It’s finally Fall, and the weather is starting to get chilly. Naturally, your feet might begin to feel cold, but you may be suffering from a common disorder called Raynaud’s disease. October is Raynaud’s Awareness Month and a good time to go over what this disease entails and what you can do about it.

What is Raynaud’s Disease?

Raynaud’s disease is a vasospastic disorder. It mostly affects your fingers and toes. This can occur when certain muscles contract, or spasm, making the arteries so small that blood has a difficult time getting through. The most common cause is exposure to cold temperatures. If you suffer from Raynaud’s disease you may notice white or even blue fingers or toes. This may last a few minutes up until several hours.

What You Can Do

In mild cases, the best solution is to protect your extremities from the cold. Try these tips:

• Wiggle your fingers and toes. Any movement can help get the blood circulating and decrease cold sensations.
• Quit smoking. Smoking constricts the blood vessels that feed your hands and feet.
• Use warm water. Running warm water over your fingers or toes can help gradually warm them up.
• Wear layers. Try two pairs of wool socks over your feet and several layers of clothing to keep away the chill.
• Talk to an experienced specialist. For more severe cases several medications can help, and a qualified doctor can discuss with you the best course of treatment. It’s always best to check with an experienced podiatrist to get the best care possible.

 

You can count on the foot doctors at Foot & Ankle Specialists, PC to provide fast relief for your feet using a full range of both conservative and surgical therapies. Our expert team, including board-certified podiatrists Dr. Scott E. Hughes, Dr. Greg P. Vogt, and Dr. Christine I. Tumele, serves patients of all ages with state-of-the-art diagnostic and treatment technologies including onsite digital x-ray, ultrasound, diabetic shoes, and digital scanning for custom orthotics.

For any questions or to make an appointment, please contact us at one of our Southeast Michigan facilities in Monroe (734-241-0200) and Lambertville (734-856-8900) in Bedford and Monroe counties).

We also offer convenient house calls Monday through Thursday, so give us a call!