Raynaud's syndrome (Raynaud's phenomenon)

We understand having cold, blue, tingling fingers or toes can be painful and frustrating. At Aurora Health Care, our cardiovascular specialists are here to help you get back to doing the things you love.

What is Raynaud’s syndrome?

When you have Raynaud’s syndrome, certain parts of your body feel numb and cold, typically triggered by cold temperatures or stress. Most often, it happens in your fingers and toes, but your nose, ears, nipples or lips can also be affected.

Also known as Raynaud’s phenomenon or Raynaud’s disease, Raynaud’s syndrome is a rare disorder. The smaller arteries that carry blood to your extremities constrict and become narrow, limiting blood flow to these areas.

There are two main types of Raynaud’s syndrome, identified by what is causing it. Primary Raynaud’s syndrome has no known cause and is the more common type. Secondary Raynaud’s syndrome is caused by another condition.

How does Raynaud's syndrome affect the heart?

There's no known way that Raynaud's disease affects the heart. However, anyone who has Raynaud's syndrome and any kind of heart disease should make sure their doctors are aware of both conditions.

Raynaud’s syndrome symptoms

Typically during an episode of Raynaud’s, the skin on your fingers, toes or other affected areas first turns white and then blue. They may feel numb and cold. Once you warm up and blood flow returns, these areas may turn red, throb, tingle, burn or swell.

Raynaud’s attacks can last from a few seconds to several hours. They can occur daily or weekly. Rarely, severe Raynaud’s syndrome attacks can cause skin sores or cause the tissue to die.

Raynaud’s syndrome causes

While primary Raynaud’s phenomenon has no known cause, there are certain factors associated with this type. You’re more likely to develop Raynaud's syndrome it if you are:

• Female
• Under age 30
• Under stress or live in a colder climate
• Related to a person with the condition

Secondary Raynaud’s phenomenon is caused by another disease or condition. These include:

• Diseases or conditions that directly damage the arteries or nerves, including scleroderma, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, Sjogren’s syndrome, Buerger’s disease, thyroid problems or pulmonary hypertension
• Exposure to certain chemicals, such as vinyl chloride
• Medications including beta blockers, birth control pills, prescriptions to treat migraine headaches or cancer, over-the-counter diet aids, or cold and allergy drugs
• Repetitive actions such as typing, operating tools that vibrate or playing the piano
• Smoking

Raynaud’s phenomenon diagnosis

To diagnose Raynaud’s syndrome, your doctor will ask about your medical history and symptoms. They’ll perform a thorough physical exam to evaluate blood flow to your fingers and toes. They may order additional testing for you, too, including:

• Cold stimulation test to see how well blood flows through your arteries to your fingers by measuring the temperature in your fingers after being placed in ice water
• Nailfold capillaroscopy test to check your nail beds under a microscope for signs of connective tissue disease
• Blood tests to look for conditions linked to secondary Raynaud's syndrome

Find out more about our heart and vascular testing and diagnosis.

Raynaud’s syndrome treatments

While there’s no cure for Raynaud’s syndrome, we’re here to help you reduce the severity and frequency of Raynaud’s attacks and improve your quality of life.

For Raynaud's syndrome treatments, we may recommend:

• Lifestyle changes such as:
  • Avoiding stress, or developing coping strategies to help manage or reduce stress
  • Limiting caffeine and alcohol
  • Limiting repetitive hand actions and use of vibrating tools
  • Protecting your hands and feet from cold temperatures
  • Quitting smoking
  • Wearing protective attire if working with industrial chemicals
• Medication for Raynaud's syndrome treatments, such as skin creams and antibiotics to improve blood flow to the affected areas and prevent permanent damage
• Injections or surgery for Raynaud's syndrome treatments to block the nerves in your hands or feet