Raynaud's Disease

Also called: Raynaud's phenomenon

Raynaud's disease is a rare disorder of the blood vessels, usually in the fingers and toes. People with this disorder have attacks that cause the blood vessels to narrow. When this happens, blood can't get to the surface of the skin and the affected areas turn white and blue. When the blood flow returns, the skin turns red and throbs or tingles. In severe cases, loss of blood flow can cause sores or tissue death. Cold weather and stress can trigger attacks. Often the cause of Raynaud's is not known. People in colder climates are more likely to develop Raynaud's than people in warmer areas.

Treatment for Raynaud's may include drugs to keep the blood vessels open. There are also simple things you can do yourself, such as

• Soaking hands in warm water at the first sign of an attack
• Keeping your hands and feet warm in cold weather

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

Start Here

• Raynaud's Disease(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
• Raynaud's Phenomenon(National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases)

  Also available in Spanish

Basics	Learn More	Multimedia & Cool Tools
Overviews Diagnosis/Symptoms	Related Issues	Pictures & Photographs
Research	Reference Shelf	For You
Clinical Trials Journal Articles	Medical Encyclopedia Organizations	No links available

• Overviews
  • Questions and Answers about Raynaud's Phenomenon(National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases)
  • Raynaud's Disease(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
• Diagnosis/Symptoms
  • ANA (Antinuclear Antibody Test)(American Association for Clinical Chemistry)
• Related Issues
  • Limited Scleroderma (CREST Syndrome)(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
• Pictures & Photographs
  • Raynaud's Disease(Logical Images)
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• Clinical Trials
  • ClinicalTrials.gov: Raynaud Disease(National Institutes of Health)
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• Journal Articles

  References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

  • Article: Bosentan: new indication. Scleroderma and finger ulcers: no tangible efficacy.
  • Article: Cold fingers, cold toes? Could be Raynaud's.
  • Article: A growing need for capillaroscopy in rheumatology.
  • Raynaud's Disease -- see more articles
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• Medical Encyclopedia
  • Raynaud's Disease
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• Organizations
  • National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases

    Also available in Spanish

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• Related Topics

  • Blood, Heart and Circulation
  • Symptoms
  
  

• National Institutes of Health

  • The primary NIH organization for research on Raynaud's Disease is the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
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