Have you noticed a cool or tingling sensation particularly in your fingers or toes? Does it get worse when in cold weather or you’re feeling stressed? Although your experiences may feel like they cannot be explained, they may actually indicate a medical condition. Raynaud’s disease causes areas of the body to feel cold, numb, throb, and can cause skin discoloration. At Shaheen Vascular, we are pleased to offer a range of Raynaud’s disease management options to help improve your symptoms.
What Is Raynaud’s Disease?
Raynaud’s disease is a condition that causes areas of the body to become cool or numb. It is often triggered by circumstance. This condition is related to the nervous system and the effectiveness of the circulatory system. As the blood vessels constrict, blood cannot get to the surface of the skin causing numbness and skin discoloration, causing skin in fingers and toes to become red, white, or blue.
Also known as Raynaud’s syndrome or Raynaud’s phenomenon, it most often impacts areas like:
- Toes
- Fingers
- Tip of the nose
- Ears
What Causes Raynaud’s?
There is no known direct cause of Primary Raynaud’s disease. However, Secondary Raynaud’s disease can occur from injuries, stress, cold temperatures, some medications, and other diseases. When the blood vessels constrict as a reaction to these factors, there is a lack of oxygen in the area. Oxygen is unable to get to all of the cells, and proper circulation is impaired.
Raynaud’s disease is more common in women in early adulthood, but it may occur later in life.
What Are My Raynaud’s Disease Management Options?
There are options to help prevent and manage symptoms. Self-care is the cornerstone of most Raynaud’s disease management options. Choices include:
- Applying warm water to the area
- Avoiding cool temperature triggers
- Use mittens instead of gloves (to share the heat amongst fingers)
- Don’t smoke
- Covering exposed skin
- Limiting caffeine and alcohol intake
- Avoiding repetitive injury to fingers and toes
- Stress management
For patients who have severe pain or even develop ulcers/wounds, medications may be necessary.
Schedule Your Raynaud’s Consultation!
Although there is not a specific treatment method for Raynaud’s disease, there are several effective therapies available to manage symptoms. Contact us today at Shaheen Vascular or Advanced Biosculpt and schedule your consultation to learn more about your Raynaud’s disease management options. Dr. Raymond Shaheen is Certified by the American Board of Vascular Medicine and is a specialist in Raynaud’s disease. He and his staff are glad to serve California with locations in Monterey and Mountain View.
