Understanding Raynaud’s Disease Treatment
Raynaud’s disease affects your fingers and toes, causing them to turn white and throb when you are exposed to cold or stress. Treatments for Raynaud’s range from medication to lifestyle changes. There is currently no known cure. Your treatment plan may include avoiding or minimizing exposure to cold and stress.
At Dignity Health, we understand the importance of educating our patients about all available treatment options, especially for rare disorders such as Raynaud’s. Find a Doctor today to discuss your best options for Raynaud’s disease treatment in the Bay Area.
Common Treatments for Raynaud’s Disease
Your doctor will create a treatment plan based on your specific symptoms and sensitivities. There is no cure, but simple lifestyle changes can often help you manage the condition if your attacks are mild and infrequent. However, if you develop sores on your fingers or toes, or if you have frequent attacks, your doctor may recommend medications. Surgery is rarely needed.
Common treatments for Raynaud’s include:
- Relaxation techniques to help avoid stress-related attacks of Raynaud’s
- Medication to promote blood flow to your fingers and toes
- Protecting yourself from the cold by wearing gloves and warm clothes
- Getting regular exercise to encourage blood flow
- Avoiding prescription drugs that restrict blood flow, such as migraine headache medicines
- Meticulously caring for your feet and skin to prevent sores, ulcers, and infection
- Quitting smoking — smoking narrows your blood vessels and restricts blood flow
Can You Prevent Raynaud’s Disease?
There is no known prevention because doctors do not know what causes Raynaud’s. However, strategies are available to help prevent secondary Raynaud’s (Raynaud’s phenomenon), which is caused by injury or an underlying health problem.
You can minimize your risk of Raynaud’s phenomenon by :
- Avoiding repetitive motion activities, such as typing
- Engaging in smoking cessation strategies to quit smoking
- Avoiding exposure to industrial chemicals
- Discussing your use of over-the-counter medications that constrict blood vessels to identify potential triggers of Raynaud’s
Our doctors focus on treating the entire person, and not just the condition. Learn more about cardiac services offered at Dignity Health’s Bay Area hospitals.
Dignity Health doctors are skilled in many therapies that can improve your quality of life, including Raynaud’s disease treatment, in San Francisco, Santa Cruz, and Redwood City.