Raynaud's disease. Raynaud's disease: symptoms, diagnosis and treatment features of the disease

site - a medical portal about the heart and blood vessels. Here you will find information about the causes, clinical manifestations, diagnostics, traditional and folk methods of treating cardiac diseases in adults and children. And also about how to keep the heart healthy and blood vessels clean until the very old age.

Do not use the information posted on the site without first consulting your doctor!

The authors of the site are practicing medical specialists. Each article is a concentrate of their personal experience and knowledge, honed by years of study at the university, received from colleagues and in the process of postgraduate training. They not only share unique information in the articles, but also conduct a virtual appointment - they answer the questions you ask in the comments, give recommendations, help to understand the results of examinations and appointments.

Everything, even very difficult to understand topics, are presented in a simple, understandable language and are designed for readers without medical training. For your convenience, all topics are divided into sections.

Arrhythmia

According to the World Health Organization, more than 40% of people over 50 suffer from arrhythmias - heart rhythm disturbances. However, not only them. This insidious ailment is detected even in children and often in the first or second year of life. Why is he cunning? And the fact that sometimes disguises the pathology of other vital organs under heart disease. Another unpleasant feature of arrhythmia is the secrecy of the course: until the disease goes too far, you can not guess about it ...

• how to detect arrhythmia at an early stage;
• what forms are the most dangerous and why;
• when the patient has enough, and in what cases it is impossible to do without surgery;
• how and how many people live with arrhythmia;
• which attacks of rhythm disturbance require an immediate call to an ambulance, and for which it is enough to take a sedative pill.

And also everything about the symptoms, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of various types of arrhythmias.

Atherosclerosis

The fact that the main role in the development of atherosclerosis is played by an excess of cholesterol in food is written in all newspapers, but why then in families where everyone eats the same, only one person often gets sick? Atherosclerosis has been known for over a century, but much of its nature has remained unsolved. Is this a reason to despair? Of course not! The site's experts tell you what success modern medicine has achieved in combating this ailment, how to prevent it and how to effectively treat it.

• why margarine is more harmful than butter for people with vascular lesions;
• and how is it dangerous;
• why cholesterol-free diets do not help;
• what patients will have to give up for life;
• how to avoid and maintain clarity of mind to a ripe old age.

Heart diseases

In addition to angina pectoris, hypertension, myocardial infarction and congenital heart defects, there are many other cardiac ailments that many have never heard of. Do you know, for example, that - not only a planet, but also a diagnosis? Or that a tumor can grow in the heart muscle? The heading of the same name tells about these and other heart diseases in adults and children.

• and how to provide emergency care to a patient in this condition;
• what and what to do so that the first does not go over to the second;
• why the heart of alcoholics increases in size;
• what is the danger of mitral valve prolapse;
• by what symptoms you can suspect heart disease in yourself and your child;
• which cardiological ailments threaten women more, and which men.

Vascular disease

Vessels permeate the entire human body, so the symptoms of their defeat are very, very diverse. At first, many vascular ailments do not bother the patient much, but lead to formidable complications, disability and even death. Can a person without medical education identify a vascular pathology? Of course, yes, if he knows their clinical manifestations, which this section will tell about.

In addition, it contains information:

• about medicines and folk remedies for the treatment of blood vessels;
• about which doctor to contact if you suspect vascular problems;
• what vascular pathologies are deadly;
• from which the veins swell;
• how to keep your veins and arteries healthy for life.

Varicose veins

Varicose veins (varicose veins) is a disease in which the lumens of some veins (legs, esophagus, rectum, etc.) become too wide, which leads to impaired blood flow in the affected organ or part of the body. In advanced cases, this ailment is cured with great difficulty, but at the first stage it is quite possible to curb it. How to do it, read in the heading "Varicose veins".

Click on the photo to enlarge

You will also learn from it:

• what ointments exist for the treatment of varicose veins and which one is more effective;
• why doctors forbid some patients with varicose veins of the lower extremities to run;
• and to whom it threatens;
• how to strengthen the veins with folk remedies;
• how to avoid blood clots in the affected veins.

Pressure

- such a common ailment that many consider it ... a normal condition. Hence the statistics: only 9% of people with high blood pressure keep it under control. And 20% of hypertensive patients consider themselves healthy at all, since their disease is asymptomatic. But the risk of getting a heart attack or stroke from this is no less! although it is less dangerous than high, it also causes a lot of problems and threatens with serious complications.

In addition, you will learn:

• how to "cheat" heredity if both parents suffered from hypertension;
• how to help yourself and your loved ones with a hypertensive crisis;
• why the pressure rises at a young age;
• how to keep blood pressure under control without medication, using herbs and certain foods.

Diagnostics

The heading dedicated to the diagnosis of heart and vascular diseases contains articles on the types of examinations that cardiological patients undergo. And also about the indications and contraindications to them, the interpretation of the results, the effectiveness and order of the procedures.

You will also find answers to questions here:

• what types of diagnostic tests should even healthy people undergo;
• why angiography is prescribed for those who have suffered myocardial infarction and stroke;

Stroke

Stroke (acute violation of cerebral circulation) is consistently among the ten most dangerous diseases. People over 55 years of age, hypertensive patients, smokers and those who suffer from depression are at greatest risk of developing it. It turns out that optimism and good-naturedness reduce the risk of strokes by almost 2 times! But there are other factors that can effectively help avoid it.

The heading dedicated to strokes tells about the causes, types, symptoms and treatment of this insidious disease. And also - about rehabilitation measures that help restore lost functions to those who have had it.

In addition, from here you will learn:

• the difference in the clinical manifestations of strokes in men and women;
• about what a pre-stroke state is;
• about folk remedies for the treatment of the consequences of strokes;
• about modern methods of rapid recovery after a stroke.

Heart attack

Myocardial infarction is considered a disease of older men. But the greatest danger it still poses not for them, but for people of working age and women over 75 years old. It is in these groups that the mortality rates are highest. However, no one should relax: today, heart attacks overtake even the young, athletic and healthy. More precisely, under-examined.

In the heading "Heart attack" experts tell about everything that is important to know for everyone who wants to avoid this ailment. And those who have already suffered a myocardial infarction will find here a lot of useful advice on treatment and rehabilitation.

