I have a condition called Raynaud’s Syndrome/Disease/Phenomenon. Likely, there are a few of you out there that have this too.. 20% of the adult population I’ve read. The condition does not affect me year ’round – thank goodness.
I’ve had this for, I don’t know, 10+ years. When I’m experiencing it, I joke that my fingers have died.
In times of cold-ness and/or stress, the blood seems to drain, and my fingers ‘die’. They feel numb. Holding on to anything cold, like a beverage, while they are ‘dead’ burns like hell. Even running them under warm water when they’re dead hurts like hell.
They can stay dead for 5-30 minutes. I have no real control over that.
When they are ‘coming back to life’ they turn dark purple and they throb, tingle, and you guessed it.. hurt like hell.
The doc prescribed a blood thinner – which I’m not really sure is helping much. But there’s not any other treatment for it. Just prevention.
‘Stay warm’. ‘Move to a warmer climate’. ‘Avoid stress’.
Also, Raynaud’s affects my toes. So that’s fun. /s
I’ve invested in wool blend socks, I’ve tried several versions of hand warmers, gloves, mittens, etc. etc. etc. I’m still looking for the perfect solution.
I use to say Fall was my favorite season. But that’s not a thing I say anymore. I have no interest in playing in the snow. And sadly, I’ve built my last snowman ages ago.
Enjoy the cooler weather if you can. I’ll have to live vicariously through you all.
-krisgo
*I say it’s only gonna get worse, because it’s becoming the colder seasons here in St Louis.
That sounds awful, esp in a cold weather area like STL. You need to move to Guam.
Many decades ago somebody gave me a pair of battery socks with a warming wire embedded in the toe area. They were powered by AA batteries, and only lasted a couple hours.
Now they have rechargeable socks, gloves, hats, boots, scarfs, jackets, even skivvies. But working with gloves on can be impossible for most people.
DJ, move to Guam, eh? That really gave me a chuckle. I had to look it up – I’ve heard of it, of course – but had no idea where it is, nor anything about it. Looks okay! Nice and warm. They do speak English so that’s a plus, as well as Chamorro – which I’ve never heard of…. Not sure if I could work the same job remote from there, and my family might miss me.
For now, I’m definitely in the market for the rechargeable clothing – I do research every fall and winter, and end up buying some new ‘solution’.
But Guam.. I’m really intrigued. lol 🙂
I’ve had the same condition since I was a teenager. It’s usually triggered by picking up something cold, or driving (wish I could drive without using the steering wheel!) although when I was younger, even applying hand lotion triggered it. Medication did not help at all, and sometimes caused other problems – blood thinners are scary. I tried biofeedback years ago – learning to control my circulation through breathing – and that helped considerably, and the condition really has improved over the last few years. A hot pad on your wrist or inside your elbow, or against your ankle or knee, might help more than trying to warm your fingers in water. I avoid tight gloves or shoes/socks – compression socks were the worst and caused problems even in the summer. I have lightweight gloves for handling groceries and better ones for driving and working outside (I’m in Canada.) All the best getting past this!
Minimauve, thanks for your comment – it’s nice to know I’m not alone! Biofeedback is not a term that I’ve heard in association with this condition. It looks like it could help a variety of complaints though – verrrry interesting… and the hot pad on the elbows, ankle or knee is honestly something I hadn’t thought of. Ya know – you think the problem is HERE. Why am I treating over THERE?! But it makes sense. I do have a variety of gloves that I keep everywhere really – it’s kind of like my cheater glasses.. they’re everywhere. I do think I look silly going grocery shopping and wearing gloves while doing it.. but I’m to the age that I don’t really give a crap anymore what other people think of me 🙂
Explore acoustic therapy. The machines cost $100 to $1000. Treatment at a hospital is around $500? It can fix muscle pain and erectile dysfunction. Could be the low blood circulation is much like ED?
Odo – acoustic therapy.. huh… another thing I’ve never heard of – or maybe i have and just never gave it a second thought. I had to google it – and let me tell you, I’ve have now seen enough clip art/medical drawings of erect penises to last me a life time!! HAHAHAH (Side note – is it penises or peni? What’s the plural of penis?!!?!!) Anywayyyyy, that’s an interesting approach to look in to. Thank you!
That sounds awful. I’ve never heard of it.
Try some bison socks. They’re supposed to be better than wool. And they make gloves, too. Of course the gloves aren’t really stylish because they’re meant for outdoors. But if they work, right?!
Beverly, Ooohh thanks. Bison socks – I will definitely look into that!
I don’t have this, but I do take blood thinners after multiple Pulmonary Embolisms and DVT’s. I bust veins in my hands and feet regularly, from doing stupid things. Opening the dryer, walking across the divider between carpet/linoleum.
It causes a weird painful bruise then for 3 days I have periods of ‘dead’.
I don’t have any pain with it really, other than the initial ‘injury’