Raynaud's disease

Overview

Raynard's disease is a condition in which the flow of blood in an individual's hands, feet, nose or ears are restricted. In this condition, the body does not send enough blood to the affected areas causing those areas to feel cold and numb. Raynard's phenomenon generally occurs when the body overreacts to cold temperatures or stress. Many people do not seek help for this disease as it is seen more as an annoyance rather than something that is debilitating. 

An individual with Raynaud's disease, courtesy of cedars-sinai.edu

Symptoms

Raynaud's phenomenon is a random occurrence with some of the symptoms including:

• Cold fingers and toes
• Color changes in the affected areas, from white to blue then to bright red when blood flow is restored
•  numbness, prickling or stinging pain

  The sequencing of the color change isn't always the same for everyone--some people may start from the color white then go to red skipping the blue color all together. Again, people afflicted with this disease typically do not seek medical attention as the symptoms fade away after a few hours.