Raynaud’s Syndrome on Today Show

I was watching NBC’s Today Show this morning and it featured the Raynaud’s Syndrome, a type of disease due to cold sensitivity.

Raynaud’s phenomenon (RP) is a condition resulting in a particular series of discolorations of the fingers and/or the toes after exposure to changes in temperature (cold or hot) or emotional events.

With Raynaud’s, arteries to your fingers and toes go into what’s called vasospasm. This narrows your vessels dramatically and temporarily limits blood supply. Over time, these same small arteries may also thicken slightly, further limiting blood flow. The result is that affected skin turns a pale and dusky color due to the lack of blood flow to the area. Once the spasms go away and blood returns to the area, the tissue may turn red before returning to a normal color.

Cold temperatures are most likely to trigger an attack. Exposure to cold can be as simple as putting your hands under a faucet of running cold water, taking something out of the freezer or exposure to cold air. For some people, exposure to cold temperatures isn’t necessary. Emotional stress alone can cause an episode of Raynaud’s.

Raynaud’s may be partly an inherited disorder.