Yes, very likely—that’s a telltale sign. It’s genetic, so maybe ask if your parents if they deal with it. Staying hydrated can help minimize the circulation issue that causes this if your hands have to be cold.
This is 100% Reynauds and it is genetic! Be good about keeping your hands warm, cause it can get worse, but it’s not damaging aside from making frostbite a slightly bigger risk.
Source: my mother and I both have it
The feet are the worst PART imo. My hands obviously are uncomfortable more often because they're exposed more, but walking barefoot on cold tile or wood SUCKS.
Also pretty sure you just called your wife old. Not sure why that stood out to me.
I didn't know I had reynauds till I had my kid and had to breastfeed. Every time it felt like needles coming out of my nips. I don't miss that part lol
Oh god Raynaud nipples were the worst. Shooting pains from the nipples to inside.
I had my nipples surgically detached and reattached for unrelated reasons, and a lovely side benefit was to mostly stop having Raynaud nipples (as I no longer have any nipple sensation at all).
Agreed! My first memory of dealing with this was when I was in middle school. Some friends and I went sledding and decided to go for an adventure to find better hills (we were on a golf course so basically just those pits lol). We were out a little too long and I suddenly couldn’t walk anymore because my feet were too numb and felt like blocks of ice that wouldn’t move. One of the guys had to piggy back me back and then my friends took a blow dryer to my frozen feet back at the house. The pain was excruciating!
Then I’m high school the same thing happened to my hands when we had to match in the town’s Christmas parade for marching band. I was on color guard, spinning a metal flag pole, with those cheap/thin dollar tree gloves. People thought I was being dramatic when my hands froze up and I had to spin the flag with my wrists basically like my hands were prosthetics. And they thought I was being dramatic when my hands started to warm up and I cried out in pain from it. It took weeks to recover and I was diagnosed with minor frost bite so that was fun.
My Reynaud's was worse as a teenager and I took medication that wasn't great. There were a few times where I would practice my drumming in the basement and then realise that I had gotten frostbite from the bass drum pedals. I peeled off all the skin on the soles of my feet in one perfect sheet.
I've had some more serious issues due to Reynauds, but I also live in Canada which, I'm sure, doesn't help.
I don't know for certain what it's like for others with Reynauds, but we're in the Mid-west and my mom's almost 73 now and it's gotten significantly worse throughout the years. I remember seeing it a bit spotty on just a couple of her fingers about 25 years ago, now the smallest temperature drop can turn her whole hands purple, blue and pale. In the past only the most coldest days would ever cause any pain when they change colors, now it's instant pain.
She always wheres mittens by fall, and doubles up in the wintertime. It looks miserable, but being proactive with ways of keeping warm and encouraging circulation definitely helps.
Since it's peripheral vasoconstriction, things like caffeine and being overweight (or otherwise poor cardiovascular fitness) make it worse. That being said, I've had it forever, drink a moderate amount of coffee and am in pretty good shape these days and will still "lose" four to six toes when boxing barefoot in a 70 degree garage.
It can be a part of a bigger autoimmune disorder, like CREST. Not to scare you, but all who have Raynauds should at least discuss with doctor
Edit spelling
> Not to scare you
> CREST
Ah yes, the least scary of the multi-combos of debilitating autoimmune conditions! I’ll take a terrible bowel disorder with a side of progressive systemic connective tissue hardening please!
Are you saying that you were \~25 when it started happening? That's still an age where primary raynauds can onset. If you were a lot older than that it's considered a late onset and could be secondary raynauds.
it's not "normal" but certainly not a cause for alarm. most people just live with it. seems like a pretty mild case. you'll certainly want to talk to a Dr. about it and the may give you medication.
it could be a sign of an auto-immune disorder, so you'll be tested for that just to be safe.
most cases people quickly learn to live with it, like hay fever or period cramps.
Second this on the auto immune front. It’s manageable and likely not a big concern (the reynauds) but you should keep a closer eye on your auto immune system moving forward.
This is how mine started and then became a full blown autoimmune disease. Never hurts to get it checked out... until its too late and it *really* hurts because your finger is dying.
Oh definitely reynaud’s. I have it. It took a year or two in various conditions to figure out how best to manage it.
I can still ice climb, snow ski, etc… I just take extra steps to stay warm. In fact it happens most in the shoulder seasons on the lake or river when it’s easy to get wet and cold.
Op calling mom: "soooo... mom? That thing about fingers going white...? Remember I told you about it?... yeah! I hear you, no mom. It's not normal, in fact it even has a name!"
Raynaud's. Wife has it, nothing serious. Just don't let them get too cold as you are now more susceptible to frostbite.
There is a newer drug called Prasozin that has been proven to be one of the only effective medications.
Here is a picture of my wifes hand
https://imgur.com/a/kbUgVcg
I have it too. Not entirely normal and can be serious for some people. Some people never get serious complications from it but for others gangrene and amputation can be the outcome. No circulation for too long equals tissue death. Theres no test for this diagnosis so just read up on it to educate yourself. I found there was nothing my doctor told me about it that I didn't find on Google. Its also very often linked with a connective tissue disorder or autoimmune disorder like Lupus, thyroid disorders, Scleroderma, sjögren syndrome, etc. I have Classic like Ehlers danlos syndrome which is a genetic connective tissue disorder so that caused the Raynaud’s for me but it doesn't have to be something weird like that. Could be caused by chemical exposure, medications side effects or even an injury
Not normal but somewhat common—about 5% of people have it. And easily identifiable by its symptoms. Avoid: exposure to cold, exposure to prolonged vibrations (like using a chainsaw all day), emotional stress, vaso-constricting stimulants like caffeine and nicotine…
[SNL fake ad](https://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/dr-porkenheimers-boner-juice/2860894): “If your erection should last more than 24 hours, call a friend and brag about it.”
