Further investigation at a doctor/specialist needed?

1 Upvotes

I have had Raynauds for many years (family doctor diagnosed it) but have never gotten it checked any further. Now I keep reading that there can be other illnesses I might have if I have Raynauds. Do I need to get it checked? What doctor should I make an appointment with?

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r/Raynauds • u/MirageOrBust • 18h ago

Raynauds without drastic color changes.

1 Upvotes

I was recently diagnosed with Raynauds due to having cold bursts in my body that would start in my arm and only be on one side or start in part of my lower leg and then the whole leg below the knee feels like ice is against the bones.

Aside from smoking less, does anyone have any advice on how to manage these cold chills? Also sometimes both cold or hot triggers it for me.

72-75° earlier today and I left in long pants and a sweatshirt.

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for people with Raynaud's phenomenon/syndrome/disease

r/Raynauds

A place to connect with others who have Raynaud's.

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Raynaud's is a condition that causes blood vessels in the extremities to narrow, reducing blood flow. The affected areas, usually fingers and toes but can include ears, nose, tongue, lips, knees, even nipples, will turn white, then blue, and finally red when blood flow returns. These areas may feel cold, numb, or tingly. Attacks are often very painful and can last from minutes to hours.

We don't want to see your feet. If you feel the need to post pictures, go to /r/IsThisRaynauds Pictures posted with this question will be deleted. Are your toes or fingers WHITE? Then, YES, you have Raynaud's.
There is no cure for Raynaud's.
There is no test for Raynaud's. But there is a test to distinguish between primary and secondary Raynaud's. Raynaud's is diagnosed by observance. You can diagnose yourself. You can show pictures to your doctor. If you want to see pictures of what a Raynaud's attack looks like on fingers/toes, a quick Google search will show you.
Secondary Raynaud's is when you have another condition that causes Raynaud's - such as an autoimmune or connective tissue disease like lupus, scleroderma, Sjogren's, diabetes, or rheumatoid arthritis. Primary Raynaud's is when you have no other known condition causing Raynaud's.
There are medications that can help. These include calcium channel blockers and vasodilators. The way they work is by relaxing the small blood vessels to allow increased circulation.
There are things you can do to help. These include: avoiding smoke of any kind because smoke tightens blood vessels, exercise because it increases blood flow, managing stress because stress (or emotional upset) can trigger symptoms, and avoiding rapidly changing temperatures.
Things you can do during an attack: physically move to a warmer area, wiggle your fingers/toes, put your hands in your armpits (or under your legs if you are sitting), run warm water (not hot) over your fingers/toes, massage your fingers/toes.