numb, tingly fingertips? it could be raynaud's disease

do the tips of your fingers or toes turn blue or white when exposed to icy temperatures? does the cold ever trigger painful throbbing in those extremities? if so, you may be suffering from raynaud’s disease.named after the man who discovered it in 1862 (maurice raynaud), raynaud’s disease — often referred to as raynaud’s phenomenon or raynaud’s syndrome — occurs when the blood vessels in the hands and feet overreact to cold temperatures or high stress levels. in rare cases, raynaud’s can also occur in the nose or ears.during an attack of symptoms, the affected area tightens, blood flow to the skin within the extremity is restricted more than it should be, and the area turns white or blue, and then red and painful once the blood returns. attacks can last anywhere from a few minutes to hours.tissue damage, ulcerations or infections such as gangrene can occur in rare cases where the skin breaks down, according to the raynaud’s association, a u.s.-based advocacy group.there are two types of raynaud’s: primary and secondary. primary raynaud’s is the more common of the two and is not associated with any other condition, while secondary raynaud’s is associated with another health-related issue or outside factor such as arthritis, lupus, sjogren’s syndrome, scleroderma, repetitive stress or smoking. caffeine, some medicines, stress (anything that limits circulation) can also trigger an attack.primary raynaud’s usually presents itself in people between the ages of 15 and 30, and there is no known cause or cure as there is no associated health condition. people with secondary raynaud’s can treat the underlying condition to help alleviate symptoms.keeping warm to ensure proper blood circulation is an effective treatment for people with both primary and secondary raynaud’s, and avoiding things like caffeine or smoking can help prevent an episode.according to the mayo clinic, raynaud’s is more common in women than men, seems to affect people more often who live in colder climates and tends to occur in people with a direct relative who also has the condition. the nhs claims raynaud’s, in total, affects up to 20 per cent of the population worldwide.raynaud’s is also listed on the canadian centre for occupational health and safety (ccohs) website as a risk factor associated with many jobs. trauma caused by repetitive stress is one of the causes of secondary raynaud’s, so any job using machinery that vibrates is a potential risk factor.“exposure to vibration from power tools is the greatest concern. hand-held power tools such as chain saws, jackhammers, pneumatic rock drillers and chippers can cause ‘hand-arm vibration syndrome,’” according to the ccohs, “raynaud’s phenomenon, however, is only one aspect of the hand-arm vibration syndrome. vibration also damages nerves, muscles, bones and joints of the hand and arm.”though not life-threatening, raynaud’s can have serious outcomes in some rare cases. but generally, raynaud’s is more of a nuisance than a debilitating issue and most people will not require any medical treatment — though medication could help in some cases. bundling up when venturing into cold climates, avoiding touching extremely cold things, like ice, and not smoking are the best ways to treat and prevent raynaud’s attacks.