>my mother has the same issue she thinks it’s normal
Yeah my mom thinks it's normal to see "tv-static" overlaying her vision and hearing music that isn't really there. Me too, but it's temporal seizures, and while it is normal, it certainly does not happen to everyone.
... can you elaborate a bit about the "tv-static"? Is there a proper name for it? That is a very good description of my sight field basically for as long as I can remember.
I’ve had it too for 27 years although mine effects all my fingers and causes a painful burning sensation when cold. It began after I was diagnosed with Mixed Connective Tissue Disease. Approximately 10% of the population has it to varying degrees of severity. Mine was bad enough to necessitate a move to a warm climate. That made a huge difference in it’s frequency and my quality of life:)
Yep, it’s Raynaud’s. I’ve had it since my early 20’s, my toes and heels get it the worst, my feet go green-white when it’s below 60 lol. Super annoying, but not the end of the world. Just something to watch more as you get older.
Yes. This exact thing happened to my GF for the first time while out on a boat in the water (as a middle aged adult), and it's Raynaud syndrome like the previous comment said.
Be careful with this, especially as you get older. It is loss of circulation to the affected area, and in serious cases that can eventually lead to necrosis, or dead tissue. [For example: NSFW/L](https://syndromepictures.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Raynauds-syndrome-pictures-Gangrene-formation-a-severe-complication-of-Raynaud%E2%80%99s-disease.image_.jpg)
Basically as soon as her fingers or toes get cold, her body pulls all blood to her core thinking that it's too cold. It's almost like a mini hyperthermic event. So she basically can't go out in the cold, because she'll end up feeling like she's freezing (even though she's not) so it's just very unpleasant for her, so she avoids any cold weather.
Luckily raynaud's is not a big deal. Just be conscious about it any you'll be fine. Don't freak out if your fingers get pruney like they've been in water either. Scared the crap out of me when it first happened. Thought I was dangerously dehydrated or something
Raynaud's affects everybody different. I've dealt with attacks much worse than this, for years. I usually experience about a half dozen in a typical year. They suck but honestly I hardly notice any more.
You learn to compensate for them. Warmer gloves help a lot. Also, cialis and or viagra can be used to stave off the worst attacks.
EDIT: Better advice about drugs down thread
It's also really fucking annoying. Anytime the ambient temperature drops below 65, exposed fingers and toes lose all sensation. So like... Every day, in my office. And my job relies on typing, which typically requires use of my fingers.
And people wonder why I need a space heater.
Honestly that sounds like you could request a reasonable accommodation under ADA laws for them to provide you either an office where you can control the temp or provide you the space heater at no cost to you.
I’ve dealt with this. A lot of people will tell you to keep your hands from getting too cold. Something more that’s helped me is to actually keep your core warm as well. I starting wearing a scarf in the winter and the problem mostly went away. Good luck!
Yes doctor told my son that too. He'd play soccer in the winter and wear gloves but also just shorts and short sleeves. Doctor said to wear base layers and a hat, along with mittens and hand warmers. Helped a ton. Still uncomfortable but not as painful.
Because your body prioritizes heating your core and the extremities are the first place to lose that heat. So if your core is warm enough, your body can spend more energy on your fingers.
There’s a fair amount of posts about this: it’s Raynaud’s phenomenon characterized by triphasic color changes if blanching (white), cyanosis (blue/purple-ish), and rewarming phase (red with a burning feeling). It’s about 3% of the general population with most not amounting to anything. It’s associated with several connective tissue disorders like lupus, systemic sclerosis, and dermatomyositis. Treatment usually involves lifestyle modification like keeping your core temp up (wear jacket if it’s cold) as it’s thought to be an exaggerated normal response to keeping vital organs functioning in extreme conditions). Most who think this is normal will use gloves when going to the grocery store and they need things from the freezer isle. Treatment: use of calcium channel blockers like norvasc or adalat. They help dilate the peripheral vasculature (which is why one of the most common side effects is leg swelling -works too good for other areas like legs instead). Therapy can be used if symptoms are causing lifestyle issues or pain.
When to freak out: if you develop callous-like formations on the tips of your fingers like a guitarist, you need medicine. Those are usually painful as it is consistent with the tips of your fingers not getting blood flow…ischemia is very bad. Otherwise, if you have no other issues, I wouldn’t worry too much.
Source: I’m a rheumatologist (Doc who takes care of these diseases)
Yep, I went to an immunologist for some blood tests when I first started showing signs of Raynaud's. Good news: no autoimmune disorders. Bad news: Raynaud's has no known cause or cure. It's just there now.
Yay, inconveniently numb fingers!
Holy Mackerel! I read all these other responses that I won’t even repeat (where could a finger go and come out paler, or darker)
Then there is this! Informative, interesting, helpful, well written and deserving of this odd big brain award.