• about what diseases a heart attack is sometimes disguised as;
• how to provide emergency care for acute pain in the heart area;
• about the differences in the clinic and course of myocardial infarction in men and women;
• anti-infarction diet and a heart-safe lifestyle;
• about why a patient with a heart attack must be brought to the doctor within 90 minutes.

Pulse disorders

When we talk about pulse disorders, we usually mean its frequency. However, the doctor assesses not only the patient's heart rate, but also other indicators of the pulse wave: rhythm, filling, tension, shape ... The Roman surgeon Galen once described as many as 27 of his characteristics!

Changes in individual pulse parameters reflect the state of not only the heart and blood vessels, but also other body systems, for example, the endocrine system. Want to know more about it? Read the materials of the section.

Here you will find answers to questions:

• why, if you complain of a pulse disorder, you may be referred for a thyroid examination;
• whether slowing your heart rate (bradycardia) can cause your heart to stop
• what it says and how it is dangerous;
• how pulse rate and fat burning rate are related to weight loss.

Operations

Many diseases of the heart and blood vessels, which even 20-30 years ago doomed people to permanent disability, are now being successfully cured. Usually surgically. Modern cardiac surgery saves even those who, until recently, were not left with any chance of life. And most of the operations are now performed through tiny punctures, and not incisions, as before. This not only gives a high cosmetic effect, but is also much easier to tolerate. And also reduces the time of postoperative rehabilitation several times.

Under the heading "Operations" you will find materials on surgical methods for treating varicose veins, vascular bypass grafting, intravascular stents, heart valve replacement and much more.

And also learn:

• what technique does not leave scars;
• how operations on the heart and blood vessels affect the patient's quality of life;
• what are the differences between operations and vessels;
• under what diseases it is carried out and what is the duration of a healthy life after it;
• what is better for heart disease - to be treated with pills and injections or to have an operation.

Rest

The "Rest" includes materials that do not correspond to the topics of other sections of the site. Here you can find information about rare cardiac ailments, myths, misconceptions and interesting facts related to heart health, the incomprehensible symptoms of their meaning, the achievements of modern cardiology and much more.

• on providing first aid to oneself and others in various emergency conditions;
• about the child;
• about acute bleeding and methods of stopping them;
• o and eating habits;
• about folk methods of strengthening and improving the cardiovascular system.

Drugs

“Preparations” is perhaps the most important section of the site. After all, the most valuable information about a disease is how to treat it. We do not give here magic recipes for curing serious ailments with one pill, we honestly and truthfully tell everything about the drugs as they are. Why are they good and what are bad, who are shown and contraindicated, how they differ from analogues and how they affect the body. These are not calls for self-treatment, it is necessary in order for you to have a good command of the "weapon" that you have to fight with the disease.

Here you will find:

• reviews and comparison of drug groups;
• information about what can be taken without a doctor's prescription, and what should not be taken under any circumstances;
• a list of reasons for choosing a particular remedy;
• information about cheap analogues of expensive imported drugs;
• data on side effects of heart medications, which manufacturers are silent about.

And there are many, many more important, useful and valuable things that will make you healthier, stronger and happier!

May your heart and blood vessels always be healthy!

Raynaud's disease is an angiotrophoneurosis with a predominant lesion of small arteries and arterioles (most often the upper limbs, less often the feet, and even less often its manifestations occur on the protruding areas of the skin on the nose, ears and chin).

As a result, some part of the affected limb stops feeding due to a sharp decrease in the amount of incoming blood. The disease occurs in women 5 times more often than in men, mainly in young and middle age.

What is Raynaud's syndrome and disease?

Raynaud's syndrome is a phenomenon in which periodically reversible vasospasm of the fingers and toes occurs in response to stress or cold.

Raynaud's disease (ICD 10 - code I73.0) is a similar disease, which, however, developed against the background of some systemic disease.

Maurice Reynaud is a French doctor who first described this disease, was of the opinion that it is nothing more than a neurosis resulting from excessive excitability, which is relevant for the vasomotor spinal centers.

What is the difference and differences between them?With illness and with Raynaud's syndrome, there are identical changes in blood circulation at the level of the extremities, which is manifested by absolutely the same signs. However, they differ in the reason that prompted their occurrence, and sometimes in localization.

Causes

Hereditary predisposition in Raynaud's disease is small - about 4%. Among patients suffering from Raynaud's disease, women predominate (the ratio of women to men is 5: 1).

It is noteworthy that Raynaud's disease is a disease to which pianists and typists are particularly susceptible.

The most common localization of the disease is the peripheral parts of the limbs, that is, the feet on the legs and hands on the hands. The defeat of the limbs in most cases occurs symmetrically.

Main reasons:

• Among the factors provoking the onset of attacks of Raynaud's disease, the main one is exposure to cold. In some people with individual characteristics of the peripheral circulation, even short-term episodic exposure to cold and humidity can cause illness.
• Injuries. Physical injuries are also dangerous, which can include excessive compression of the limbs, excessive and intense exertion, and injuries associated with exposure to chemicals.
• Rheumatic diseases - periarthritis nodosa (inflammation of the tendons), (inflammatory joint disease), systemic lupus erythematosus, systemic scleroderma.
• A common cause of attacks of Raynaud's disease is emotional distress. There is evidence that approximately 1/2 of patients have a psychogenic syndrome.
• Dysfunction of endocrine organs, as well as endocrine disorders (pheochromocytoma, hypothyroidism) and

Taking certain medications can also trigger the onset of the syndrome. This applies to medicines that have a vasoconstrictor effect. Most often, these are drugs that are used to treat migraines or.

Raynaud's disease symptoms

The disease is paroxysmal. Each of the attacks has three phases:

1. Vascular spasm of the extremities. The fingers become pale and cold, pain appears here.
2. The pain increases dramatically and comes to the fore. The skin of the hands and / or feet turns blue, cold sweat enters.
3. The spasm goes away abruptly, the skin becomes red and warm. The pain subsides. Limb function is restored.

Symptoms affecting skin coloration develop gradually. First, pallor appears, the severity of which depends on the degree of vascular spasm. Most often, this phase is accompanied by a sensation of pain. Pain syndrome is present in all phases, but is most pronounced in the first, when the fingers are pale.

