raynaud

Raynaud's disease is a rare disorder of the blood vessels, usually in the fingers and toes. It causes the blood vessels to narrow when you are cold or feeling stressed. When this happens, blood can't get to the surface of the skin and the affected areas turn white and blue. When the blood flow returns, the skin turns red and throbs or tingles. In severe cases, loss of blood flow can cause sores or tissue death.

Primary Raynaud's happens on its own. The cause is unknown. There is also secondary Raynaud's, which is caused by injuries, other diseases, or certain medicines.

People in colder climates are more likely to develop Raynaud's. It is also more common in women, people with a family history, and those over age 30.

Treatment for Raynaud's may include drugs to keep the blood vessels open. There are also simple things you can do yourself, such as:

• Soaking hands in warm water at the first sign of an attack
• Keeping your hands and feet warm in cold weather
• Avoiding triggers, such as certain medicines and stress

NIH: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

Scleroderma means hard skin. It is a group of diseases that cause abnormal growth of connective tissue. Connective tissue is the material inside your body that gives your tissues their shape and helps keep them strong. In scleroderma, the tissue gets hard or thick. It can cause swelling or pain in your muscles and joints.

Symptoms of scleroderma include :

• Calcium deposits in connective tissues
• Raynaud's phenomenon, a narrowing of blood vessels in the hands or feet
• Swelling of the esophagus, the tube between your throat and stomach
• Thick, tight skin on your fingers
• Red spots on your hands and face

No one knows what causes scleroderma. It is more common in women. It can be mild or severe. Doctors diagnose scleroderma using your medical history, a physical exam, lab tests, and a skin biopsy. There is no cure, but various treatments can control symptoms and complications.

NIH: National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases

Your vascular system is your body's network of blood vessels. It includes your:

• Arteries, which carry oxygen-rich blood from your heart to your tissues and organs
• Veins, which carry the blood and waste products back to your heart
• Capillaries, which are tiny blood vessels that connect your small arteries to your small veins. The walls of the capillaries are thin and leaky, to allow for an exchange of materials between your tissues and blood.

Vascular diseases are conditions which affect your vascular system. They are common and can be serious. Some types include:

• Aneurysm - a bulge or "ballooning" in the wall of an artery
• Atherosclerosis - a disease in which plaque builds up inside your arteries. Plaque is made up of fat, cholesterol, calcium, and other substances found in the blood.
• Blood clots, including deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism
• Coronary artery disease and carotid artery disease, diseases that involve the narrowing or blockage of an artery. The cause is usually a buildup of plaque.
• Raynaud's disease - a disorder that causes the blood vessels to narrow when you are cold or feeling stressed
• Stroke - a serious condition that happens when blood flow to your brain stops.
• Varicose veins - swollen, twisted veins that you can see just under the skin
• Vasculitis - inflammation of the blood vessels

The causes of vascular diseases depend on the specific disease. These causes include:

• Genetics
• Heart diseases such as high cholesterol and high blood pressure
• Infection
• Injury
• Medicines, including hormones

Sometimes the cause is unknown.

The risk factors for vascular diseases can vary, depending on the specific disease. But some of the more common risk factors include:

• Age - your risk of some diseases goes up as you get older
• Conditions that can affect the heart and blood vessels, such as diabetes or high cholesterol
• Family history of vascular or heart diseases
• Infection or injury that damages your veins
• Lack of exercise
• Obesity
• Pregnancy
• Sitting or standing still for long periods of time
• Smoking

The symptoms for each disease are different.

To make a diagnosis, your health care provider will do a physical exam and ask about your symptoms and medical history. You may have imaging tests and/or blood tests.

Which treatment you get depends on which vascular disease you have and how severe it is. Types of treatments for vascular diseases include:

• Lifestyle changes, such as eating a heart-healthy diet and getting more exercise
• Medicines, such as blood pressure medicines, blood thinners, cholesterol medicines, and clot-dissolving drugs. In some cases, providers use a catheter to send medicine directly to a blood vessel.
• Non-surgical procedures, such as angioplasty, stenting, and vein ablation
• Surgery

There are steps you can take to help prevent vascular diseases:

• Make healthy lifestyle changes, such as eating a heart-healthy diet and getting more exercise
• Don't smoke. If you are already a smoker, talk to your health care provider for help in finding the best way for you to quit.
• Keep your blood pressure and cholesterol in check
• If you have diabetes, control your blood sugar
• Try not to sit or stand for up long periods of time. If you do need to sit all day, get up and move around every hour or so. If you traveling on a long trip, you can also wear compression stockings and regularly stretch your legs.

You use your fingers and thumbs to do everything from grasping objects to playing musical instruments to typing. When there is something wrong with them, it can make life difficult. Common problems include:

• Injuries that result in fractures (broken bones), ruptured ligaments and dislocations
• Osteoarthritis - wear-and-tear arthritis. It can also cause deformity.
• Tendinitis - irritation of the tendons
• Dupuytren's contracture - a hereditary thickening of the tough tissue that lies just below the skin of your palm. It causes the fingers to stiffen and bend.
• Trigger finger - an irritation of the sheath that surrounds the flexor tendons. It can cause the tendon to catch and release like a trigger.

No matter how old you are or what you do for a living, you are always using your hands. When there is something wrong with them, you may not be able to do your regular activities.

Hand problems include :

• Carpal tunnel syndrome - compression of a nerve as it goes through the wrist, often making your fingers feel numb
• Injuries that result in fractures (broken bones), ruptured ligaments and dislocations
• Osteoarthritis - wear-and-tear arthritis, which can also cause deformity
• Tendinitis - irritation of the tendons
• Disorders and injuries of your fingers and thumb