A recent article published in an obscure publication called Latest Breaking News surprised us with some of the worst examples of giving Raynaud’s the brush off we’ve ever seen – and we’ve seen plenty!
The article is titled “Understanding the Causes of Constantly Cold Hands: From Raynaud’s Syndrome to Hypothyroid States.” Most of the content – while a bit more technical than we’d like – is pretty accurate. Where we fault it is in a statement that totally goes against everything we’ve ever read or heard from medical professionals – even those those who don’t take Raynaud’s so seriously. This statement is not written by the author (who isn’t identified), it’s a quote from Dr. Luis Miguel Salmerón, head of the Vascular Medicine section of the Spanish Society of Angiology and Vascular Surgery. Here it is (suggest taking a deep breath before reading further…):
Salmerón insists that the most important thing is to make the patient or their family understand that it is not a disease and explain that it is something benign and does not require any treatment. On some occasions, a placebo can be given if the doctor deems it appropriate.
How could a disorder that is called “Raynaud’s disease” (also syndrome and phenomenon) not be a real medical disease? How dare this doctor label all patients’ symptoms as benign – even those with serious digital ulcers in danger of losing digits? And why would there be several treatment options for patients with more severe symptoms prescribed by qualified, well-educated doctors if patients would do just as well with a placebo?
If you ever find yourself with a medical professional giving Raynaud’s the brush off like this, grab your medical file and run as fast as you can from their office. You deserve better!
Interesting that this doctor doesn’t otherwise reference Raynaud’s in the article. Instead, he talks about other disorders that can be associated with cold hands and feet and are sometimes confused with Raynaud’s, including chilblains, acrocyanosis and livedo reticularis.
Referencing acrocyanosis, he puts his foot in his mouth again. This is a disorder similar to Raynauds, in that it’s caused by spasms of the blood vessels in response to cold and stress. Like Raynaud’s, it involves color changes in the skin, and there are both primary and secondary forms, so it can be challenging to distinguish between the two conditions when being diagnosed. Searching for information on acrocyanosis you find references to the discoloration being symmetrical, the attacks not being so painful, and similar physical descriptions. It’s more rare than Raynaud’s, but can be caused by it. But nowhere in our research do we find any reference to how this disorder can impact the psychology of the patient. Here’s what Dr. Salmerón has to say about acrocyanosis:
Acrocyanosis: a condition where the hands are cold, bluish, and sometimes sweaty, causing psychological problems in some cases due to the appearance of the hands.
Interesting that he doesn’t state that the skin color changes resulting from Raynaud’s attacks can cause psychological problems, just those associated with acrocyanosis.
While the doctor quoted in this article is the extreme, too many medical professionals are giving Raynaud’s the brush off. We sincerely hope that you connect with a reputable doctor (preferably a rheumatologist) who is knowledgeable about Raynaud’s and can provide insightful treatment options and explanations about this documented medical condition.