Pay attention to the photo, Raynaud's disease is accompanied not only by painful attacks, but also by pallor or blueness of the skin, and it happens that its swelling.

Some patients have seizures several times a day, others at intervals of several months. The progression of Raynaud's syndrome leads to an extension of the time of attacks up to 1 hour, their frequency, spontaneous occurrence without visible provocations. In between attacks, the feet and hands remain cold, cyanotic, moist.

The frequency of disorders in the nervous system in Raynaud's disease reaches 60% of cases. Patients complain about:

• persistent headache
• a feeling of heaviness in the temples,
• lower back and limb pain
• difficulties arise with the coordination of limb movements.

Stages of the syndrome and characteristic signs

As we have already noted, Raynaud's disease is more common in women (about five times) than, respectively, in men. Basically, the incidence is observed among women from 20 to 40 years old, a combination of the course of the disease with migraine is possible.

The course of the disease is divided into three stages:

• angiospatic;
• angioparalytic;
• atropoparalytic.

Stage 1

The emergence of short-term rare, lasting about several minutes, attacks of numbness of the skin, a pronounced decrease in temperature in the affected area and pale skin, with the subsequent development of pain of a breaking character. After the end of the attack, visual changes in the areas are not observed.

Stage 2 Raynaud's disease

The second stage is characterized by the addition of other symptoms of the disease to the listed signs:

• Skin color at this stage is no longer just pale, but with a bluish tinge, the color of the skin becomes "marble".
• Puffiness may appear on the affected limbs, especially in areas that are affected by the disease.
• The pain during an attack becomes stronger and more intense.

The duration of the first and second stages is on average 3 to 5 years. With the development of the process on the feet or hands, it is quite often possible to observe the symptoms of all three stages, at the same time.

Stage 3

At this stage of Raynaud's disease, there is a tendency to develop panaritiums and ulcers, up to destruction and necrosis of the skin on the soft tissues of the terminal phalanges.

What is contraindicated in patients with this syndrome?

It is very important to quickly and reliably eliminate the factors that contribute to the onset of the disease. If this is a professional activity, change it or correct it. If this is a specific habitat, change your place of residence.

Patients are contraindicated for work related to:

• with hypothermia of the extremities,
• with delicate and complex movements of the fingers (playing musical instruments, typing on a computer, typewriter),
• in contact with various chemicals.

Due to the impossibility of performing work in the main profession, depending on the degree of the disease, a 3 or, in very rare cases, 2 group of disability can be given.

Diagnostics

Which doctor should you contact if you suspect this disease? If you suspect Raynaud's disease, it is necessary to consult an angiologist, and if it is impossible to do this, to a rheumatologist. Additionally, a consultation with a cardiologist and a vascular surgeon will be required.

The first diagnostic criterion for Raynaud's disease is persistent vasospasm of the skin: when warmed, blood circulation is not restored, the limbs remain cold and pale.

When studying patients with Raynaud's disease, one should first of all establish whether the phenomenon is not a constitutional feature of peripheral circulation, that is, a normal physiological reaction under the influence of cold of varying intensity.

Laboratory tests are required:

• general blood analysis;
• for total and c-reactive protein, albumin and globulin fractions;
• expanded coagulogram, fibrinogen level, properties of platelets and erythrocytes.

Recently, experts have noted the high efficiency of a new method for diagnosing Raynaud's disease - wide-field capillaroscopy of the nail bed. This method has great accuracy in diagnosing the disease.

A definitive diagnosis of Raynaud's disease can only be made through a thorough examination. If no other diseases have been identified that caused the onset of the symptom complex, a diagnosis of Raynaud's disease is established.

Raynaud's disease treatment

Treatment of patients with Raynaud's disease presents certain difficulties associated with the need to establish the specific cause of the syndrome, therefore the question of how to treat Raynaud's disease, or rather how to do it correctly, with the greatest efficiency, is discussed from different points of view.

In cases where a primary disease is identified, management tactics should include treatment of the underlying disease and supervision of an appropriate specialist.

As a rule, the treatment of Raynaud's disease is symptomatic and includes the use of:

• fortifying drugs,
• antispasmodics,
• analgesics,
• medications that normalize hormonal levels.

In the first and second stages of the disease, drug therapy includes drugs that reduce blood viscosity, for example, Curantil, Dipyridamole.

Of the physiotherapeutic techniques in the first two stages of the disease, the following are used:

• electrosleep;
• electrical stimulation of the frontotemporal areas of the brain;
• diadynamic currents or ultrasound to the cervical and lumbar sympathetic nodes in the paravertebral zone;
• electrophoresis with sedatives and antispasmodics;
• magnetotherapy.

At the stage of ulceration and tissue necrosis, the patient is prescribed local wound healing therapy. Drug treatment of Raynaud's disease can last for several years, up to the period when attacks of angiospasm of the extremities become insensitive to vasodilator drugs.

An important part of the treatment of Raynaud's disease is to limit the patient's contact with provoking factors. With a high negative emotional stress, you should take sedatives. If contact with a cold and damp environment is necessary, dress warmer than usual, especially carefully insulate hands and feet.

Surgical treatment of Raynaud's disease consists in performing sympathectomy (when the flow of pathological impulses is interrupted by surgery, leading to vasospasm in certain parts of the autonomic nervous system, which is responsible for the state of the tone of the blood vessels).

Proper nutrition

The diet for Raynaud's syndrome coincides with the cholesterol diet of patients with. With Raynaud's disease, it is necessary to exclude fatty foods as much as possible - smoked sausages, fatty meat, chicken legs, mayonnaise, fatty sour cream.

Adequate amounts of vitamin C and rutin must be retained in food. It is recommended to consume more vegetables in any form. In addition to being a good source of vitamins, vegetables, like fruits, are rich in fiber, which serves as a source of nutrition for the intestinal microflora. At the same time, a lot of heat is generated, which warms the body.

The patient should eat about 400 g of vegetables and fruits daily.

