Raynaud’s disease awareness month February 2019

Raynaud’s disease is a condition where the small blood vessels in the extremities such as hands and feet, fingers or toes are over-sensitive to changes in temperature, cold and sometimes stress. This causes a Raynaud’s attack, where the fingers sometimes change colour, from white, to blue, to red. Raynaud’s disease is a common condition thought to affect up to ten million people in the UK.

There are two different types of Raynaud’s, primary and secondary. Primary is less serious as the condition is mild and manageable, whilst people experiencing secondary Raynaud’s will usually have more severe symptoms.

Secondary Raynaud’s is caused by another condition, usually an autoimmune condition like scleroderma or lupus, that needs more investigation and more careful monitoring for complications like ulceration or sores.

Source: Scleroma & Raynaud’s UK, 1 February, 2019