WOMAN’S GP DR HELEN WALL ON HER TOPIC OF THE WEEK
Worried about numb fingers and toes?
Struggling in the cold? Raynaud’s is nine times more common in women than in men, but there are things you can do to ease the symptoms…
When I was a child, wearing gloves in winter was a given – whether you were young or old. Despite climate change, cold snaps are still common, but where are all the gloves now? It appears that the Bridgerton romance era may be triggering a resurgence in the fashion for opera gloves, but I suspect being able to live on our touchscreen devices is taking precedence these days over warm fingers!
Staying warm is key
Weather and fashion aside, there are some people who can’t get away from the need to wear gloves, usually due to a condition called Raynaud’s.
Raynaud’s disease is a temporary over-narrowing of the small blood vessels in your fingers and toes in response to low temperatures (or in some cases emotional stress). It occurs in about one in 10 of us and, while bothersome, it’s often not serious.
What’s known as Raynaud’s phenomenon is much less common – it happens as a result of an underlying condition, such as lupus or artery disease, or another cause like medication side effects. It can result in more serious loss of blood supply to tissues causing skin death and sores. The initial symptoms may seem just the same and both are often just referred to as Raynaud’s.
Don’t put up with it
This time of year GPs often identify more cases of Raynaud’s. Some patients have had symptoms for years but assumed it to be ‘just the cold’. But if your skin is turning deathly white or blue (or appears paler if you have brown or black skin) for around 15 minutes or more when cold or stressed, then bright red or pink when you warm up (often with a prickling or tingling sensation), you may well have Raynaud’s.
In severe cases, ears, nose, lips or nipples can be affected and symptoms can last up to a few hours. It c