Folk remedies for Raynaud's disease

1. Take a fir bath. You need to mix 5-6 drops of fir oil with base oil (olive, peach, corn) and pour them into a prepared bath with water at a temperature of 37 ° C. Bath time - 15 minutes. It is necessary to do 15-20 baths for 1 course.
2. Siberian recipe: eat a slice of bread with drops of fir oil in the morning.
3. Cut off two to three of the bottom leaves of a 3 year old aloe plant and chop them. Squeeze the gruel and soak the gauze dressings with aloe juice. Apply bandages to the affected areas of the body and leave for several hours. A previously made limb massage will help to increase the effectiveness of the procedure.
4. Take fresh juice of onion and honey (mix in a 1: 1 ratio). Take 1 teaspoon 3-4 times a day.

To make it easier to endure severe attacks:

• warming the affected limb in warm water or woolen cloth;
• soft massage;
• warming drink.

Prevention

1. Perform preventive examinations with a vascular surgeon and a neurologist once a year.
2. To prevent spontaneous vasoconstriction of peripheral vessels, you should stop smoking. Even secondhand smoke leads to negative changes in the vascular walls, so you should avoid places where smoking is allowed.
3. For the prevention of Raynaud's disease, doctors recommend training the vessels of the hands, tempering the hands. Contrasting baths are well suited for this.
4. Dress for the weather, and don't forget about gloves.
5. The most important factors affecting the onset of seizures are nervous shocks and overwork. Therefore, one must avoid these factors and strive for calmness and peace of mind.

If you have the first signs of the syndrome, it is better to see a doctor right away. Treatment of the syndrome is a difficult task, the solution of which depends on the possibility of eliminating causal factors and effective influence on the leading mechanisms of the development of vascular disorders.

Raynaud's syndrome is a circulatory disorder that leads to a sharp narrowing of the skin vessels due to stress or the action of cold. The disease occurs in children and adults, more often in women after 35 years and girls during puberty. Affected by the disease about 3 - 5% of the population.

Causes

Raynaud's syndrome refers to pathologies of connective tissue, is paroxysmal, paroxysmal in nature. In medicine, there is the concept of "Raynaud's phenomenon", which includes not only the syndrome of the same name, but also Raynaud's disease. The difference between pathologies is significant: if the syndrome appears against the background of other diseases, the disease is primary.

With Raynaud's disease (angiotrophoneurosis), there is a symmetrical decrease in blood flow in the lower extremities and hands. The exact causes of the development of the pathology are unknown, but more often the anomaly occurs after exposure to such risk factors:

• transferred stress;
• nervous overstrain;
• severe hypothermia;
• taking vasoconstrictor drugs;
• abuse of caffeine.

The disease often develops in people living in cold climates. There is a clear connection between psychosomatics and Raynaud's disease - arterial blood flow disorders appear in those suffering from neuroses, depressive conditions. Heredity plays an important role in the mechanism of the onset of the disease - in 30% of close relatives of patients, Raynaud's disease is detected.

Raynaud's syndrome is a secondary pathology that occurs against the background of existing diseases. Usually, the causes of the development of the syndrome are very serious and are systemic diseases of the connective tissue:

• systemic scleroderma;
• systemic lupus erythematosus;
• dermatomyositis;
• nodular periarteritis.

The cause may be rheumatism, ganglionitis, aneurysms of the vascular system, thyrotoxicosis, arteritis, cryoglobulinemia, clamping of nerves in the neck, atherosclerosis of the upper or lower extremities. Occupational Raynaud's syndrome is distinguished, when attacks occur as the influence of occupational hazards (hypothermia, vibration, polyvinyl chloride poisoning).

Classification and stages of the disease

According to the classification, there is a primary form of pathology (Raynaud's disease) and a secondary form (Raynaud's syndrome). There are different stages of pathology as it develops:

1. The first (angiospastic) stage. A person periodically has short-term vascular spasms that last several minutes. After the end of the attack, no consequences are observed. Usually, violations concern the first - third fingers of the hand, a little less often - the first - second toe.
2. Second (angioparalytic) stage. As the disease progresses, seizures become more frequent and may occur for no reason. Their duration increases to an hour or more.
3. Third (atropoparalitic) stage. Due to regular seizures, the skin undergoes serious trophic disturbances, the supply of blood to tissues is disrupted. There is a risk of complications, including gangrene.

Symptoms of pathology

The earliest symptoms in children, women or men, are intermittent chilliness in the fingers, which may occur even before the onset of real attacks.

• short-term skin numbness;
• fingers turn white, become cold;
• aches appear, twitching pain;
• there are elements of paresthesia - violations of the sensitivity of the fingers.

At the first stage, an attack can be triggered by washing hands with cold water, smoking, washing your face or body, and stress. At the end of the paroxysm, all symptoms disappear without a trace. In rare cases, the process involves the earlobes and the tip of the nose.

Later, the frequency of attacks becomes higher, the severity is stronger. Pains in fingers and toes intensify. According to the description of the second stage, a prolonged vasospasm is recorded - the skin gradually acquires a red-violet hue, and as the seizures are completed, the vascular pattern is clearly visible on it.

Symptoms at the last stage:

• degeneration of the skin, nails;
• the appearance of scars;
• edema, cyanosis of the skin after seizures;
• the appearance of blisters with bloody contents;
• the formation of ulcers, foci of dead skin.

The duration of the disease for the first - second stage usually does not exceed 5 years. With Raynaud's syndrome, the pathology reaches severe consequences less often than with Raynaud's disease.

Complications

The consequences of prolonged vasospasm are always unpleasant. In addition to the fact that the symptoms always intensify over time, severe pain appears, there is a risk of trophic disorders:

• scarring;
• dystrophy of nails;
• deformation of the fingers;
• the appearance of gangrene;
• muscle damage;
• bone resorption.

In some cases, Raynaud's disease is reversed. It can spontaneously pass after pregnancy and childbirth, during menopause and for no apparent reason at all. Stage 1 - 2 of the disease does not pose a threat to life and health, but stage 3 can already cause the loss of a limb. The patient's quality of life suffers greatly, the person cannot hold certain positions, perform work related to fine motor skills, being in the cold.

Diagnosis of pathology

To prescribe the correct treatment, it is important to make a differential diagnosis between Raynaud's syndrome and disease. Elimination of risk factors and the impact on systemic diseases in Raynaud's syndrome lead to regression of pathology, therefore, diagnosis will include the search for causes.

