Does cold weather affect your feet and fingers?

When we venture out of warm, centrally heated buildings into the cold outdoors, the small blood vessels near the surface of the skin immediately contract to slow blood flow and preserve the body's heat. However, people with a condition known as Raynaud's phenomenon have an extreme sensitivity to cold that causes their blood vessels to contract too much.

When this happens the skin gets progressively colder - from pale to white and then to blue. The affected parts also feel very cold (or hot and tingly), and are numb and painful during an attack, and this unpleasant sensation can last 10-20 minutes. As blood flows back, the area starts to feel hot and the skin goes bright red. During an attack there is also a marked colour difference between the affected area and normal skin.

The areas of the body most susceptible to Raynaud's phenomenon are extremities where restricted blood flow is more obvious, such as fingers, toes and occasionally the ears, nose or jaw. Some people also find that they are much more prone to attacks when physically or emotionally stressed, and in some cases emotion alone can affect the blood vessels.

Why 'Raynaud's' phenomenon?
The condition is named after Maurice Raynaud, a French doctor who described the condition in the mid-1800s. The syndrome affects between three and ten per cent of 15-40 year olds and is more common in women, and about half of those who suffer from Raynaud's have an underlying medical disorder. In fact some people have the disease for several years before any underlying illness becomes apparent, although there are tests that can predict who's at risk.