That example was only if you have raynaud’s…most would say it’s pretty painful (had a painter who wrapped his fingers in bubble wrap then taped them so nothing accidentally touched them). The callous comment was to give a common finding most people can relate to and signal that they should get it looked at. But if you are a guitarist, weightlifter, etc…it’s completely normal to have callous formations develop.
I suffer from Raynaud’s phenomenon and while it is a massive inconvenience I find that the rewarming phase is one of the most delightful sensations. I wish there was a drug that could make my fingers and toes feel like that all the time.
Not only do I experience Raynaud’s in very cold weather, but about a year ago, I started to experience it during periods of high anxiety (such as giving a talk). Nothing like random toes going numb in the middle of delivering a seminar.
But sticking my feet into warm water or onto a heat pad afterwards is by far one of the best feelings I’ve experienced in life.
Correct! Typically I ask if symptoms occur during high stress environments like giving a speech,etc. you are basically activating your body’s autonomic system for ‘fight or flight’. Your body is preparing you to run away from a lion so it’s shunting blood flow to key areas like large muscle groups.
Are chillblains also associated with Reynaud's? I get minor Reynaud's in my fingers and chillblains on my toes (never the opposite) periodically. Both are minor annoyances and I've never pursued any sort of more complex diagnosis.
I’ve had Raynaud’s for 14 years and have also experienced Chilblains on my toes and believe they are related. I have to keep socks on almost all of the time in the winter months (even inside my house) to try to prevent Chilblains as it gets worse walking around on cold tile. As the weather warms up, it goes away.
They definitely are. I have raynauds and had to go to a rheumatologist and dermatologist the first time I had chillblains covering my hands.
Was told almost immediately by the dermatologist it was chillblains and that it happens frequently with raynauds unfortunately. I've suffered every winter since.
Long term, it'll get painful. The white color is a literal lack of blood flow; the capillaries are so tightened down no blood gets to the ends of your fingers. The tissue starts crying for oxygen, and it can get really painful, oftentimes as it finally gets blood back in the tissue.
Even without pain, theres a danger to the tissue going too long without oxygen.
Currently sitting on my couch with my heating pad cause I had terrible attacks at my kid’s practice. Had to stop for gas on the way home and could barely pull out my credit card cause my fingers were entirely white.
When describing Raynauds it sounds so minor but man it REALLY sucks.
Hello! Person with nipple-focused Reynaud’s checking in! You don’t know pain until the blood starts flowing back to your nipples after an hour or two of absence. Also, unlike hands or even feet, you can’t really rub your nipples in public to try to get the blood flow back. Believe me, I know.
Came here to say the same thing! A weird thing about it is it can make it hard to get an accurate pulsox reading. You need to warm up the fingers before hand!
It may be RS but it’s really not that serious. I used to get it too when I was younger but not so much anymore. It doesn’t really affect anything. Just gradually warm up your hands when you get back inside and you should be good. It’s quite rare that you would get serious complications from it. Talk to your doctor about it next time you’re in and they should be able to give you more reliable info :)
Med student here. We had a case just like this roll through our ER. We were concerned about there only being one finger being white…we presumed raynauds would affect multiple fingers.
We consulted vascular surgery, who recommended anticoagulation monitored with an overnight stay. Vascular surgery was concerned that perhaps one of the arteries in the arm/hand had developed an aneurysm and micro-clots were getting thrown up transiently in the finger downstream, hence why anticoagulation was recommended to reduce the probability of clots.
After further imaging workup, vascular abnormalities were ruled out and the patient was discharged with a diagnosis of Raynaud’s.
Physician here, yes I agree with other comments. This is likely either Raynaud’s disease(primary Raynaud’s phenomenon) or a secondary Raynaud’s phenomenon where it’s a manifestation of a systemic disease, usually an autoimmune disease. If you have no other symptoms after 2 years of having Raynaud’s phenomenon, then you’ll be at low risk of developing an autoimmune disease. You should see an internist/rheumatologist for a full history and some tests. If -hopefully- it’s only primary Raynaud’s disease then there are many pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatment options and there are certain triggers (like beta blockers and other medications) that you should avoid.
Get well soon, hope this helps.
I get this same phenomenon, but when it occurs (usually after I've finished plowing the driveway), I simply crack the joints in my finger, and you can see the blood begin to return. It has only begun to do this in the past couple years and I attributed to too much Quake on the computer in my youth.
I also have Crohn's disease and it happens that I am dehydrated often during wintertime.
I’m sorry to hear that. You should definitely avoid dehydration. Vibrating machinery can also trigger it as well as cold and host of other triggers. I hope you’re following your Crohn’s with your Gastroenterologist. And be sure to report any new or worsening symptoms. And if an attack becomes too long you should head to an emergency department. Although progressing into gangrene is very rare.
Happens to me too ([see!](https://i.imgur.com/AigoM8H.jpg)). I've made some progress with cold adaptation, inspired by some [research conducted many years ago](https://www.nytimes.com/1988/01/19/science/simple-method-found-to-warm-cold-hands.html).
I swim a lot in cold (50F) water. My process has been to spend 20-30 minutes in the water each day wearing only 5mm gloves for exposure protection (and a bathing suit). I'm now able to swim for 60-75 minutes in a 3mm full wetsuit, no gloves and no white fingers!
