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I had to have a lab test done the other day at the hospital. As part of the test, they put one of the new pulse/oximeters on my right 1st finger. Because I had just come in from the cold, my hands were freezing as usual. Because of this, they could not get a reading on that finger. They tried my thumb; no success. The middle finger of my left hand; no success. Then they felt my hands and were shocked at how cold they were. Once they warmed up slightly, they were able to get a reading and,…amazingly, confirmed I was alive with a pulse and excellent O2 intake.
I suggest that this may be an initial test for the possibility of the presence of Raynaud’s and might bear at least a minimum trial to see if there is a correlation.
It’s true people with Raynaud’s can have difficulty getting a reading with these devices. We also have issues using touchscreens, particularly those we need to use outdoors, like an ATM outside the bank.
We published a “Members Tip” in a past newsletter where one of our Board members shared how a respiratory therapist at her doctor’s office has a trick for getting readings on people like us. Here’s the post: https://www.raynauds.org/2020/02/15/winter-2020-member-tips/
To the concept of using scientific devices for diagnosing Raynaud’s, thermal imaging is one method being explored in the medical community. Unfortunately most doctors lack the equipment, so it’s still a ways off from being a standard test. Here’s an article about an award given in the UK to a team using the technique to graphically display Raynaud’s: https://www.raynauds.org/2016/03/25/thermal-image-of-raynauds-is-an-award-winner/
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