Question Title: color of palms

Just wondering if this could be a sign of something happening with my heart?
About 2 months ago, my palms suddenly began turning reddish and sometimes
bluish. I went to the ER, where they suggested Raynaud's. They warmed my
hands, but then I walked down the hall, and the color change returned. It
is not precipitated by cold, and never has been. It's always by activity.
Now 2 months later, the discoloration has changed. Now my hands are almost
always reddish, a dark red color, darker at the ends of the fingers and thumb,
but the whole underside is affected. Also, amidst the darkness is white
blotches. I used to get something like this after major exertion of any
sort, but now I get it just after getting up in the morning. My hands will
be extremely pale to begin with, then while I'm sitting in the bathroom, I
can watch them literally change to this dark splotchy color. My feet will
do it too, but to a less dramatic degree. Maybe of importance, I notice
that if I raise my hands above my head, the discoloration goes away, but
returns the instant I put them down again. Also, it will get real bad, if
I'm sitting leaning forward, putting any pressure on my belly, which to me
feels very bloated/uncomfortable. Also, the other day I got hiccups
really bad. I looked at my hands, they were extremely blue.Any thoughts or suggestions?

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Dear Ellen, thank you for your question. I doubt that your symptoms are being
caused by your heart. What you describe sounds like a form of vasculitis to me.
Vasculitis is an inflammation of blood vessels that involves the body making
antibodies against its own tissues in the blood vessel walls. When this occurs,
blood flow to the extremities (most commonly the hands) can wax and wane. These
changes are manifested by changing skin color like you describe. A common form
of vasculitis affecting the hands is called Raynaud's Phenomenon. You may be
best served by seeing a Rheumatologist who specializes in treating disorders
like vasculitis. If you do indeed have vasculitis, there are drugs that
may help you to alleviate your symptoms. Good luck!

Information provided in the heart forum is for general purposes only. Specific
diagnoses and therapies can only be provided by your physician.

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