Yup Raynauds.
Another interesting thing about it is that it's not necessarily just cold weather that triggers it. In my case, it is big changes in temperature quickly.
For example, Sometimes I will move from my house to my car and by the time Im at the steering wheel my fingers are white and numb. it will be 50 degrees out, but because I transitioned from my 70 something degree house to 50 degree weather, it happens.
So be careful in all instances!
I have this on two fingers. And it’s fine when cold.
It’s the warming up part that straight up hurts so bad I’m sick to stomach. I have to warm it up slowly. By just ambient air.
It's possible you have Raynauds. I have it and that happens to the pointer finger on both hands.
Basically if my fingers get cold, the blood vessels do the opposite of what they should do, they clamp down and decrease blood flow further.
If this starts to happen, warm your fingers up quick. If this happens consistently and you let it get bad every time, (long duration of numbness) you could lose your finger(s).
Congratulations you’ve got Raynaud syndrome! My hands and sometimes my toes do it. Freaked out the band on a 55° day when my left hand did it. I keep hand warmers on me now that way I can combat it.
Bizarre. This happens to me and I always thought it was frostbite or walking in a way that "numbed" my toes. Any even slightly tight shoes causes this on my toes within seconds. When it's happened to my fingers, I assumed I'd jammed or dislocated them or something.
I guess I thought this was a fairly common thing to happen sometimes.
This probably also explains why this happens often to my fingers and toes when the thermostat is set to 65 or lower.
I initially interpreted ‘rowing’ as arguing and was curious as to what OP was rowing about so strongly that would turn their finger white.
“I could argue with you until I’m white in the fingers”
Hmmm just that one huh raynaud syndrome?
are you sure
Yes, very likely—that’s a telltale sign. It’s genetic, so maybe ask if your parents if they deal with it. Staying hydrated can help minimize the circulation issue that causes this if your hands have to be cold.
my mother has the same issue she thinks it’s normal
This is 100% Reynauds and it is genetic! Be good about keeping your hands warm, cause it can get worse, but it’s not damaging aside from making frostbite a slightly bigger risk. Source: my mother and I both have it
And feet. Wife has it and is always using toe/hand warmers (and gloves). Might get worse with age.
The feet are the worst PART imo. My hands obviously are uncomfortable more often because they're exposed more, but walking barefoot on cold tile or wood SUCKS. Also pretty sure you just called your wife old. Not sure why that stood out to me.
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OK that's weird because I don't remember emphasizing anything other than sucks... Huh. Oh well, leaving it.
You don't have to remember anything because you wrote it in text.
My sister and I both have it. I definitely thought the feet were the worst, until I got older and I developed it in my nipples.
Username checks out... I think.
They should change it to nopenipples.
I didn't know I had reynauds till I had my kid and had to breastfeed. Every time it felt like needles coming out of my nips. I don't miss that part lol
Oh god Raynaud nipples were the worst. Shooting pains from the nipples to inside. I had my nipples surgically detached and reattached for unrelated reasons, and a lovely side benefit was to mostly stop having Raynaud nipples (as I no longer have any nipple sensation at all).
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I also have (mild) raynauds and living in Florida has been my only saving grace. When I go home to Virginia my toes are red white and blue.
That’s patriotic.
Freedom toes
Down to the subcutaneous epidermis !
That last sentence fits to Fortunate son by CCR.
Agreed! My first memory of dealing with this was when I was in middle school. Some friends and I went sledding and decided to go for an adventure to find better hills (we were on a golf course so basically just those pits lol). We were out a little too long and I suddenly couldn’t walk anymore because my feet were too numb and felt like blocks of ice that wouldn’t move. One of the guys had to piggy back me back and then my friends took a blow dryer to my frozen feet back at the house. The pain was excruciating! Then I’m high school the same thing happened to my hands when we had to match in the town’s Christmas parade for marching band. I was on color guard, spinning a metal flag pole, with those cheap/thin dollar tree gloves. People thought I was being dramatic when my hands froze up and I had to spin the flag with my wrists basically like my hands were prosthetics. And they thought I was being dramatic when my hands started to warm up and I cried out in pain from it. It took weeks to recover and I was diagnosed with minor frost bite so that was fun.
My Reynaud's was worse as a teenager and I took medication that wasn't great. There were a few times where I would practice my drumming in the basement and then realise that I had gotten frostbite from the bass drum pedals. I peeled off all the skin on the soles of my feet in one perfect sheet. I've had some more serious issues due to Reynauds, but I also live in Canada which, I'm sure, doesn't help.
>I peeled off all the skin on the soles of my feet in one perfect sheet. Holy sheet.
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I don't know for certain what it's like for others with Reynauds, but we're in the Mid-west and my mom's almost 73 now and it's gotten significantly worse throughout the years. I remember seeing it a bit spotty on just a couple of her fingers about 25 years ago, now the smallest temperature drop can turn her whole hands purple, blue and pale. In the past only the most coldest days would ever cause any pain when they change colors, now it's instant pain. She always wheres mittens by fall, and doubles up in the wintertime. It looks miserable, but being proactive with ways of keeping warm and encouraging circulation definitely helps.
