Can Raynaud’s Disease Affect Your Feet?

Advertisements

Raynaud’s phenomenon mainly affects hands and feet. If you have Raynaud’s phenomenon, your hands may change colour in cold weather and there may be pain, tingling and numbness. These attacks often only last a few minutes, but they can last two to three hours.

What does raynauds in feet feel like?

Uncomfortable spasms in the blood vessels that feel like numbness, throbbing or tingling result from reduced blood flow and are triggered by temperature changes or stress.

What does Raynaud’s look like?

Symptoms of Raynaud’s include fingers that turn pale or white then blue when exposed to cold, or during stress or emotional upset. They then red when the hands are warmed. Managing Raynaud’s includes avoiding cold, dressing warmly, and stopping smoking.

How do you prevent Raynaud’s in your feet?

Things you can do to help Raynaud’s

  1. keep your home warm.
  2. wear warm clothes during cold weather, especially on your hands and feet.
  3. exercise regularly – this helps improve circulation.
  4. try breathing exercises or yoga to help you relax.
  5. eat a healthy, balanced diet.

What foods to avoid if you have Raynaud’s?

Eat a healthy diet

Always try to maintain a balanced, healthy diet and avoid caffeine and alcohol. Some food supplements have helped Raynaud’s sufferers, including evening primrose oil, gingko biloba and fish oils. Certain foods are also believed to help, like ginger, garlic and spicy food.

What is the difference between Raynaud’s disease and Raynaud’s syndrome?

Primary Raynaud’s(or Raynaud’s disease) happens without any other illness behind it. The symptoms are often mild. Secondary Raynaud’s (Raynaud’s syndrome, Raynaud’s phenomenon) results from another illness. It’s often a condition that attacks your body’s connective tissues, like lupus or rheumatoid arthritis.

Can Raynaud’s affect the heart?

Along with the classical symptoms of Raynaud’s phenomenon affecting hands and feet, the condition has also been known to sometimes impact blood flow in the heart. This consequence of the disease has not been studied as much as the more common symptoms.

What is the main cause of Raynaud’s disease?

Raynaud’s disease is caused by peripheral blood vessels overreacting to cold. The condition affects 5-10 percent of Americans. Maurice Raynaud first described the disease in 1862. Females and people living in colder climates are more often affected.

What vitamins are good for Raynaud’s?

These supplements may help:

  • Omega-3 fatty acids , found in fish oil, may reduce symptoms in people with primary Raynaud’s, according to one study. …
  • Evening primrose oil (EPO) . …
  • Inositol hexaniacinate , a form of vitamin B3 or niacin, may reduce frequency of Raynaud’s attacks. …
  • Magnesium opens up blood vessels.

Why do my feet keep going purple?

Peripheral artery disease, a condition characterized by poor blood flow to the lower extremities, can cause the feet to gradually turn purple or blue. Diabetes can have a similar effect on the feet. If you notice a discoloration in the skin of your feet, please see that you seek the care of a podiatrist.

What is the best medication for Raynaud’s?

Calcium channel blockers are the class of drugs most widely used for treatment of Raynaud syndrome—especially the dihydropyridines (eg, nifedipine, nicardipine), which are the most potent vasodilators. Nifedipine is the customary first choice.

What autoimmune diseases are associated with Raynaud’s?

Autoimmune disorders with which Raynaud phenomenon can be associated include systemic lupus erythematosus, scleroderma, rheumatoid arthritis, and Sjögren syndrome.

Advertisements

Can you have raynauds without color change?

Not everyone with Raynaud’s has all three color changes, or in the same order. Which body parts are affected and how long the attacks last also varies from person to person. But all patients do fall into one of two categories of Raynaud’s.

Does Raynaud’s affect blood pressure?

Primary Raynaud syndrome is commonly treated with a calcium channel blocker. It often does not cause symptoms; however, high blood pressure can increase the risk of stroke, heart attacks, and heart failure.

What can mimic Raynaud’s?

Chilblains may be confused with Raynaud’s as both conditions occur after exposure to cold, affect acral areas, and may cause associated pain and red or purple discoloration of the skin. Chilblains tends to present with more discrete acral lesions rather than the more even discoloration seen in Raynaud’s .

Does Raynaud’s cause nail problems?

Raynaud’s phenomenon is a disorder, causing discolouration of the fingers. It is thought to be related to vasospasm. It can also affect the toes and other areas. The nails become brittle with longitudinal ridges.

Should I be worried about Raynaud’s?

This causes the affected areas to turn white and blue. When blood flow returns, the skin turns red, and may throb or tingle. In very rare, severe cases, the loss of blood flow can cause ulcers or tissue death, but usually, Raynaud’s is not dangerous—it’s just painful and frustrating.

Is Raynaud’s classed as a disability?

If the pain and limitations from Raynaud’s prevent you from working, you may be eligible for Social Security disability benefits. In order to qualify for Social Security disability, you must prove to the Social Security Administration (SSA) that you are unable to perform consistent full-time work due to your illness.

Does caffeine affect Raynaud’s?

Caffeine (found in things like soda, coffee and chocolate) and nicotine (cigarettes) can make a Raynaud’s attack worse because they constrict blood vessels.

What does poor circulation in your feet look like?

Signs and symptoms

People with poor circulation may notice their feet feel cold or numb. They may also notice discoloration. The feet may turn red, blue, purple, or white. These symptoms may worsen in certain situations, such as when a person sits still for long periods of time or goes outside in cold weather.

What are the warning signs of clogged arteries?

Symptoms

  • Chest pain (angina). You may feel pressure or tightness in your chest, as if someone were standing on your chest. …
  • Shortness of breath. If your heart can’t pump enough blood to meet your body’s needs, you may develop shortness of breath or extreme fatigue with activity.
  • Heart attack.

What are the signs of bad circulation in your legs?

Here are some of the main signs that you may have poor circulation in your legs because of venous insufficiency:

  • Pain.
  • Cramping.
  • Swelling.
  • Throbbing.
  • Heaviness.
  • Itching.
  • Restlessness.
  • Fatigue (tired feeling)

Does sugar make Raynaud’s worse?

Blood Sugar Regulation

Many have found relief by implementing a ‘paleo diet’, this can later be transitioned into a more inclusive whole foods based, Mediterranean-like diet with no refined sugar. For others, a food allergen may be causing inflammation and blood sugar imbalances that may exacerbate Raynaud’s symptoms.

Advertisements