- Dress warmly, and in layers.
- Dress warmly, and in layers. Wear a hat when outdoors and try to stay indoors when possible during cold weather.
- In cold weather or when exposed to air conditioning or cold temperatures (in the refrigerated section of a supermarket, for example), wear gloves. Mittens are even better protection. Use these even when handling frozen or refrigerated foods.
- Carry hand and foot warmers (found in many sporting goods and ski shops). One form of warmers, Charcoal packs, heat up when they’re exposed to air. Others have a metal disk that must be bent to activate the heat, caused by a resulting chemical reaction. The Raynaud’s Association has discovered a variety of useful devices for keeping hands and feet warm.
- Use insulated drinking glasses or mugs. Place a napkin or insulating material around them to protect your fingers from becoming cold. (see the Newsletter section of this website to search for information about products designed for this purpose).
- Place hands under warm (not hot) water to warm them up quickly.
- Don’t smoke. Smoking narrows blood vessels even more and makes Raynaud’s worse.
- Swing arms around in a windmill fashion to get the circulation going quickly.
The Raynaud’s Association is a wonderful clearinghouse of information about such methods, products and services (and where they may be obtained). Many of our members share valuable tips, resources and insights. Go to the Search section of this website, review the “Hot Products” and “Member Tips” columns in our Cold Cuts newsletters, or check out our Marketplace section for more information about products with the potential to offer warmth and comfort.
