Raynaud's Syndrome

It was kind of a shock to see that much beer shattered at my feet. Stepping out of the car, my hands simply let go of the bag and the whole thing crashed rather dramatically. I think I turned the air around me quite blue, much like the hands that did the dropping.

I have Raynaud's Syndrome. I was diagnosed with the condition when I was 18. Raynaud's causes the extremeties to become numb and blue.

What is Raynaud's syndrome?

Raynaud's syndrome is due to poor circulation, usually in the hands and feet, although may affect the nose, tongue or ears. The tiny blood vessels in the affected area close down, supplying very little blood to the extremities. Numbness results and on warming, the area may throb painfully.

When Raynaud's syndrome occurs alone it is known as primary Raynaud's; when it occurs with another related condition it is known as secondary Raynaud's syndrome.

Raynaud's can be a useful predictor of autoimmune rheumatic disease.

How common is Raynaud's?

Raynaud's syndrome occurs in up to 5% of typical healthy populations. Over 90% of patients with Raynaud's phenomenon are female and under 25 years of age when they first develop the syndrome. Up to 5% of patients presenting with the condition eventually develop an autoimmune rheumatic disease.

I've been teased for years about my "Smurf" hands and feet. While I've never been really all that conscious of the pain, the numbness often causes me to drop stuff and feel like I have two useless pieces of raw meat for hands.

My grandmother had the condition and it did wind up being an indicator of an autoimmune disorder later in life. The doctor's I've spoken to about it say I'm likely in the same boat.

I'm posting about it because I've actually run across a fair number of folks with the same condition, which I find kind of curious. All of the stuff I've read online indicates while it isn't uncommon it isn't exactly like the common cold either.

There's not much you can do for it other than take preventative measures:

Prevention measures are important in primary and secondary Raynaud's syndrome regardless of the severity. Initial simple care:

Keep the body warm, especially the extremities.

Wear warm clothing in colder environments.

Use cotton gloves while searching the freezer.

Keep room temperatures warm.

Use rubber gloves to protect the hands and prevent cooling while dish washing.

Minimise barefoot walking.

Avoid compression of the blood vessels by tight-fitting wrist bands, rings or foot wear.

Special care of nails is needed to avoid injuring sensitive toes and fingertips.

Smoking(and passive smoking) should be avoided as the chemicals in tobacco smoke can cause blood vessels to constrict and harden the arteries, which further impairs oxygen supply to the extremities.

Patients should guard hands and feet from direct trauma and wounds. Any wounds or infections need early treatment to prevent more serious infections. Avoiding emotional stresses and tools that vibrate the hand may reduce the frequency of attacks.

I'm having to relearn how I do things certainly. I have to wear gloves more, including when I'm working with cold things in the kitchen. This weekend, I'd been working with some cold items and went to chop an onion. Once again, I wound up slipping with the knife and cutting my finger pretty badly.

It's a very odd thing and frustrating as well. La Marmot doesn't like to change her habits. She's kinda stubborn that way.