Raynaud’s and Buerger’s

Raynaud’s disease (also known as Raynaud’s Phenomenon and Raynaud’s Syndrome) and Buerger’s disease are two of a long list of vascular diseases.

Vascular disease can be mysterious and episodes can be particularly difficult, if not impossible, to predict. If you have spasms in the fingers or the toes (this is less common) that occur when you are exposed to cold or when you become excited this is a symptom of Raynaud’s.

When this happens, the small arteries leading to your extremities are malfunctioning and there is a temporary lack of blood flow. This can cause the skin to become white or bluish and you may feel numbness or cold in your hands and feet. Certain kinds of arthritis and scleroderma can be underlying cause of this condition.

In some instances, symptoms of Raynaud’s occur in Buerger’s sufferers. As a rule, Buerger’s interferes with the functioning of the small and medium arteries as well as nerves and veins. As with most conditions, there are exceptions to the rule. As stated earlier, vascular diseases are mysterious and this type is not an exception. The cause is unknown, but there seems to be a relationship between the condition and tobacco use or exposure to smoke from cigarettes.

With Buerger’s, blood flow is compromised when arties narrow or become blocked. The hands and fingers and legs feet and toes can be affected. For unknown reasons, the pain experienced with this condition is more often felt in the lower body than in the hands and fingers. Discomfort is often felt in the legs, ankles, feet and toes even when you are at rest.

Once it has been established that a person has one of these conditions there are treatment options to help alleviate the severity of the symptoms. However, the first step is visiting a doctor and arriving at a diagnosis.