Examination methods from the appointment of a rheumatologist can be as follows:

1. General blood analysis. An increased ESR is found, which most often means the presence of systemic rheumatic diseases. There may be anemia (drop in hemoglobin, erythrocytes), in some cases, white blood cells and platelets fall.
2. Biochemistry. The total protein increases, with lupus erythematosus, the level of fibrinogen increases. Often, AST, ALT, aldolase, creatine phosphokinase are elevated.
3. Coagulogram. Due to a decrease in the number of platelets, blood clotting decreases.
4. Immunoglobulins. Specific indicators increase in autoimmune diseases - rheumatoid arthritis, lupus erythematosus and others.
5. Antibodies. With autoimmune causes of Raynaud's syndrome, special antibodies appear in the blood - antinuclear and anticentromeric.

Treatment

At an early stage, conservative measures are shown - medicines, limiting contact with provoking factors. Later, only the operation will help. If the attacks become insensitive to pills and injections, a sympathectomy is done - part of the nerves of the sympathetic trunk, which are responsible for vascular spasms, are removed.

Usually, the operation is performed endoscopically in the chest area. Of the new treatment methods, stem cells are used, which help to pave new blood pathways bypassing damaged ones.

Emergency Spasm Relief:

1. It is necessary to reassure the person, be sure to protect from the provocateurs of the disease.
2. Warm up, rub the skin of the legs and hands, give a hot drink.
3. Give an antispasmodic pill or inject (No-shpa, Revalgin).

Drug therapy

Drug treatment must necessarily affect the underlying disease and, if possible, stop it. For bouts of Raynaud's disease or Raynaud's syndrome, you can use the following remedies:

1. Vasodilator drugs. Reduce the strength of vascular spasm, increase blood flow - general and local ("Nifedipine", "Vasaprostan", "Nicotinic acid", "Trental").
2. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Eliminate inflammation in blood vessels, remove pain syndrome (Ibuprofen, Diclofenac, Indomethacin).

In some situations, clinical guidelines include the use of hormonal agents ("Prednisolone", "Dexamethasone"). The drugs are indicated for systemic autoimmune pathologies, reducing their progression and positively affecting the course of Raynaud's syndrome. In the most acute and severe cases, chemotherapy drugs (cytostatics) are prescribed.

Alternative treatment

Therapy with folk remedies is often carried out by patients at home. It has a symptomatic effect, helping to relieve painful spasms, acts in anticipation and improves blood circulation:

1. Boil 100 g of pine needles with boiling water (liter), leave for 15 minutes. Pour the infusion into warm water, add a tablespoon of salt, make hand baths.
2. Before going to bed, grate the pumpkin on a fine grater, squeeze the mass a little, tie it to the limbs in the form of a compress. Wrap the compress on top with a woolen cloth.
3. Squeeze the juice from aloe, make compresses for the night for the skin of the hands and feet.
4. Bake onions (1 piece) in the oven, grind into gruel, mix with 2 tablespoons of kefir, a teaspoon of honey. Make compresses in a similar way.

Daily regime

The therapy process is usually long, so it is better for the patient to adapt to new living conditions and follow a number of tips:

1. Stop smoking so as not to provoke vascular spasms.
2. Do not consume caffeine.
3. Working more carefully on the keyboard can exacerbate Raynaud's disease.
4. Strictly avoid hypothermia - always wear warm shoes, socks, gloves.
5. Avoid exposure to stress.

If Raynaud's syndrome develops as a result of occupational hazards, you will have to change jobs. In severe cases, a person is given disability groups 2 - 3, which is determined by the commission. Moving to a warmer climate, stopping the hobby for winter fishing often helps.

Diet food

Nutrition plays an important role. If the menu is complete, the blood supply to the limbs will improve. Food should contain more vitamins and minerals, so you need to eat more fruits, vegetables, cereals, dairy foods.

• exclude harmful semi-finished products, fried, marinades, fatty;
• do not eat food with preservatives, dyes, flavors;
• do not forget about natural vegetable oils - season salads and other dishes with them;
• consume more foods with magnesium (cereals, herbs), add it in the form of medicines ("Magnerot, Magne B6").

You need to drink more water - up to 2 liters per day, if there are no contraindications.

Raynaud's disease and the army

Each conscript is examined before joining the army, where the issue of fitness for service is decided on an individual basis. General examination in the early stages usually does not reveal abnormalities, because without the action of provocative factors, there are no complaints. The conscript will be assigned laboratory tests to find a number of deviations in health.

If a person develops characteristic signs, but the guy is unaware of his diagnosis, doctors should be notified in advance of the symptoms. The examination will help make the diagnosis.

Since in the conditions of the army it is not possible to exclude all provoking factors, the disease can begin to progress. They definitely do not take into the army men with 2 - 3 stages of pathology, with frequent attacks, if necessary, constant drug treatment. At the first stage of pathology, a man can get into the army, but if his health deteriorates, he is excluded early.

Forecast and prevention

If the causes of the disease are eliminated or brought under control, the prognosis will be favorable. In primary Raynaud's disease, the prognosis depends on the rate of progression of the pathology and is often unfavorable - a person may lose a limb.

For prevention, it is important not to smoke, eat well, exclude coffee, energy drinks. It is advisable not to work where the body is exposed to constant stress and occupational hazards. Any hypothermia should be avoided - in this case, the risk of exacerbation of the disease will be minimized.

There is a certain confusion - there is disease and Raynaud's syndrome. They proceed in the same way, but many patients do not understand and ask to explain what is the difference between them.

It can be said in general: if you see the name of the syndrome and the name of the disease of the same name, then this means the following:

• A disease is called if no reasons for the development of this syndrome have been found (idiopathic condition), or they are hidden (cryptogenic etiology). There is practically no difference between this for the patient;
• A syndrome can be called the same condition for which we found the cause. By eliminating the cause, the syndrome itself is resolved.

Thus, Raynaud's syndrome is a secondary condition that develops in many rheumatic conditions, blood diseases, with compression of nerve and vascular bundles, and with endocrine pathology.

More than 90% of patients suffer from the syndrome, and about every 12 cases of this suffering remain for Raynaud's disease.