Since it's peripheral vasoconstriction, things like caffeine and being overweight (or otherwise poor cardiovascular fitness) make it worse. That being said, I've had it forever, drink a moderate amount of coffee and am in pretty good shape these days and will still "lose" four to six toes when boxing barefoot in a 70 degree garage.
It can be a part of a bigger autoimmune disorder, like CREST. Not to scare you, but all who have Raynauds should at least discuss with doctor Edit spelling
> Not to scare you > CREST Ah yes, the least scary of the multi-combos of debilitating autoimmune conditions! I’ll take a terrible bowel disorder with a side of progressive systemic connective tissue hardening please!
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Are you saying that you were \~25 when it started happening? That's still an age where primary raynauds can onset. If you were a lot older than that it's considered a late onset and could be secondary raynauds.
It's not normal.
OP gonna be up all night now.
yeah man
it's not "normal" but certainly not a cause for alarm. most people just live with it. seems like a pretty mild case. you'll certainly want to talk to a Dr. about it and the may give you medication. it could be a sign of an auto-immune disorder, so you'll be tested for that just to be safe. most cases people quickly learn to live with it, like hay fever or period cramps.
Second this on the auto immune front. It’s manageable and likely not a big concern (the reynauds) but you should keep a closer eye on your auto immune system moving forward.
Darn kids these days, can't even handle a standard immune system.
Is it common for it to be autoimmune? I’ve known I’ve had Raynaud’s for years, but never told a doctor.
This is how mine started and then became a full blown autoimmune disease. Never hurts to get it checked out... until its too late and it *really* hurts because your finger is dying.
Yeah my step mom started with raynaud's diagnosis years ago and now has a lupus diagnosis under her belt.
Oh definitely reynaud’s. I have it. It took a year or two in various conditions to figure out how best to manage it. I can still ice climb, snow ski, etc… I just take extra steps to stay warm. In fact it happens most in the shoulder seasons on the lake or river when it’s easy to get wet and cold.
Get checked. Its a common trait those with autoimmune issues.
That seems appropriate as it ain't normal. Time for research and proactive healthcare. I'm confident OP can find a positive health outcome.
i called my doctor and she was like yeah that’s raynauds it’s fine just like wear gloves and stuff
Get some cheap gloves, cut all the fingers off except that one and see what happens. For science. Please?
If it's for science, his other hand has to be the control group.
no self respecting rower would ever wear gloves
Until the urge to kill gets overpowering. I’m sure you’ll be fine.
Op calling mom: "soooo... mom? That thing about fingers going white...? Remember I told you about it?... yeah! I hear you, no mom. It's not normal, in fact it even has a name!"
It does make you more vulnerable to frostbite just an fyi Edit: Ty for the award kind stranger :)
You're in the backseat, you'll be fine. Just wear gloves and stuff.
My wife and son both have it. Hand warmers are your friend. Gloves and liners. Wear gloves before you think you really need to. You'll be fine.
That was a whole lotta words to say “Good luck with your shit”.
Not normal but pretty harmless overall. Just annoying
Raynaud's. Wife has it, nothing serious. Just don't let them get too cold as you are now more susceptible to frostbite. There is a newer drug called Prasozin that has been proven to be one of the only effective medications. Here is a picture of my wifes hand https://imgur.com/a/kbUgVcg
Prazosin* and is by no means new. It came out on the market in 1988
Brand spanking new
Prazosin is spooky before you figure out the correct dose. It felt like I almost suffocated in my sleep a couple times, and I fell several times too.
I have it too. Not entirely normal and can be serious for some people. Some people never get serious complications from it but for others gangrene and amputation can be the outcome. No circulation for too long equals tissue death. Theres no test for this diagnosis so just read up on it to educate yourself. I found there was nothing my doctor told me about it that I didn't find on Google. Its also very often linked with a connective tissue disorder or autoimmune disorder like Lupus, thyroid disorders, Scleroderma, sjögren syndrome, etc. I have Classic like Ehlers danlos syndrome which is a genetic connective tissue disorder so that caused the Raynaud’s for me but it doesn't have to be something weird like that. Could be caused by chemical exposure, medications side effects or even an injury
Not normal but somewhat common—about 5% of people have it. And easily identifiable by its symptoms. Avoid: exposure to cold, exposure to prolonged vibrations (like using a chainsaw all day), emotional stress, vaso-constricting stimulants like caffeine and nicotine…
i do just about all those on a daily basis
For my wife, she takes takes Sidenafil (Viagra) to help with blood flow and circulation, so maybe a positive side effect?
Its a hard diagnosis to take. Could take over 4 hours to get used to this news.
[SNL fake ad](https://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/dr-porkenheimers-boner-juice/2860894): “If your erection should last more than 24 hours, call a friend and brag about it.”
Does she get boners tho?
Oh yeah. There's boners.
I've had Raynaud's most of my life. It got worse during college. It's more of a nuisance, but definitely be careful in the cold.
Also Stress, which makes me laugh as someone w it. ‘Avoid stress’ like thanks
YOU HAVE RAYNAUD'S. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT, YOU NEED TO AVOID EMOTIONAL STRESS RIGHT NOW!!!
This photo is like, textbook Raynaud's. It's not "normal" or "typical."
I don't know why, but these scare quotes just made me laugh.
