Raynaud’s Phenomenon Helen Kline Scottish Radiology Society What Is Raynaud’s Phenomenon??? The discoloration of fingers and/or toes More serious form of disease Copyright (c) 1996 - 2005, WebMD, Inc. All rights reserved Primary Raynauds Most common form of Raynauds skin disorder No underlying disease or associated medical problem Cedars-Sinai Who’s at Risk??? Usually begins between 15 years old and 40 years old More common in women than men Causes Exact causes are unknown… Guesses Include: Nerve control of the blood vessel diameter is abnormal Nerve sensitivity to cold temperatures Medline Plus Symptoms Swelling, tingling, aching, throbbing Change in skin color (blue, purple, white) Numbness Pain Sores Episodes last about 15 minutes ISPUB Conditions Associated with Raynaud’s Phenomenon Rheumatic diseases Trauma (frostbite) Hormonal Imblance Inderal (blocks a portion of the sympathetic system) Blenoxane (used in cancer treatments Nicotine Non-Drug Treatment/Prevention Stay warm Quit Smoking Reduce Stress and alcohol consumption Exercise Avoids tools that vibrate See a doctor regularly Drug Treatment calcium-channel blockers: dilate blood vessels alpha-blockers: the norepinephrine hormone (increases blood pressure) nitroglycerine paste: heals ulcers SCLERO IS There a Cure? No cure has been discovered yet….. A gel is being studied which uses the local production of nitric oxide in involved fingers and toes. The gel may dilate the blood vessels and improve circulation. Mayo Foundation Related Links Raynaud’s Phenomenon ( great info on what Raynaud from MedicineNet.com) Treatment (info on treatment from Medical College of Wisconsin) Symptoms (Arthritis Foundation on symptoms) Graphics (awesome pictures from The Internet Journal of Rheumatology) Related Links X-ray Graphic (radiology from the Scottish Radiology Society) Blood Constriction (Medline Plus good pictures) Mayo Foundation (first hand stories) Primary Raynauds (Cedars-Sinai medical information)