What Are the Symptoms of Raynaud's Disease?

Raynaud's syndrome is a group of syndromes in which paroxysmal fingers (toes) become pale, purple, and then become flushed due to cold or emotional agitation. Those who have no special cause are called idiopathic Raynaud syndrome; those who are secondary to other diseases are called secondary Raynaud's syndrome.

Basic Information

English name: Raynaud's syndrome
Visiting department: Rheumatology, Surgery
Multiple groups: 20 to 40 year old women

Common locations: Fingers, toes
Common causes: Unknown, or secondary to rheumatic immune disease
Common symptoms: Cold, pale, purple, flushed
Contagious: no

Causes of Raynaud syndrome

1. The etiology of idiopathic Raynaud syndrome is unknown and may be related to the following factors

(1) Cold stimulation Patients are more sensitive to cold stimuli, and the incidence of this disease is higher in cold regions.

(2) Nervous excitability Patients are mostly sympathetic excited type, which may be related to central nervous system dysfunction and hypersympathetic nerve function.

(3) Occupational factors Workers who have long been engaged in vibration machinery, such as air hammer operators, have an incidence rate of up to 50%, and the specific mechanism is unknown.

(4) Endocrine Disorders Women with this disease account for 70% to 90%. Symptoms worsen during menstruation and relieve during pregnancy, which may be related to sex hormones.

(5) Other causes Heredity, fatigue, infection, etc.

2. Secondary Raynaud syndrome is often accompanied by the following diseases

(1) Systemic scleroderma;

(2) Systemic lupus erythematosus;

(3) Dermatomyositis or polymyositis;

(4) Rheumatoid arthritis;

(5) Atherosclerosis of limbs in patients over 50 years of age;

(6) thrombotic vasculitis, rare;

(7) Primary pulmonary hypertension.

Trauma and drugs such as ergot inducers, vincristine, barbituric acid, etc. can also cause the disease.

Clinical manifestations of Raynaud syndrome

Occurs in 20 to 40 years old, more women than men. Onset is slow, beginning in winter, short onset, and gradually appears in case of cold or emotional agitation. Generally, symptomatic hands and fingers attack, and toes can also occur.

Cold hands, feet, numbness, and occasional pain. In a typical attack, the metacarpophalangeal joints are the boundary, and the fingers become cold, pale, purple, and then flushed. In the late stage of the disease, the hair on the back of the finger gradually disappears, the nail grows slowly, rough, and deformed, the skin shrinks and becomes thin and tight (scleroderma), ulcers form around the fingertips or nail bed, and can cause infection.

Raynaud syndrome

Cold water test

Placing your fingers or toes in cold water at 4 degrees Celsius for one minute can induce the typical symptoms mentioned above.

2. fist test

Giving a fist with both hands for 1 minute and letting go in a bent state can also induce the above symptoms.

3. Skin UV irradiation test

The skin's erythema response to UV radiation is reduced.

4. Finger arteriography

If necessary, perform arteriography of the upper limbs to understand the condition of the finger arteries, which can help diagnosis.

Raynaud syndrome diagnosis

The diagnosis of Raynaud's syndrome is mainly based on the history and typical symptoms at the time of the onset. The diagnosis can be made by combining the above-mentioned challenge tests. Raynaud's syndrome should distinguish between primary and secondary Raynaud's syndrome, and timely treatment of related diseases.