There’s Help for People with Raynaud’s Disease
More than 15 million Americans have a condition they may not even be able to name.
When their toes lose their healthy color, turning a pallid shade of white, they don’t realize they share something with millions of others. They’re unaware there’s help for the pain accompanying this bizarre color change, and there’s an actual medical diagnosis for what they’re experiencing.
They’ve got Raynaud’s. Since October is Raynaud’s Awareness Month, we’re delving into how it affects your feet and the available treatments.
What is Raynaud’s, and what causes it?
Also called Raynaud’s phenomenon, Raynaud’s disease, or Raynaud’s syndrome, is a condition that causes the small blood vessels in the fingers and toes to spasm. When they spasm, blood flow is restricted. The fact that blood can’t flow into your toes explains why they turn white.
Maurice Raynaud, a 19th-century French doctor, put a name to the disease, and even today, doctors and researchers don’t know why some people experience these effects.
Here are some situations that can trigger a Raynaud’s attack:
- Going outside in cold temperatures.
- Walking by the refrigerated section of the grocery store.
- Holding something cold in your hands.
- Taking certain medications, including some antihistamines and chemotherapy drugs.
- A sudden drop in body temperature, such as after a workout or exiting a lake after a swim.
- Feeling stressed.
Raynaud’s treatments
Many people with Raynaud’s learn to live with cold, white fingers and toes as an occasional bother. They know they should be prepared with hand warmers in their gloves and toe warmers in their boots when they go out in the cold.
Others, however, have frequent Raynaud’s attacks with debilitating pain that interferes with their ability to follow through with simple tasks. Severe Raynaud’s can make healing difficult and may lead to dangerous infections. If you have Raynaud’s or suspect that you might, it’s worth discussing the dangers to your feet with our board-certified podiatrist, Dr. Kenneth R. Wilhelm.
Schedule a consultation online at Clifton Foot & Ankle Center’s podiatry office in Centreville, Virginia, or call us at (703) 996-3000. We welcome patients from Fairfax County, northern Virginia, and the suburbs of Western D.C.
