Upcoming Events Mail Order Products Join the Society Press Links Raynaud's Disease, either primary or secondary, is characterised by extreme coldness in the hands or feet, with the fingers or toes becoming white and numb. The colour may change to blue and finally red, as the blood returns to the tissues. This can take several minutes or many hours, and can be extremely painful. It may also affect the ears and nose. In many cases it is so mild that it is little more than a nuisance, in others the symptoms are severe enough to cause considerable discomfort on a regular basis.
Ulceration can also occur and care needs to be taken to prevent infection.
Cuts to the hands and feet should be carefully looked after and reported to the doctor if they do not clear up reasonably quickly. Blood tests will help to identify an underlying connective tissue disorder and x-rays, along with doppler ultrasound studies, may reveal arterial abnormalities. If auto-antibodies are present in the blood, the patient should be referred to a consultant. It is essential that people with significant Raynaud's are screened for a possible underlying condition. Treatment may vary according to the severity of the symptoms.