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Fingers Turning White and Numb? Doctor Explains Raynaud's Phenomenon

From Liberty Times · () Chinese

Translated from Chinese, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • A doctor explains Raynaud's phenomenon, characterized by fingers turning white, purple, and feeling numb or tingling.
  • The condition involves abnormal blood vessel constriction, often triggered by temperature or emotional changes.
  • Raynaud's can be an early sign of more serious conditions like systemic sclerosis (scleroderma), requiring further immune testing.

A physician has shed light on Raynaud's phenomenon, a condition causing fingers to turn white and purple and experienceๅˆบ็—›ๆ„Ÿ (stinging pain) and้บปๆ„Ÿ (numbness). Dr. Chao Xiang-yuan, a physician in rheumatology, allergy, and immunology at Taoyuan Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, explained that this often-misunderstood ailment is a vascular and sympathetic nervous system disorder.

This is Raynaud's phenomenon, a vascular and sympathetic nervous system disease.

โ€” Dr. Chao Xiang-yuanThe physician's diagnosis after a patient presented with persistent finger numbness and discoloration.

Dr. Chao detailed how changes in environment, such as temperature or emotional stress, can affect the smooth muscles in blood vessels. In Raynaud's, these vessels constrict excessively and fail to relax properly, leading to a lack of blood flow. This results in the affected digits turning pale, then white, and eventually purplish. The persistent numbness and pain often lead patients to seek relief from various doctors and pain medications without success.

Treatment focuses not just on pain relief but on helping the blood vessels relax, often with calcium channel blockers. However, Dr. Chao emphasized that Raynaud's can be a critical early indicator of more severe underlying diseases. He noted that it is frequently the first sign of systemic sclerosis, commonly known as scleroderma. This connection prompted him to shift diagnostic focus from neurological tests to immune-related examinations for scleroderma.

Our blood vessels have so-called smooth muscles. When the environment changes, such as temperature or emotions, it affects the contraction of smooth muscles. Raynaud's phenomenon is a problem with this regulation. After the blood vessels constrict, they don't know how to relax, and the ischemic area begins to turn white, eventually turning purple.

โ€” Dr. Chao Xiang-yuanExplaining the physiological mechanism behind Raynaud's phenomenon.

Further tests confirmed his suspicion, revealing strongly positive results for antinuclear antibodies (ANA) and scleroderma-specific antibodies. Capillaroscopy also showed typical signs of scleroderma. Consequently, the patient requires close monitoring for the progression of the disease. Dr. Chao advises anyone experiencing finger discoloration to seek a thorough medical examination at a major hospital.

Raynaud's phenomenon is often the first sign of systemic sclerosis (commonly known as scleroderma).

โ€” Dr. Chao Xiang-yuanHighlighting the potential link between Raynaud's and a more serious autoimmune disease.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Liberty Times in Chinese. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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