How to deal with Raynaud's in the winter months

Winter is here, and that means wrapping up warm. Some people have a harder time with the cold than others.

If you've ever wondered why your hands change colour in response to cold temperatures - accompanied by tingling, pain or numbness - you could be one of the 10 million Brits who are affected by Raynaud's phenomenon.

Identifying Raynaud's

Raynaud's phenomenon - also called Raynaud's disease, Raynaud syndrome or simply Raynaud's - is a condition where the blood vessels in your extremities overreact to cold temperatures. While anyone can be affected, it's more common in women than men, and typically begins between the ages of 15 and 30 years.

Dr Adam Abbs, GP and Global Medical Director at Hurdle, explains that with Raynaud's, your blood vessels go into a temporary spasm, blocking the flow of blood.

"You can usually identify Raynaud's by a change of colour in your fingers, and less commonly, your toes," he says. "For some people, this may also affect the ears, nose, lips or nipples."

In the first stage of a Raynaud’s attack, the skin turns white or yellow in response to the limited blood supply. After a while, the blood vessels reopen and the fingers turn purplish blue.

Managing the symptoms

Not all people affected by Raynaud's cycle through this spectrum of colour changes, and attacks can vary greatly in severity. However, the symptoms are certainly uncomfortable, and can increase your aversion to cold weather.

In some cases, the symptoms are triggered less by the cold and more by a sudden drop in temperature - the supermarket freezer aisle may even be a trigger. Or you might notice that stress and anxiety tend to exacerbate your symptoms.

Dr Fatima Sulaiman, Raynaud's research specialist, adds that while there is currently no cure for Raynaud's, the condition can be managed with practical interventions and does not usually affect someone's quality of life.

Scleroderma & Raynaud's UK (SRUK) offers guides such as Warm sleeping tips. These could be particularly useful for breastfeeding mothers, who may experience difficulties - think painful, bloodless nipples - if their Raynaud's is undiagnosed.

When to see your doctor

While in most cases, Raynaud's is little more than an annoyance, for some people it can spell something more serious. Around 300,000 people in the UK are affected by secondary Raynaud's, which can be related to an underlying condition or induced by certain medicines.

Abbs explains that there are two different types of Raynaud's - primary and secondary.

"Primary Raynaud's is usually mild and manageable - it is not associated with any other conditions," he says. "Secondary Raynaud’s is usually caused by autoimmune conditions such as scleroderma or lupus."

Sulaiman adds that people with secondary Raynaud's will experience more severe bouts of symptoms, and you should discuss possible treatments with your doctor.

"They may also develop finger/toe ulcers or open wounds on their fingertips, and are more likely to have Raynaud's symptoms throughout the year, rather than just during the cold weather," she says. "There are prescription treatments that are available for people with severe or secondary Raynaud's, such as nifedipine."

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