What is Raynaud's syndrome?

Raynaud’s syndrome, also called Raynaud’s disease or Raynaud’s phenomenon, is a disease that causes the blood vessels in the body to spasm during a change to cold temperature, which causes numbness, throbbing, tingling and pain in the fingers and toes. Raynaud’s syndrome also can be triggered by emotional stress. Symptoms also can occur on the nose, ears, lips or nipples.

It is often described as an extreme reaction to the body’s normal response to cold temperature. However, Raynaud’s syndrome is unique in that instead of a blotchy, red and white pattern to the skin when exposed to the cold, the extremities turn white, then blue, and finally red and tingling as circulation improves or the skin becomes warmer.

The primary version of this condition occurs most often in women and people who are between the ages of 15 years and 25 years. Secondary Raynaud’s syndrome occurs between ages 35 years and 40 years and is usually seen in people with Sjögren’s syndrome, lupus or scleroderma. It also may be seen in people with blood vessel disease or carpal tunnel syndrome, or when taking high blood pressure medication, when taking narcotics or taking over-the-counter cold medicine.

Whereas primary Raynaud’s syndrome is usually mild, the secondary form of the disease is severe enough to warrant treatment. A physician or rheumatologist may microscopically examine the skin at the base of a person’s nail and nailfold to confirm Raynaud’s syndrome, a process called a nailfold capillaroscopy. He or she may also perform an anti-nuclear antibodies test or an erythrocyte sedimentation rate test to rule out or examine the possibility of a person having an autoimmune disease in addition to Raynaud’s syndrome.

Treatment usually includes medicine that will promote circulation, such as alpha blockers, calcium channel blockers and vasodilators. A physician may ask you to avoid medications, such as beta blockers or over-the-counter cold medications, which may worsen Raynaud’s syndrome. More severe cases of Raynaud’s syndrome may be treated through nerve surgery of the affected area or through blocking the nerves in the extremities with a Botox injection (onabotulinum toxin A, Allergan) or anesthetics.

References:

www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/raynauds-disease/basics/definition/CON-20022916

www.niams.nih.gov/health_info/Raynauds_Phenomenon/raynauds_ff.asp