Raynaud’s Awareness Month: What it is and symptoms

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Raynaud’s Awareness Month is here as we look at the condition in more detail, and raise awareness of the symptoms to look out for.

Around 10 million people in the UK suffer from Raynaud’s, but at present, there is no cure.

Raynaud’s Awareness Month’s runs every year throughout February. Organisers say the aim is to drive awareness about the condition, increase advocacy for people suffering from it, and promote the need for a cure.

Raynaud’s Awareness Month

Raynaud’s becomes more prevalent in the winter months, as cold weather can trigger symptoms for sufferers. But sometimes, working conditions can also cause sufferers to develop conditions such as Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS) or Vibration White Finger – and this can result in serious consequences for employers.

We have broken down everything you need to know about Raynaud’s Syndrome.

What it is

Raynaud’s is a condition that affects your circulation as your blood vessels over react to cold weather or stress. This means that the blood vessels narrow, making it difficult for blood to reach the affected area, which triggers symptoms.

When this happens, the fingers or toes can become numb, painful, and sometimes turn blue or white. During an attack, symptoms generally last around 15 minutes, but this can vary.

When a Raynaud attack ceases, for example, when the area has warmed up, the sufferer may feel burning, throbbing, tingling, or swelling in the affected limb.

Symptoms

Cold fingers or toes in response to cold, stress, or emotional upset
Colour changes in the skin that occur in response to the cold or stress — skin turns pale or white at first, then possibly blue and then red upon warming
A numb, prickly feeling
Throbbing, tingling, and swelling upon warming
Stinging pain upon warming or stress relief
In severe cases, sores may form on the finger pads

How it’s caused

There are two types of Raynaud’s and they are caused in different ways.

Primary Raynaud’s

The cause of primary Raynaud’s disease is unknown. Symptoms occur as a result of brief episodes of vasospasm, which is a narrowing of the blood vessels. This then reduces blood flow to the affected area, resulting in the area feeling cold and numb and changing colour to white or blue.

Primary Raynaud’s typically begins in sufferers between the ages of 15 to 25, and symptoms are usually less severe than secondary Raynaud’s.

Secondary Raynaud’s

Secondary Raynaud’s usually develops because of an injury, underlying disease, condition or certain medication. The most common diseases associated with Secondary Raynaud’s include autoimmune and connective tissue diseases like lupus and rheumatoid arthritis.

But conditions such as working with vibrating tools can also cause Secondary Raynaud’s.

Secondary is usually more dangerous, and can damage blood vessels and lead to problems with ulcers and dexterity.

Causes may include

Injury to the hands or feet
Habitual smoking
Medications that narrow the arteries or affect blood pressure
Repetitive actions or vibrations, such as when using a jackhammer
Exposure to chemicals
Thyroid conditions
Carpal tunnel syndrome
Diseases of the arteries, such as atherosclerosis, Buerger’s disease, or pulmonary hypertension
Connective tissue diseases, such as scleroderma, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, or Sjögren’s syndrome.
Residence in a cold climate

Raynaud’s Treatment

Symptoms of Raynaud’s can be improved by keeping the affected areas warm by wearing gloves and socks in winter. It can also be beneficial to dress in several layers of thin clothing as this traps warm air between each layer to keep you warm.

Sufferers can also use heating devices to keep warm and wear gloves to hold cold drinks or to take things out of the fridge and freezer.

If an attack occurs, it is important to move to somewhere warm, and move your fingers and toes to encourage blood flow. Running hands under warm water can also help.

Secondary Raynaud’s & Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS)

Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome is a secondary form of Raynaud’s syndrome caused by the prolonged use of vibrating tools. It can also be refereed to as Vibration White Finger.

The condition is usually caused by working with vibrating tools without the correct protections or without having adequate breaks. This can develop over years of exposure to vibration, in job roles such as construction or manufacturing.

HAVS Symptoms

Whitening or blanching of the fingertips
Numbness and tingling in the fingers or hands
Cysts in finger and wrist bones
Lack of dexterity or grip strength
Loss of sensitivity of touch

Occupations with a higher risk of HAVS

Some jobs have a higher risk of workers developing HAVS. According to HSE, this includes the following:

Building and maintenance of roads and railways
Construction
Estate management (e.g. maintenance of grounds, parks, water courses, road and Railside verges)
Forestry
Foundries
Heavy engineering
Manufacturing concrete products
Mines and quarries
Motor vehicle manufacture and repair
Public utilities (e.g. water, gas, electricity, telecommunications)
Shipbuilding and repair

Employer Liability

If you have developed HAVs or Raynaud’s due to conditions at work, you may be entitled to make a claim against your employer.

Employers have a legal duty to reduce and prevent exposure to vibration and ensure anyone who already has the condition doesn’t get any worse. Employers are under a duty of care to ensure their employees are not put at any foreseeable risk as far as practicable.

Employer Liability – The law

Your employer has general common law duties to ensure you have a safe place of work, safe plant or machinery and a safe system of work. If the Defendant breaches these duties there will be a claim in negligence against them.

A breach of these common law duties can be shown/proven by identifying breaches in statutory requirements the Defendants have to comply with. Some of these are as follows:

Health and Safety Act 1974

Every employer has a duty so far as is reasonably practicable, to ensure the safety and welfare of employees.

Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999

Duty to undertake adequate risk assessment (Reg. 3)
The requirement to undertake health surveillance (Reg. 6)