It’s important to monitor when your fingers and hands turn white or blue in cold weather, as it could signal more than just poor circulation
A medical professional has sounded the alarm for individuals who notice their hands and fingers turning white during chilly weather. It is a standard bodily response to limit blood flow to certain areas, including your hands, in freezing conditions.
However, Dr Nighat Arif points out that if you observe exaggerated white patches on your toes or fingers – particularly when it’s not overly cold – it could be a red flag for something more serious, such as Raynaud’s disease.
Dr Arif explained: “If your fingers or toes suddenly become white or blue in the cold, this is Raynaud’s. It’s not just poor circulation, it’s your blood vessels spasming in the cold or if you’re under stress. And for some women, it’s an early warning sign of autoimmune disease.
“If your fingers or toes suddenly turn white or blue in the cold or when you’re stressed, and then they become bright red, tingly, or painful as they warm up, this is known as the Raynaud’s phenomenon. So as you can see, the finger colour changes over time as the blood returns.
“Raynaud’s involves your small blood vessels constricting to cut off the blood flow. Now, most people have primary or milder types, and it usually occurs in a younger age group. That’s not to say it can’t happen in older people; it does, but it’s symmetric and no tissue damage occurs.”, reports Bristol Live.
The NHS sheds light on Raynaud’s phenomenon, a condition where blood circulation to your fingers and toes becomes compromised, though it rarely leads to serious complications. Often, you can manage the symptoms at home simply by staying warm, although occasionally it may signal a more concerning underlying issue.
In some cases, individuals notice their ears, nose, lips or nipples are also impacted. Episodes of Raynaud’s can persist anywhere from mere minutes to several hours.
The condition can stem from various triggers including other health issues, certain medications, or prolonged use of vibrating machinery.
To mitigate this problem, people are advised to
- keep your home warm
- wear warm clothes during cold weather, especially on your hands and feet
- try to avoid sudden changes in temperature
- exercise regularly – this helps improve circulation
- try breathing exercises or yoga to help you relax
- eat a healthy, balanced diet
Lighting up cigarettes can worsen matters as smoking hampers circulation. Similarly, excessive caffeine consumption from sources like tea, coffee and chocolate can aggravate symptoms.
Dr Arif went on to explain: “There’s also a secondary Raynaud type, which occurs more severely and it’s a later age onset and often it comes associated with ulcers or features of connective tissue diseases, conditions such as lupus or scleroderma, which need proper checks and a proper referral to a secondary care team such as a rheumatologist who can actually investigate this further for you.
“Raynaud’s is actually more common in women, with studies comparing that around 5-6 per cent of women are affected compared to about 4 per cent of men. And women have actually the more severe impact on their daily lives if they have Raynaud’s.”
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According to the guidance, red flags for urgent specialist input means:
- Onset after the age of 30 or 40.
- If you’ve got digital—so fingers and toes—which have ulcers or necrosis.
- If it happens on one side, so it’s unilateral, it’s not symmetric.
- Abnormal pulses, so you should be checking your pulses and in your feet as well.
- And also any systemic symptoms, so whole-body symptoms such as weight loss, rashes, aches and pains in your body, breathlessness, because they could all be part of an autoimmune condition picture.
She added: “Management options are keeping your hands and feet and also your central body warm with gloves, heat pads, and avoiding sudden cold exposure. Stop smoking and vaping nicotine. And also, it could be that you want to have a look at any medications that could be restricting blood flow, such as beta-blockers.
“It’s important to get regular exercise and stress reduction strategies as well. There are also medications, and that’s when it’s worth making an appointment with your NHS GP. For primary Raynaud’s, the first-line treatment is calcium channel blockers, and then if that doesn’t work, then we can try secondary line options as well, according to the guidance, which are vasodilators, so Sildenafil can be a good choice.
“And yeah, many patients stop their vasodilators in warmer weather. If it’s secondary Raynaud’s, then it’s so important to get a referral onto a rheumatologist.”
