numb, tingly fingertips? it could be raynaud's disease

named after the man who discovered it in 1862 (maurice raynaud), raynaud’s disease — often referred to as raynaud’s phenomenon or raynaud’s syndrome — occurs when the blood vessels in the hands and feet overreact to cold temperatures or high stress levels. in rare cases, raynaud’s can also occur in the nose or ears.

tissue damage, ulcerations or infections such as gangrene can occur in rare cases where the skin breaks down, according to the raynaud’s association , a u.s.-based advocacy group.

there are two types of raynaud’s: primary and secondary. primary raynaud’s is the more common of the two and is not associated with any other condition, while secondary raynaud’s is associated with another health-related issue or outside factor such as arthritis, lupus, sjogren’s syndrome, scleroderma, repetitive stress or smoking. caffeine, some medicines, stress (anything that limits circulation) can also trigger an attack.

primary raynaud’s usually presents itself in people between the ages of 15 and 30, and there is no known cause or cure as there is no associated health condition. people with secondary raynaud’s can treat the underlying condition to help alleviate symptoms.

according to the mayo clinic , raynaud’s is more common in women than men, seems to affect people more often who live in colder climates and tends to occur in people with a direct relative who also has the condition. the nhs claims raynaud’s, in total, affects up to 20 per cent of the population worldwide.

raynaud’s is also listed on the canadian centre for occupational health and safety (ccohs) website as a risk factor associated with many jobs. trauma caused by repetitive stress is one of the causes of secondary raynaud’s, so any job using machinery that vibrates is a potential risk factor.