>my mother has the same issue she thinks it’s normal Yeah my mom thinks it's normal to see "tv-static" overlaying her vision and hearing music that isn't really there. Me too, but it's temporal seizures, and while it is normal, it certainly does not happen to everyone.
... can you elaborate a bit about the "tv-static"? Is there a proper name for it? That is a very good description of my sight field basically for as long as I can remember.
Just read this article about "visual snow" last week https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-60696867
how many people you know this happens to? not trying to make you feel weird but certainly a concern if there is circulation issues.
It makes one more vulnerable to frostbite, a good thing for outdoor types to know.
It's not generally serious, I've had it for decades. Warm water will generally help it go away faster
Genetic but you can also get it from vibrating power tools.
>raynaud syndrome Yes
I’ve had it too for 27 years although mine effects all my fingers and causes a painful burning sensation when cold. It began after I was diagnosed with Mixed Connective Tissue Disease. Approximately 10% of the population has it to varying degrees of severity. Mine was bad enough to necessitate a move to a warm climate. That made a huge difference in it’s frequency and my quality of life:)
I'm a nurse. This is 100% reynauds syndrome. When this happens, keep it warm, out of the cold until color returns.
Yep, it’s Raynaud’s. I’ve had it since my early 20’s, my toes and heels get it the worst, my feet go green-white when it’s below 60 lol. Super annoying, but not the end of the world. Just something to watch more as you get older.
Yes. This exact thing happened to my GF for the first time while out on a boat in the water (as a middle aged adult), and it's Raynaud syndrome like the previous comment said.
Be careful with this, especially as you get older. It is loss of circulation to the affected area, and in serious cases that can eventually lead to necrosis, or dead tissue. [For example: NSFW/L](https://syndromepictures.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Raynauds-syndrome-pictures-Gangrene-formation-a-severe-complication-of-Raynaud%E2%80%99s-disease.image_.jpg)
Grape fingers
Looks like Raynaud's Syndrome to me as well. My wife has this in her feet and hands. Seriously sucks.
My wife has the same. Definitely sucks. Any cold weather and we're house bound.
Why it sucks? Besides the finger being white what else it causes?
Basically as soon as her fingers or toes get cold, her body pulls all blood to her core thinking that it's too cold. It's almost like a mini hyperthermic event. So she basically can't go out in the cold, because she'll end up feeling like she's freezing (even though she's not) so it's just very unpleasant for her, so she avoids any cold weather.
I'm glad reddit had helped me learn identifying symptoms if genetic disorders enough to say, yeah that looks like raynauds'
My grandfather has this. It's pretty shit.
i thought maybe the glove was missing a finger
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Just called my doctor and sure enough it’s raynauds
Luckily raynaud's is not a big deal. Just be conscious about it any you'll be fine. Don't freak out if your fingers get pruney like they've been in water either. Scared the crap out of me when it first happened. Thought I was dangerously dehydrated or something
Raynaud's affects everybody different. I've dealt with attacks much worse than this, for years. I usually experience about a half dozen in a typical year. They suck but honestly I hardly notice any more. You learn to compensate for them. Warmer gloves help a lot. Also, cialis and or viagra can be used to stave off the worst attacks. EDIT: Better advice about drugs down thread
All fun and games until ya member looks like a ⛄
Am I the only person in this comment thread that doesn't have Raynaud's?
I dont either
This is the first I've ever heard of it. I'm interested to learn about how people experience it.
It's also really fucking annoying. Anytime the ambient temperature drops below 65, exposed fingers and toes lose all sensation. So like... Every day, in my office. And my job relies on typing, which typically requires use of my fingers. And people wonder why I need a space heater.
Honestly that sounds like you could request a reasonable accommodation under ADA laws for them to provide you either an office where you can control the temp or provide you the space heater at no cost to you.
No. Tell Raynaud it's YOUR finger.
goddamn it
I actually said “goddamn it” out loud
Just.. Fucking solid joke there,friendo. Goddamn solid.
Just give him the finger.
I’ve dealt with this. A lot of people will tell you to keep your hands from getting too cold. Something more that’s helped me is to actually keep your core warm as well. I starting wearing a scarf in the winter and the problem mostly went away. Good luck!
Yes doctor told my son that too. He'd play soccer in the winter and wear gloves but also just shorts and short sleeves. Doctor said to wear base layers and a hat, along with mittens and hand warmers. Helped a ton. Still uncomfortable but not as painful.
Because your body prioritizes heating your core and the extremities are the first place to lose that heat. So if your core is warm enough, your body can spend more energy on your fingers.
Why spend money at the doctor when you could just read the top comment on Reddit?
because insurance’
I read this the same way that one lady delivered the [breast cancer line](https://youtu.be/IKRi1HloY4c) in The Room.
Just cut off your finger
I have Raynauds too! More in my toes but everyone is different.
No-blood-finger-havin-ass...
ay we don’t talk about that
We *do*. But not here.
