Raynauds Disease
Raynaud’s Disease
You can understand when Jack Frost does his nipping in the dead of winter. In fact, you almost expect it. But when you’re reaching for a Labor Day beer or sitting in air-conditioning to beat the July 4th heat?
That’s a sign of Raynaud’s disease, which leaves hands and feet cold, painful and numb at the slightest change in temperature, such as opening a refrigerator door or walking into an air-conditioned room. Caused by a loss of bloodcirculation to the outer extremities, Raynaud’s does more than cause pain. Fingers and toes turn white or bluish as they get colder. When they warm again, they become red and may throb with pain for hours.
Experts say that Raynaud’s may result from overactive blood vessels, disorders of connective tissue or even emotional upset. Wearing gloves and heavy socks and sticking extremities in warm water can help. And the natural remedies in this chapter—in conjunction with medical care and used with your doctor’s approval—may help ease the symptoms of Raynaud’s disease, according to some health professionals.
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See Your Medical Doctor When...
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Food Therapy
“Cayenne pepper helps withcirculation,” says registered pharmacist Earl Mindell, R.Ph., Ph.D., author of Earl Mindell’s Food as Medicine and other books on nutrition and professor of nutrition at Pacific Western University in Los Angeles. He suggests sprinkling it on foods or mixing it (or another chili pepper powder) in a glass of water and drinking up.
Homeopathy
Although most cases of Raynaud’s disease are treated by homeopaths on an individual basis, you could try one of these 6C remedies suggested by Andrew Lockie, M.D., in his book The Family Guide to Homeopathy. He says to take the remedy of your choice every 30 minutes until your symptoms subside. Do not take more than ten doses of any of these remedies, he adds.
If your body feels cold except for a burning sensation in the fingers or toes that is worsened by heat, take Secale, according to Dr. Lockie. He says that Carbo vegetabilis is a good treatment when your skin is icy cold and mottled and your natural color returns after fanning. If your skin appears bluish purple, particularly after sleep, he says to try Lachesis. If heat or letting your arms or legs hang down makes the symptoms worse, he recommends Pulsatilla. For pale skin that flushes easily and is improved when you apply cold, try Ferrum phosphoricum, he says. If your hands are icy cold, your feet are swollen and you have restless legs, he suggests Cactus.
All of these remedies are available in many health food stores. To purchase the remedies by mail, refer to the resource list on page 637.
Relaxation and Meditation
Autogenics and thermal biofeedback may improve yourcirculation and take the chilling bite out of Raynaud’s disease, says Steven Fahrion, Ph.D., director of research at the Life Sciences Institute of Mind-Body Health in Topeka, Kansas. To learn how to do autogenics, see page 120; for more on thermal biofeedback, see page 121.
Vitamin and Mineral Therapy
Take vitamin E to improve blood flow, says registered pharmacist Earl Mindell, R.Ph., Ph.D., author of Earl Mindell’s Food as Medicine and other books on nutrition and professor of nutrition at Pacific Western University in Los Angeles. He recommends a daily supplement of between 100 and 400 international units.