Can somone tell me if i have a disease? my hands are strangely red!

[jasperjasper]

i didnt know what catagory to post htis in so i put it in heart, but like since maybe around when winter started, my hands have been super red and somtimes light purple/red.  and  people at school are like,  "eww whats with your hands??"  and it really bugs me.
but my hands are usually cold, and somtimes really warm
but please respond! i want to know if i have circulatory problems.
and im just using a forum, because my parents never take me to the doctor, unless its somthing bad that they actually care about, considering i broke both my wrists and they didnt take me to the doctor, man that sucked!
BUT PLEASE SAY SOMTHING IF YOU KNOW WHAT I HAVE!

P.S. i read somwhere else, thers somthing called like, Reynolds Syndrome, anyone hear of it?

[ireneo]

Yes, it's called Raynauds Syndrome. It causes the symptoms you mention. I have it also. As far as I know, mine is primary - that is, I just have Raynauds. Many people have secondary - they also have something else like Lupus or scleroderma or rheumatoid arthritis. I visit an excellent board for Raynauds folks but can't post the link here. The one thing they stress is to see a rheumatologist. They also have many ways to cope with it. If you google raynauds there is the board by that name. Good luck and stay warm :-)

[paula9002]

Hi. When your hands turn colors, do they hurt? does the color come and go? You say that sometimes they are hot and sometimes they are cold...is that dependent on whether it is hot or cold outside?
How old are you? Do you have a nurse at your school that you might be able to run it by? Take care.

[ireneo]

I've learned from the raynauds board there is also something called erythromelalgia. That's where the skin only turns red and seems very hot. It's a bit different than raynauds which usually has the 3 color changes: blue, white and red.

People with raynauds notice the color changes when they feel stressed or chilled (even in the cooler section of a grocery store, holding a glass of a cold drink or working in an A/C office). Some feel tingling, some feel pain. The color changes do come and go. In severe cases ulcers can develop on the fingertips due to the poor circulation.

[paula9002]

Hi. Where did you find the raynauds board? Mine seems to be getting worse as with each passing year and I would love to know a few things. Do you know if I need to worry about gangrene if I am in cold too long? I cannot peel vegetables from the fridge or carry a frozen dinner from the freezer to the counter without my fingers turning white and even in ac, my nail beds get blue and fingers white. I also get the ulcers and spend winters with my fingers in bandaids and antibiotic cream but they still hurt. Do you know if it continues to worsen? Is there anything to do other than wear gloves inside in winter to keep them from freezing? Thanks for any help.

[ireneo]

I just googled "raynauds" and found plenty of information. My favorite site is raynauds dot org. Look for that address. They cover diagnosis, coping strategies, in the news and so forth. You can just read the various categories without having to register. Most of the time I just browse without signing in.

[paula9002]

thanks. I will look today.