Published: 23 February, 2012
by TOM FOOT

ONE in ten women get unusually cold feet – and hands – according to experts at the Royal Free Hospital.

But red and blue numbness around the body’s chilly extremities may have nothing to do with the icy weather.

Raynaud’s – where the small blood vessels are so sensitive that they constrict and turn the skin red or blue – is most common among teenage girls and young women.

The Royal Free runs the country’s only nurse’s Raynaud’s clinic – free on the NHS.

Clinical scientist Dr Kevin Howell said: “Some people may not realise they have Raynaud’s. They may have just come to terms with the fact that their fingers or toes go white, red or blue when it’s cold.

“Diagnostic tests also help us to rule out any underlying conditions, such as scleroderma, a much rarer and more serious condition, which Raynaud’s can be a precursor to.”

The “thermography” tests assess how long it takes for hands to warm up after being submerged in cold water. T

he capillaroscopy test looks under at fingernails under a microscope. Results are provided on the day.

Raynaud’s sufferer Mandy Levitt, 47, said: “It was very painful and it made even the simplest of tasks difficult.

"Even putting my socks on, for example, or doing up a cardigan was a problem because I couldn’t move my fingers and toes.

“I would avoid going out in cold weather and in the winter months I was virtually housebound.”

She added: “There was one occasion when I arrived in Malta and it was 115 degrees Fahrenheit. My first stop was a shop to buy a hot water bottle!”

Louise Parker, lead nurse for inflammatory and connective tissue disease for the service, said: “Mandy has a more severe form of Raynaud’s so she requires intravenous drug treatment every three months. But the vast majority of people we see have a much milder form of the condition and we provide advice on managing the condition, which can include the use of hand warmers and natural therapies. We can also prescribe medication if needed. We would encourage anyone who has symptoms of Raynaud’s, such as change of colour and pain and numbness in the fingers or toes, to visit their GP, who can refer them to a rheumatologist or our specialist clinic if necessary.”

• Raynaud’s awareness month runs until February 29. More information from the Raynaud’s & Scleroderma Association, 01270 872776 or
0800 9172494 www.raynauds.org.uk