RAYNAUD’S SYNDROME

IF YOUR FINGERS and toes tingle and grow numb the minute they’re exposed to the cold, it may not be just poor circulation. You may have Raynaud’s syndrome, a circulatory disorder that causes the small arteries of the extremities to spasm and constrict. Your fingers, deprived of blood, grow pale and may even acquire a bluish tinge, and then get red when circulation returns and the blood rushes back.

Raynaud’s syndrome is thought to be quite common, particularly among women, though there are no actual tallies. Many people who have it probably don’t believe it’s serious enough to discuss with a doctor, but it can be very painful, particularly in the advanced stages, when poor blood supply can cause lasting damage to the sense of touch. I’ve had patients who, even suffering from relatively mild cases, felt that their lives were terribly disrupted by the problem.

There are conventional medical approaches to Raynaud’s: Calcium channel blockers have been used to dilate the blood vessels in seriously affected patients. This usually won’t give complete relief but it can help. Unfortunately, these medications can have side effects and are not always effective. There are some excellent natural therapies I recommend that have proven extremely effective for a number of my patients.

A combination of natural ingredients-magnesium, a mineral, combined with taurine, an amino acid-can be very effective, even in people who have had Raynaud’s for a long time.

Vitamin E taken as a supplement helps to decrease the circulatory spasms that cause Raynaud’s. It’s also extremely helpful as a topical ointment on fingers and toes that become ulcerated due to insufficient blood supply.

Fish oils (the omega-3s) are also recommended because they improve tolerance to cold exposure and delay spasm of the blood vessels.

Be sure that you’re getting adequate iron in your diet. Lack of iron can cause anemia, which will increase your sensitivity to cold. Foods that are rich in iron include fish, lean red meat, poultry, lentils, and leafy green vegetables.

There are two particularly effective and simple methods to prevent spasms. One, devised by a dermatologist in Vermont, involves twirling the arms to stimulate circulation. Like a softball pitcher, you swing your arm down behind your body and then upward in front of you, at about eighty twirls a minute. This exercise forces blood to the fingers through both gravitational and centrifugal force, and is effective in warming up chilled hands.

Another method, devised by U.S. Army researchers in Alaska, works by conditioning the hands to counter the cold spasm reflex. You soak your hands in warm water for three to five minutes, in a room where the temperature is comfortable. Next, you go into a freezing room and soak your hands in warm water once again, this time for ten minutes. The cold temperature would normally cause your arteries to constrict, but the warm water keeps them open. Eventually, they will remain open even without warm water. In the army experiments involving 150 people, this procedure was repeated three to six times every other day. After fifty-four treatments, hands were found to be seven degrees warmer in the cold.

In addition to regularly practicing these exercises, avoid anything that hampers your circulation and makes you vulnerable to chill:

• Do not smoke, because nicotine causes vasospasm and encourages plaque to form in your arteries, slowing circulation.
• Do not drink alcohol because though it may seem to make you warm, it actually lowers your body temperature.
• Do not drink coffee or drinks with caffeine, because they constrict blood vessels.
• Drink lots of fluids and eat hot, regular meals to keep off the chill.
• Wear mittens instead of gloves, because mittens trap the heat of your hands. Wear them any time your hands will be exposed to cold: when shopping in the frozen food section, when grasping a cold steering wheel, and so on.
• Dress in loose rather than constricting clothes, layered for warmth. Wear fabrics that will draw away perspiration, keeping you drier and warmer, and use foot powder to keep your feet dry and warm.

NATURAL PRESCRIPTION FOR RAYNAUD’S SYNDROME

• Use the warm water and arm twirling techniques described above to enhance circulation and prevent spasms.
• Avoid smoking, alcohol, and caffeine; all will constrict the blood vessels and promote spasm.
• Dress to ward off cold and perspiration. See the list of tips above.
• Eat hot, regular meals.
• Ingest adequate iron by eating fish, poultry, lean red meat, lentils, and green leafy vegetables. Do not take iron supplements unless indicated by blood testing.

IN ADDITION TO YOUR DAILY SUPPLEMENTS, TAKE:

• Magnesium with taurine in the following amounts: magnesium, 200 mg. three times daily, and taurine, 250 mg. three times daily, during the cold season, if no relief after four weeks, discontinue use.
• Vitamin E: 400 I.U, daily
• Fish oils: 1,000 mg. three times daily.