Raynaud's disease is almost always a woman's disease. Of every ten cases, only 1-2 patients are men. Therefore, if the manifestations of Raynaud's disease begin in men, it is almost always a secondary manifestation, and the cause must be looked for. Likewise, Raynaud's disease often begins at a young age but not in adulthood.

For the first time his symptoms were described by the French physician Maurice Reynaud in the middle of the 19th century. What are Raynaud's disease and syndrome?

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What it is?

Raynaud's disease hand photos (symptoms)

Raynaud's disease is a disease based on a sharp vascular spasm that affects small arterial vessels, in the walls of which there are smooth muscles. This condition is associated with a violation of vascular tone, and it refers to angiotrophoneuroses.

• Usually the lesion is symmetrical, and most often occurs in the vessels of the fingers of the hands, but it can also occur in other places.

In addition to the hands, the color of the skin on the feet systematically changes, less often on the nose, lips and ears. This pronounced paleness is associated with a lack of blood flow, sometimes it appears with emotional excitement, or even with the slightest cooling of the body - for example, if the patient is under an air conditioner, or puts his hands in cold water, touches a portion of ice cream.

After the affected parts of the body are warmed, they remain cold for some time.

raynaud's syndrome symptoms

What are the reasons leading to the development of this disease? If we talk about Raynaud's syndrome, then the reasons that lead to it, in addition to hypothermia and stress, are as follows:

• Permanent chronic injuries (most often, with damage to the fingers);
• Endocrine diseases (most often of the thyroid gland);
• Vasculitis, or diseases involving inflammation of the vascular wall;
• Occupational diseases (vibration disease). Typists and pianists often fall ill;
• Various connective tissue diseases (scleroderma, dermatomyositis,).

The fact that Raynaud's disease and syndrome is based on a generalized rather than a local vascular disorder is a frequent combination of symptoms with migraine. With migraines, there are characteristic throbbing and breaking pains in one half of the head.

Signs by stage of development

Since Raynaud's disease is long-term and chronic, several stages can be distinguished in its course:

1. Stage of angiospasm. This is a short vascular paroxysm, usually occurring on the terminal phalanges of the fingers. It quickly passes, giving way to pronounced redness and a feeling of heat in the fingers, sometimes aches with pain occurs;
2. The stage of vascular paralysis (spasm becomes chronic), the skin becomes bluish, persistent edema and pastiness develop (this is especially noticeable on the fingers). This stage occurs 6-8 months after the first symptoms of vascular disorders appear;
3. Trophoparalytic stage. It is characterized by trophic disorders: non-healing ulcers and wounds appear, superficial necrosis (necrosis) is formed, which is noticeable on the phalanges. The patient is completely intolerant of any cooling and exposure to low temperatures.

As a result, articular syndrome occurs (in the hands), stiffness appears, constant cyanosis of the skin, and frequent pains disturb.

As a result, harmless vascular spasm can lead to disability after a few years. How does this vascular lesion begin and how does it proceed?

Raynaud's disease symptoms, photo

color change (photo)

Let's list the classic signs of angiotrophoneurosis. These symptoms of Raynaud's disease are most common in women:

• An initial change in skin color occurs, which first changes its normal color to pale, and then to cyanotic, and finally to red. In other words, at first, blood flow is limited, then venous stasis occurs, that is, outflow is disturbed. And redness is associated with the restoration of blood flow in an increased volume;
• When pallor occurs, chilliness, a feeling of coldness, as well as numbness or a feeling of creeping appear. Sometimes there is a feeling of soreness;
• When the blood supply is restored, most often, aches, swelling of the skin and a feeling of heat arise, similar to that which appears with inflammation;
• With a prolonged course, an increase in trophic disorders occurs, deformation of the joints of the fingers is added.

Why do these signs appear?

When the nervous autonomic (sympathetic, mainly) influences on the vessels are disturbed, they cease to "actively participate" in the blood circulation. They become passive "tubes" for the blood flow. At the same time, the blood tries to get into those vessels in which:

• larger diameter;
• fewer branches;
• short length;
• gently sloping discharge of the leading (maternal) trunk.

As a result, when the active regulation of blood flow ceases, its volume decreases, since a significant part of the vascular bed simply empties.

The blood flow is shunted, that is, it is discharged "past the cash register", which causes oxygen starvation of tissues. As a result, a large mass of blood rushes past the tissues like a high-speed electric train without stopping past a poor village.

Diagnostics and analysis list

Diagnosis of Raynaud's disease involves a very important stage of routine questioning and examination of the patient, as well as conducting provocative tests with cooling. At the time when the doctor sees with his own eyes an episode of ischemia of the capillaries of the hands, this allows him to make an accurate diagnosis.

Auxiliary diagnostic methods are:

• Ultrasound of the vessels of the extremities;
• Computed contrast angiography of the extremities, with a particularly close assessment of the distal capillary network in the fingers. Attention is drawn to the development of the network of anastomoses;
• Capillaroscopy of the nail bed in order to search for microcirculation disorders;
• Doppler laser flowmetry with accompanying functional tests.

What is laser flowmetry? In this case, a completely painless research method, the tissues are probed with a laser beam. The beam hits the immovable tissue and the mobile blood. After the reflection, he comes back.

According to the frequency shift in the radiation returning to the receiver, a special curve is built, which obeys many rules. Based on the analysis of this curve, a conclusion is drawn about the presence and nature of disorders of peripheral capillary hemodynamics.

Differential diagnosis is of great importance, that is, the search for the cause of Raynaud's syndrome (for example, with atypical onset of its symptoms in men over 40). Here you can carry out the most ambitious research with the involvement of various specialists - from an oncologist to an endocrinologist.

Raynaud's disease treatment, drugs

The goal of disease treatment is to prevent seizures. Therefore, the treatment of Raynaud's disease begins not with the prescription of drugs, but with the elimination of risk factors that provoke vascular spasm. And the most important thing here is to protect the patient from hypothermia, both local and general.

• Here are some helpful tips.

