Am I the only one who’s cold??

When I do feel the cold, it then takes me so long to warm up, and sometimes I don’t ever warm up. I’m walking around with cold hands and feet. With close family it becomes a running joke. If I’m saying I’m warm, it usually means that we are in a heatwave, with everyone around me gradually melting and becoming puddles in front of your very eyes.

It does get to a point where you need to speak to the doctor about it, and the response I had was “You have Raynaud’s”. Raynaud’s is a condition that impacts the blood flow into someone’s hands and feet, and causes pain. So, it wasn’t just me, other people experienced this too. I know that some you will be nodding along with this and others will be intrigued. Rather than rambling on about my experiences (which I am more than willing to share), I thought it might be a good idea to share some myths and facts that are associated with Raynaud’s. So here we go…

Let’s start with the myths as these can be very random, and to some extent entertaining.

Myth 1 – They can run a test to diagnose this condition…. I WISH! Sadly, like many long-term health conditions, it’s a case of ruling everything else out first. Anyone with a long-term health condition knows the fun and games that come along with that.

Myth 2 – It only affects fingers and toes – wouldn’t that be great if we could wear some nice comfy socks and gloves and solve it. Wherever there is blood flowing in your body you can be impacted.

Myth 3 – Raynaud’s is an allergy to the cold…. if only!! A medical condition that means we can channel our inner bear and hibernate in the house for the winter.

Myth 4 – It’s merely a nuisance, not a medical condition… SERIOUSLY! Tell that to my hands which are so painful I can’t even hold a glass. This is definitely a medical condition.

Myth 5 – It’s only an issue during cold seasons/climates…. if that were the case, we could all emigrate to a nice tropical island, and the pain will be gone. Am I the only one who really wants that to be the case – no more British weather, and a summer that is warm?

Okay so let’s look at the facts, shall we:

Fact 1 – Raynaud’s is not as prevalent in society as you may think. It only affects 5% of the population, and women are more commonly affected than man.

Fact 2 – The most common complaint for sufferers is numbness or tingling in the fingers and toes. We’ve all experienced tingling or numbness in the fingers, although for most it isn’t necessarily related to Raynaud’s – more than likely sitting in the wrong position and the entire foot or leg has gone to sleep.

Fact 3 – Emotional stress can provoke the symptoms – our old friend Stress making life a struggle for us. Stress is one of those things that has its branches everywhere and can impact so many other things. It’s worth finding a way that you can manage your stress – if only we could eliminate stress from life.

Fact 4 – Regular exercise can improve blood circulation. This doesn’t mean a full high intensity workout, this can be any physical activity. We all have our limits, and we should never push past them. It never ends well; trust me, I’ve learnt this the hard way.

Fact 5 – In extreme cases, you can get ulcers and sores in the affected areas. (I’m just showing how this is a medical condition, not a nuisance.)

Living with Raynaud’s isn’t the easiest thing, especially when living in the UK. It’s not known for its sunny, warm weather. It (like many other conditions) is not going anywhere so we must learn how to manage it – this is a very individual thing. What works for me may not work for you, and that’s okay: we are different people. It may mean trial and error, but you will get there.

As a parting thought, I want to thank you for reading this article, and say that if you can identify with any of these facts, please speak to your healthcare professional.