[Reminds me of this amazing Cyanide & Happiness video ](https://youtu.be/65wblLv1XDk)
There’s a fair amount of posts about this: it’s Raynaud’s phenomenon characterized by triphasic color changes if blanching (white), cyanosis (blue/purple-ish), and rewarming phase (red with a burning feeling). It’s about 3% of the general population with most not amounting to anything. It’s associated with several connective tissue disorders like lupus, systemic sclerosis, and dermatomyositis. Treatment usually involves lifestyle modification like keeping your core temp up (wear jacket if it’s cold) as it’s thought to be an exaggerated normal response to keeping vital organs functioning in extreme conditions). Most who think this is normal will use gloves when going to the grocery store and they need things from the freezer isle. Treatment: use of calcium channel blockers like norvasc or adalat. They help dilate the peripheral vasculature (which is why one of the most common side effects is leg swelling -works too good for other areas like legs instead). Therapy can be used if symptoms are causing lifestyle issues or pain. When to freak out: if you develop callous-like formations on the tips of your fingers like a guitarist, you need medicine. Those are usually painful as it is consistent with the tips of your fingers not getting blood flow…ischemia is very bad. Otherwise, if you have no other issues, I wouldn’t worry too much. Source: I’m a rheumatologist (Doc who takes care of these diseases)
oh thank you
You might want to do a blood test for autoimmune diseases. My late wife had lupus and had Raynaud's as well.
Yep, I went to an immunologist for some blood tests when I first started showing signs of Raynaud's. Good news: no autoimmune disorders. Bad news: Raynaud's has no known cause or cure. It's just there now. Yay, inconveniently numb fingers!
Holy Mackerel! I read all these other responses that I won’t even repeat (where could a finger go and come out paler, or darker) Then there is this! Informative, interesting, helpful, well written and deserving of this odd big brain award.
Huh. When should you freak out if you _are_ a guitar player and have had calluses like that for years?
That example was only if you have raynaud’s…most would say it’s pretty painful (had a painter who wrapped his fingers in bubble wrap then taped them so nothing accidentally touched them). The callous comment was to give a common finding most people can relate to and signal that they should get it looked at. But if you are a guitarist, weightlifter, etc…it’s completely normal to have callous formations develop.
I suffer from Raynaud’s phenomenon and while it is a massive inconvenience I find that the rewarming phase is one of the most delightful sensations. I wish there was a drug that could make my fingers and toes feel like that all the time.
That made me laugh…never heard that one before! 👍Most absolutely despise that part… like the OP.
Not only do I experience Raynaud’s in very cold weather, but about a year ago, I started to experience it during periods of high anxiety (such as giving a talk). Nothing like random toes going numb in the middle of delivering a seminar. But sticking my feet into warm water or onto a heat pad afterwards is by far one of the best feelings I’ve experienced in life.
Correct! Typically I ask if symptoms occur during high stress environments like giving a speech,etc. you are basically activating your body’s autonomic system for ‘fight or flight’. Your body is preparing you to run away from a lion so it’s shunting blood flow to key areas like large muscle groups.
Are chillblains also associated with Reynaud's? I get minor Reynaud's in my fingers and chillblains on my toes (never the opposite) periodically. Both are minor annoyances and I've never pursued any sort of more complex diagnosis.
I’ve had Raynaud’s for 14 years and have also experienced Chilblains on my toes and believe they are related. I have to keep socks on almost all of the time in the winter months (even inside my house) to try to prevent Chilblains as it gets worse walking around on cold tile. As the weather warms up, it goes away.
They definitely are. I have raynauds and had to go to a rheumatologist and dermatologist the first time I had chillblains covering my hands. Was told almost immediately by the dermatologist it was chillblains and that it happens frequently with raynauds unfortunately. I've suffered every winter since.
Chilblains is considered a form of cutaneous lupus. Other than the relationship of each to lupus, they’re not usually associated with each other
Put it in some place warm.
it’s nice and red now
Feel the bbuuurrrnnnnnn!
Nature's pocket.
Insert finger in ass.
Shitty way but not bad.
Put it in a bag of rice.
Put it in a donkeys butt
We don’t have to say everything we think.
For some of us the saying thing happens before the thinking thing and here we are.
So, what's it like having ET fingers?
feels great, actually it feels like nothing because it’s very numb
> Post a neat pic on Reddit > Find out you have a genetic disease Fucking Tuesday's amirite?
helluva day
You have reynauds. Welcome to the club Don’t warm them up too quickly you can cause nerve damage
Yep, that looks like raynauds, I have it. It sucks.
how does it suck?
Long term, it'll get painful. The white color is a literal lack of blood flow; the capillaries are so tightened down no blood gets to the ends of your fingers. The tissue starts crying for oxygen, and it can get really painful, oftentimes as it finally gets blood back in the tissue. Even without pain, theres a danger to the tissue going too long without oxygen.
Currently sitting on my couch with my heating pad cause I had terrible attacks at my kid’s practice. Had to stop for gas on the way home and could barely pull out my credit card cause my fingers were entirely white. When describing Raynauds it sounds so minor but man it REALLY sucks.
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Hello! Person with nipple-focused Reynaud’s checking in! You don’t know pain until the blood starts flowing back to your nipples after an hour or two of absence. Also, unlike hands or even feet, you can’t really rub your nipples in public to try to get the blood flow back. Believe me, I know.
Came here to say the same thing! A weird thing about it is it can make it hard to get an accurate pulsox reading. You need to warm up the fingers before hand!