Protecting ourselves from the cold

In order to, in some cases, completely rid yourself of attacks of angiotrophoneurosis, you need to follow these recommendations:

• do not forget about warm clothes in the spring - autumn season;
• do not choose tight shoes, they should be loose;
• at the same time, loose shoes should be with a warm toe and a thick insole;
• give preference to mittens, it is colder with gloves;
• do not be lazy to always carry a backpack with a warm sweater if you can find yourself in an air-conditioned room;
• try not to fall asleep when the windows are open, especially in winter. If your feet and hands are cold before going to bed, wear mittens and socks, and buy terry, warm or flannel bedding;
• when visiting a summer cottage, heat the room well before going to bed, and if this is not possible, get an electric blanket;
• try to completely exclude contact of the body with cold water, and do not hesitate to ask someone for help;
• wash dishes, vegetables and fruits only in warm water;
• use potholders, gloves when working with frozen meat, when getting cold food.

In the event that you have a long-term illness, then you need to prevent trophic disorders. You need to protect your skin.

Protecting the skin from trophic disorders

First of all, you need to avoid traumatic factors, for example, playing the "fight" on the guitar, or picking berries on thorny bushes. The following guidelines may help you:

• check the skin of the hands and feet daily before going to bed and lubricate it with a nourishing cream;
• use mild soap;
• protect your hands with rubber gloves when washing dishes, using cleaning agents;
• try to wear socks and mittens made from natural materials.

Additional, but very important measures include quitting smoking, reducing alcohol consumption, avoiding stressful situations that cause a pronounced release of adrenaline and the appearance of vascular spasm.

In some cases (for example, when taking beta-blockers), symptoms of Raynaud's disease may appear without any cooling, since these drugs sometimes have a vasoconstrictor (vasoconstrictor) effect.

About taking medications

Treatment of Raynaud's disease with drugs is always complex. In some cases, completely unexpected drugs have to be used, since the beginning of the pathological cascade may be in the central nervous system.

Thus, antidepressants (SSRIs) and tranquilizers can be used, which significantly reduce the frequency of attacks of the disease.

Shown course receptions of drugs to improve microcirculation ("Pentoxifylline", "Trental"). Calcium blockers (Nifedipine) are used.

Physical therapy is an important component of treatment. Sessions of hyperbaric oxygenation (HBO) are used, sessions of electrophoresis, ozokeritotherapy, massage are carried out. Acupuncture sessions have a good therapeutic effect.

With a resistant course and the rapid development of disability, surgical treatment is indicated. A sympathectomy or sympathectomy is performed. The purpose of this intervention is to weaken the sympathetic effects on the vessels in order to prevent spasm.

Surgical intervention has its own contraindications, and, according to modern data, even properly performed sympathization has only a temporary and insignificant effect, therefore, Raynaud's syndrome should be treated from the very beginning, precisely by preventing an attack.

How to behave if an attack has developed?

Do-it-yourself relief of an attack

The main healing factor is heat, which helps relieve vascular spasm. If you felt that your hands began to chill, tingle, lost sensitivity, acquired a porcelain-white hue, then you need:

1. Get to a warm place urgently, or at least hide your hands under your clothes;
2. Vigorous rubbing and massage can help restore blood flow. You can rub it only if there are no trophic lesions on your hands, otherwise you can only aggravate the situation;
3. If possible, place your hands under warm water that is only slightly above body temperature. Too hot water can cause a paradoxical increase in spasm (after all, when you first enter a hot steam room, many people get “goose bumps” for a short time);
4. Sometimes, at the very beginning of the appearance of unpleasant sensations, vigorous shaking of the hands raised above the head helps.

The use of folk remedies

Treatment of Raynaud's disease with folk remedies includes effects aimed at increasing blood flow. So, a good remedy can be the use of coniferous, or turpentine baths, the intake of adaptogens, such as tincture of lemongrass, currant buds, Eleutherococcus.

Well able to prevent attacks of vasospasm are pillows stuffed with hop cones and valerian, or small bags that are placed next to the face before bedtime. This helps to calm the nervous system and reduce sympathetic influences.

Forecast

In Raynaud's disease, in most cases, the prognosis is favorable for life, but not for its quality. Making it tall is completely in your hands. The symptoms and treatments for Raynaud's disease that we've looked at make it clear that the main treatments that can be used over the years are to prevent seizures.

The normal condition, sensitivity and color of the skin depends on its blood supply. More than 150 years ago, the French physician Maurice Reynaud discovered a disease that provokes a sharp narrowing of blood vessels with subsequent sclerosis and tissue fibrosis. This pathology is diagnosed in 3-5% of the world's inhabitants, mainly adults.

Raynaud's disease - what is it in women?

The described disorder is a persistent disorder of the arterial blood supply to the feet and hands, fingertips. Sometimes the ears, nose and lips are involved. It is important to stop Raynaud's disease in a timely manner - symptoms and treatment become more difficult with the progression of the pathology. For an unknown reason, the considered disease is more susceptible to young women (the disease occurs 5 times more often than in men) from 20 to 40 years old.

Why is Raynaud's disease dangerous?

With a deficiency of blood and oxygen, hypoxia of the skin and soft tissues occurs, their necrosis is observed. In the advanced stage of Raynaud's disease, the affected areas first become blistered, followed by deep, non-healing ulcers. At best, the tissue will heal, but sometimes it undergoes death and. These complications affect muscles, joints and bones.

Raynaud's disease - causes

Doctors have not yet figured out the exact origin of the presented vascular disorder. There are factors that provoke Raynaud's disease - the reasons presumably causing the pathology:

• professional activity;
• frequent and prolonged hypothermia of the extremities;
• rheumatic and endocrine diseases;
• mechanical damage to the fingers;
• changes in the rheological properties of blood;
• chronic stress;
• severe infections;
• congenital insufficiency of the lateral horns of the spinal cord;
• diseases of the peripheral nervous system;
• dysfunction of the adrenal glands;
• local defects of blood vessels in the fingers;
• angiospasm of the coronary arteries.

Raynaud's disease - symptoms

The clinical picture of the disease corresponds to its stage of progression. The longer the pathology develops, the more pronounced Raynaud's disease is - symptoms in women, depending on the severity of the disease:

Raynaud's disease - diagnosis

It is difficult to confirm the development of this pathology due to the similarity of its symptoms with the syndrome of the same name. It is important to distinguish between other vascular disorders and Raynaud's disease - differential diagnosis is necessary to exclude the following conditions:

• scalene muscle phenomenon;
• compression of the subclavian artery;
• menopause;
• sjögren's syndrome;
• vibration disease;
• additional cervical rib;
• syringomyelia;
• chemical intoxication and others.

