Saturday, February, 11, 2012

Raynaud’s phenomenon

Table of Contents

Symptoms

Strong emotions or exposure to the cold causes the fingers, toes, ears, or nose to become white, then turn blue. When blood flow returns, the area becomes red and then later returns to normal color. The attacks may last from minutes to hours.

People with primary Raynaud's phenomenon (no other cause or condition) have problems in the same fingers on both sides, but they do not have very much pain.

People with secondary Raynaud's phenomenon (associated with other medical conditions) are more likely to have pain in different fingers. They often have pain and tingling.


Signs and tests

The doctor will perform a physical exam. Vascular ultrasound and a cold stimulation test for Raynaud's phenomenon may be done.

Different blood tests may be done to diagnose arthritic and autoimmune conditions that may cause Raynaud's phenomenon.



Review Date: 05/31/2009
Reviewed By: Mark James Borigini, MD, Rheumatologist in the Washington, DC Metro area. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)