomenon? | Arthritis Information

 

Raynaud's disease (also known as Raynaud's phenomenon and sometimes just called Raynaud's) is a condition that causes some areas of the body to feel numb and cool in response to cold temperatures or stress. It mostly affects the extremities such as the fingers, toes, tip of the nose and the ears. It is a common condition of the blood vessels that supply blood to the skin. Smaller arteries narrow and limit blood circulation to affected areas. This causes the area to become cold and white, with a feeling of pins and needles and numbness, eventually turning blue then red. It is sometimes painful.

According to Medilexicon's medical dictionary:

Raynaud's phenomenon is an "idiopathic paroxysmal bilateral cyanosis of the digits due to arterial and arteriolar contraction; caused by cold or emotion."

The disease is named for Maurice Raynaud (1834 - 1881), a French physician who first described it in 1862.

The condition is either:

• Primary. This is the most common form, there is no apparent cause.
• Secondary. It is associated with an underlying disease, such as rheumatoid arthritis.

It is difficult to measure how many people are affected because many are unaware that their condition has a name or that it can be treated. It is much more common in women than in men. The condition can affect people of all ages, though it usually develops before the age of 40. It is also more common in people who live in colder climates.

Treatment of Raynaud's disease depends on its severity and the presence of associated conditions. The symptoms of Raynaud's are usually mild and do not affect day-to-day life. In more severe cases it can be successfully controlled with medicine. The condition sometimes goes away on its own.

What are the signs and symptoms of Raynaud´s disease?

A symptom is something the patient feels and reports, while a sign is something other people, such as the doctor detect. For example, pain may be a symptom while a rash may be a sign.

Raynaud's disease is different than having cold hands and cold feet or frostbite. Signs and symptoms of Raynaud's depend on the frequency, duration and severity of the blood vessel spasms. They can include:

• Cold fingers and toes
• Sequence of color changes in the skin in response to cold or stress
• Numb, tickling, throbbing or stinging pain upon warming or relief of stress

Usually, the affected areas of the skin turn white at first. Then, the affected areas often turn blue, feel cold and numb, and the sensory perception is dulled. As circulation improves, the affected areas may turn red, throb, tingle or swell. The order of the changes of color is not identical for all people, and not everyone experiences all three colors.

Primary Raynaud's tends to be fairly mild, whereas secondary Raynaud's, caused by another condition, is often more severe.

Occasionally, an attack of Raynaud´s disease affects just one or two fingers or toes. Attacks do not necessarily always affect the same digits. Raynaud's most commonly affects the fingers and toes. However, the condition can also affect other areas of the body, such as the nose, lips, ears and even nipples. An attack may last less than a minute to several hours.

People who have Raynaud's accompanied by another disease will likely also have signs and symptoms related to their basic underlying condition.

Seek medical advice if there is a history of severe Raynaud's or if an ulcer or infection develops in one of the affected fingers or toes.

What are the risk factors?

Risk factors for primary Raynaud's include:

• Gender. Primary Raynaud's affects women more than men.
• Age. Anyone can develop the condition. Primary Raynaud's often begins between the ages of 15 and 30.
• Location. The disorder is also more common in people who live in colder climates.
• Family history. It appears to increase the risk of primary Raynaud's. About one-third of people with primary Raynaud's have a first-degree relative (a parent, sibling or child) with the disorder.

Risk factors for secondary Raynaud's include:

• Associated diseases. These include conditions such as scleroderma and lupus.
  
  
• Certain occupations. People in occupations that cause repetitive trauma, such as workers who operate tools that vibrate, also may be more vulnerable to secondary Raynaud's.
  
  
• Exposure to certain substances. Smoking, medications that affect the blood vessels and exposure to chemicals such as vinyl chloride are associated with an increased risk of Raynaud's.

What causes Raynaud's disease?

Doctors do not completely understand the cause of Raynaud's attacks, but blood vessels in the hands and feet appear to overreact to cold temperatures or stress.

When the body is exposed to cold temperatures, the fingers and toes lose heat. The small blood vessels under the skin of the fingers and toes become narrower. This slows down the blood supply to these areas, which helps to preserve the body's general temperature.