Raynaud's syndrome and Raynaud's disease - the difference

Almost identical names are used for different pathologies that are important to diagnose correctly. Raynaud's disease and syndrome differ in the cause of the characteristic clinical picture. In the first case, the disease is an independent disease with specific symptoms. The syndrome is a consequence of the progression of other pathologies, including Raynaud's disease, and is one of its symptoms. This vascular disorder is characteristic of the following disorders:

• systemic lupus erythematosus;
• rheumatoid arthritis;
• scleroderma;
• dermatomyositis;
• vasculitis;
• compression of neurovascular bundles;
• pathology of the sympathetic ganglia;
• diencephalic disorders;
• chronic diseases of the blood and blood vessels;
• thrombosis of veins and arteries;
• congenital connective tissue pathologies;
• pheochromocytoma;
• taking some potent medications.

Raynaud's disease - tests

First, the doctor carefully examines the patient and collects a detailed history. Raynaud's disease is diagnosed primarily by its characteristic features. Sometimes a thorough study of the vascular pattern in the area of \u200b\u200bthe nail plates helps in determining the pathology. The field of medicine that studies Raynaud's disease is neurology, therefore appropriate tests are additionally carried out. The most informative is the cold test - the condition of the limbs after their immersion (for several minutes) in water at a temperature of 10 degrees is assessed.

Other tests that can help identify Maurice-Raynaud disease:

• x-ray of blood vessels;
• dopplerography of the arteries;
• blood tests (biochemical, for the content of fibrin);
• electrocardiography.

How is Raynaud's disease treated?

The therapy of this pathology is carried out by conservative and surgical methods. The first option is suitable if uncomplicated Raynaud's disease is diagnosed - treatment is limited to relieving symptoms and improving well-being. This approach involves long-term and often lifelong therapy. Surgical intervention is prescribed in severe stages of the disease, when its progression is fraught with amputation of the limbs and other dangerous consequences.

Raynaud's disease - which doctor should i contact?

First, it is advisable to visit a therapist for a general examination and anamnesis. A general practitioner will tell you which specialist is treating Raynaud's disease:

• neurologist;
• vascular surgeon;
• neuropathologist.

Raynaud's disease - treatment, drugs

When choosing drug therapy, the doctor prescribes:

• antispasmodics - Papaverine, Spazmonet, Buscopan;
• adrenergic blockers (central and peripheral) - Doxazosin, Prazosin, Zoxon;
• vasodilators - Pentoxifylline, Theobromine, Piracetam;
• ganglion blockers - Imekhin, Pirilen, Temekhin;
• tranquilizers - Atarax, Diazepam, Phenazepam;
• calcium blockers - Amlodipine, Nifedipine, Felodip;
• antidepressants - Azafen, Prozac, Betol;
• cyclooxide inhibitors - Metindol, Indomethacin, ascorbic acid;
• non-steroidal pain medications - Ketanov, Naproxen, Ibuprofen;
• anti-inflammatory medicines - Movalis, Nalgezin, Diclofenac,;
• antibiotics - Erythromycin, Clindamycin, Ciprofloxacin;
• vitamins - nicotinamide, rutin, nicotinic acid.

Independently, you can reduce the severity of clinical manifestations of pathology and reduce attacks of vascular spasms. Here's how to treat Raynaud's disease at home:

1. Eat well and regularly.
2. Monitor the normal temperature of the extremities, avoiding hypothermia.
3. Rest, observe the optimal wakefulness and sleep regimen.
4. Avoid excessive emotional stress.
5. Give up addictions, especially smoking.
6. Exercise daily for hands and feet.
7. Massage the limbs.

Raynaud's disease responds well to the following physiotherapeutic methods of exposure:

• ultraviolet irradiation;
• electrophoresis with lidase or calcium;
• diathermy;
• galvanic baths;
• acupuncture;
• vacuum, laser and magnetic therapy.

Raynaud's disease - treatment with folk remedies

Alternative medicine has several options for restoring normal blood circulation to tissues. The best method of how to treat Raynaud's disease with folk remedies is healing coniferous baths. You need to take water with a temperature of about 37 degrees and add 7-10 drops of fir essential oil to it. In such a bath, you should relax for 10-15 minutes. During the procedure, you can do a light finger massage and deeply inhale aromatic vapors.

Healing tincture

Ingredients:

• dry rhizomes of leuzea - \u200b\u200b15 g;
• cold water - 500 ml.

Preparation, use:

1. Finely chop the plant material.
2. Pour the roots with ice water, leave for half an hour.
3. Place the workpiece on the stove and bring to a boil.
4. Cook the product for 2-5 minutes.
5. Cover the container with a lid, leave the solution for 2 hours.
6. Filter the liquid.
7. Drink 90-100 ml of the drug 5 times a day.
8. Continue therapy for 2 weeks.

Tea to improve blood circulation

Ingredients:

• fresh strawberry leaves - 40-45 g;
• boiling water - 300-350 ml.

Preparation, use:

1. Grind and slightly knead the raw materials.
2. Pour boiling water over the leaves, leave for 5-15 minutes.
3. Drink 150-180 ml of tea 2 times a day, you can sweeten it with jam or honey.

Raynaud's disease - surgery

The described pathology is not completely cured, therefore, even with strict adherence to all recommendations and correctly selected treatment, it slowly but progresses. The only way to eliminate Raynaud's disease is surgery. The operation (sympathectomy) removes or "turns off" damaged nerve fibers that provoke blood vessel spasms. Modern surgeons use endoscopic equipment to perform the procedure, as it helps to achieve excellent results with minimal trauma.

Raynaud's disease - prognosis

The presented vascular disorder rarely leads to disability or severe complications, especially with timely and correct therapy. There are no methods yet on how to completely cure Raynaud's disease, but the prognosis for life with this diagnosis is favorable. The main thing is to scrupulously follow all the recommendations of a specialist, regularly undergo preventive therapy courses and monitor the temperature of the extremities.