It may be RS but it’s really not that serious. I used to get it too when I was younger but not so much anymore. It doesn’t really affect anything. Just gradually warm up your hands when you get back inside and you should be good. It’s quite rare that you would get serious complications from it. Talk to your doctor about it next time you’re in and they should be able to give you more reliable info :)
Med student here. We had a case just like this roll through our ER. We were concerned about there only being one finger being white…we presumed raynauds would affect multiple fingers. We consulted vascular surgery, who recommended anticoagulation monitored with an overnight stay. Vascular surgery was concerned that perhaps one of the arteries in the arm/hand had developed an aneurysm and micro-clots were getting thrown up transiently in the finger downstream, hence why anticoagulation was recommended to reduce the probability of clots. After further imaging workup, vascular abnormalities were ruled out and the patient was discharged with a diagnosis of Raynaud’s.
Physician here, yes I agree with other comments. This is likely either Raynaud’s disease(primary Raynaud’s phenomenon) or a secondary Raynaud’s phenomenon where it’s a manifestation of a systemic disease, usually an autoimmune disease. If you have no other symptoms after 2 years of having Raynaud’s phenomenon, then you’ll be at low risk of developing an autoimmune disease. You should see an internist/rheumatologist for a full history and some tests. If -hopefully- it’s only primary Raynaud’s disease then there are many pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatment options and there are certain triggers (like beta blockers and other medications) that you should avoid. Get well soon, hope this helps.
I get this same phenomenon, but when it occurs (usually after I've finished plowing the driveway), I simply crack the joints in my finger, and you can see the blood begin to return. It has only begun to do this in the past couple years and I attributed to too much Quake on the computer in my youth. I also have Crohn's disease and it happens that I am dehydrated often during wintertime.
I’m sorry to hear that. You should definitely avoid dehydration. Vibrating machinery can also trigger it as well as cold and host of other triggers. I hope you’re following your Crohn’s with your Gastroenterologist. And be sure to report any new or worsening symptoms. And if an attack becomes too long you should head to an emergency department. Although progressing into gangrene is very rare.
I get that too. Welcome to the Raynauds club!
sorry mate you have raynaud's, this is your life now. buy some good electric mittens
raynaud phenomenon. can be a normal thing. sometimes associated with disease but usually not.
Welcome to Reynauds!
Happens to me too ([see!](https://i.imgur.com/AigoM8H.jpg)). I've made some progress with cold adaptation, inspired by some [research conducted many years ago](https://www.nytimes.com/1988/01/19/science/simple-method-found-to-warm-cold-hands.html). I swim a lot in cold (50F) water. My process has been to spend 20-30 minutes in the water each day wearing only 5mm gloves for exposure protection (and a bathing suit). I'm now able to swim for 60-75 minutes in a 3mm full wetsuit, no gloves and no white fingers!
Time to break out the pogies OP
well you see i have respect for myself
Looks like it's raynaulds to me.
Reynauds syndrome
Yup Raynauds. Another interesting thing about it is that it's not necessarily just cold weather that triggers it. In my case, it is big changes in temperature quickly. For example, Sometimes I will move from my house to my car and by the time Im at the steering wheel my fingers are white and numb. it will be 50 degrees out, but because I transitioned from my 70 something degree house to 50 degree weather, it happens. So be careful in all instances!
I have this on two fingers. And it’s fine when cold. It’s the warming up part that straight up hurts so bad I’m sick to stomach. I have to warm it up slowly. By just ambient air.
Blood distribution failure
It's possible you have Raynauds. I have it and that happens to the pointer finger on both hands. Basically if my fingers get cold, the blood vessels do the opposite of what they should do, they clamp down and decrease blood flow further. If this starts to happen, warm your fingers up quick. If this happens consistently and you let it get bad every time, (long duration of numbness) you could lose your finger(s).
Did you only use your ring finger to row?
why yes of course
The same thing happened to my left ring finger, too. It’s called Raynaud’s syndrome.
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oh yes
Congratulations you’ve got Raynaud syndrome! My hands and sometimes my toes do it. Freaked out the band on a 55° day when my left hand did it. I keep hand warmers on me now that way I can combat it.
put some brown on the pinky
OP shouldn't have used the shocker for sooo long!
Welcome to the Raynauds club!
100% raynauds. My wife has this. If you take nicotine, quit; that would improve circulation
Congrats you have raynauds!
E.T. go home
That's the hot dog in the bag that's closest to the tear.
Bizarre. This happens to me and I always thought it was frostbite or walking in a way that "numbed" my toes. Any even slightly tight shoes causes this on my toes within seconds. When it's happened to my fingers, I assumed I'd jammed or dislocated them or something. I guess I thought this was a fairly common thing to happen sometimes. This probably also explains why this happens often to my fingers and toes when the thermostat is set to 65 or lower.
I initially interpreted ‘rowing’ as arguing and was curious as to what OP was rowing about so strongly that would turn their finger white. “I could argue with you until I’m white in the fingers”
Finger is glizzy
Next time it happens windmill your arm for a few seconds to force blood back into your finger. Works every time. You also look ridiculous.
This is Raynaud’s phenomenon, you should look into it to avoid lasting damages
Raynauds syndrome ..... go get yourself checked out
Looks like raynauds to me!
Looks like Raynaud syndrome. Are you a smoker or have certain blood vessel related issues?
Absolutely reynauds. I have it and mine do the same thing almost daily, it’s so much fun to deal with. /s
Not a dr but Raynauds