In people with Raynaud's, the small blood vessels in the fingers and toes are more sensitive than usual and overreact to cold temperatures. This makes them narrow more than usual and allows a very limited amount of blood to flow through them.

Symptoms can be triggered by even mildly cool weather, getting something out of the freezer or running hands under water.

Strong emotion or anxiety may also trigger symptoms. Stress causes a similar reaction to cold in the body. Likewise, the body's response may be exaggerated in people with Raynaud's.

Health conditions

Various conditions of blood vessels, joints or skin can cause secondary Raynaud's, including:

• Lupus. Raynaud's is a common problem for people with lupus erythematosus. It is an autoimmune disease that can affect many parts of the body, including the skin, joints, organs and blood vessels.
  
  
• Rheumatoid arthritis. Raynaud's may be an initial sign of rheumatoid arthritis. It is an inflammatory condition causing pain and stiffness in the joints, often including the hands and feet.
  
  
• Scleroderma. Raynaud's phenomenon occurs in the majority of people who have scleroderma. It is a rare disease that leads to hardening and scarring of the skin. The disease reduces blood flow to the extremities.
  
  
• Sjogren's syndrome. Raynaud's phenomenon can also occur in people who have Sjogren's syndrome. It is an autoimmune disorder that may accompany scleroderma, lupus or rheumatoid arthritis.
  
  
• Diseases of the arteries. Raynaud's phenomenon can be associated with various diseases that affect arteries, such as atherosclerosis, Buerger's disease, primary pulmonary hypertension.
  
  
• Carpal tunnel syndrome. The carpal tunnel is a narrow passageway in the wrist that protects a major nerve to the hand. Carpal tunnel syndrome is a condition in which pressure is put on this nerve, producing numbness and pain in the affected hand.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/176713.phpDon't know Lynn but it sucks in the winter !! My Mom's friend Edith has Reynauds. She is always cold and her fingers actually turn almost black. Anyway, her doctor prescribed Viagra as a way to open the blood vessels in her extremities. She found out that it is a used for sexual dysfunction and now refuses to use it. She is in her young 80s. Thanks for this Lynn, I developed Raynaud's this fall.  Coincidentally, (or maybe not so much!) my Sjogren's really got to the severe point.  Anyway, this is my first winter with Raynaud's and it takes some planning to be out in the cold very long!  I found mittens worked better than gloves so I got a pair where the ends flip up and I could preform any task that required nimble fingers. 

Anyone else have tips on living with Raynaud's, I'd be interested.

Lev, I had to laugh at the story of Edith and her refusal to take Viagra!  I too would like to hear from others with tips and hints on making reynauds life more pleasurable and less painful so that i can pass them on to Edith. I think I've developed Raynauds this winter, although not very severely. I've had a few people say to me "OMG why are your hands blue?" I would look at them and find that they were definitely a lovely corpsey blue. They don't hurt though. I'm lucky to live in balmy California.

I had no idea that Raynauds could effect the nipples! Maybe I need to keep a closer eye on the ladies?

Thanks again Lynn! I'm always so happy to see you posting!

edited because "not a very severely" does not actually make senseleila2010-01-27 10:53:02

Instead of Viagra, just have the doctor write the script for the generic, Sildenafil.

[QUOTE=levlarry]I too would like to hear from others with tips and hints on making reynauds life more pleasurable and less painful so that i can pass them on to Edith. [/QUOTE] [QUOTE=Sam1234][QUOTE=levlarry]I too would like to hear from others with tips and hints on making reynauds life more pleasurable and less painful so that i can pass them on to Edith. [/QUOTE] SnowOwl, [QUOTE=waddie]
IDK, Sam, I think we can make life more pleasurable with Raynaud's.  For instance, the mittens worked for me and I found that by carrying those little packets of chemical hand warmers when I was out in the cold for an extended time worked at giving me relief from the Raynaud's as well.  (Relief=pleasure for me!)  Also, really good wool socks help me. 

I suppose pleasure is subjective, so what works for me may not work for Edith!

[/QUOTE] I hear you, Waddie.
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