Summary highlights:
During the cold spell, patients with Raynaud’s phenomenon suffer from wind chill, and the condition tends to be more serious. Some patients have cold fingers and toes, gangrene and bacterial invasion, which are life-threatening. So, how do people with Raynaud’s phenomenon spend the winter? This is a major issue that must be dealt with seriously. Raynaud’s phenomenon is when the blood vessels at the ends of the fingers and toes contract, turning white and purple, and often feel numbness and tingling. In severe cases, the internal blood vessels will also shrink, affecting the heart and lung function. In severe cases, it can cause necrosis of fingers and toes or blockage of internal blood vessels. If patients know how to protect themselves, they may minimize their injuries and survive the cold winter safely. Otherwise, in addition to illness and pain, their lives are more likely to be affected.
Raynaud’s phenomenon often occurs in patients with collagen vascular diseases, such as scleroderma, systemic lupus erythematosus, mixed connective tissue disease, dermatomyositis, sicca and cryoglobulin, especially extensive systemic progressive sclerosis. How can patients with Raynaud’s phenomenon protect themselves in the cold winter? The most important thing is to prevent Raynaud’s phenomenon and avoid skin surface damage. The two magic weapons to prevent Raynaud’s phenomenon are warmth and skin care.
How to keep warm
The principle of keeping warm is to keep warm at all times. The following points are important:
1. Clothes should be adequate to keep out the cold, especially in changing weather, cold weather or cold currents.
2 Wear a hat in cold weather to prevent the head from generating a lot of heat.
3. Wear several layers of loose clothes to keep warm, avoid being too tight and obstructing blood circulation.
4. Wear loose, insulated boots and shoes. It doesn’t matter too much.
5 Cover your face and ears with a scarf or scarf.
6. Wear thick socks or multi-layer socks.
Seven put on gloves.
8 Bring a sweater or jacket, even in summer, because air-conditioned rooms are sometimes very cold.
9 When sleeping, use flannel sheets or several layers of blankets. If your hands and feet are cold, you can wear gloves and socks to keep warm.
10 Try to keep the proper temperature in your room.
11. Pay attention to the water temperature not to be too cold when taking a bath. The bathroom door should be closed to allow the steam conservatory.
Twelve, some housework can be done by relatives and friends. For example, go to the door to get a newspaper, or ask someone to start the car when it is cold, and avoid doing housework that requires cold water.
13. Wear gloves to keep warm when taking things from the freezer in the supermarket or the refrigerator at home.
14. When drinking cold drinks, cover the cup with an isolated cup, or wrap it with a napkin or a small towel.
15. Wash vegetables with warm water.
16. You can take a Wenbao or a pocket stove to measure the temperature.
skin care
Due to poor blood circulation and dry skin in patients with Raynaud’s phenomenon, cuts, lacerations or broken skin wounds are difficult to heal. Please pay attention to the following points to maintain your skin.
Apply lanolin-containing lotion to hands and feet every day to prevent skin cracking.
2 Wash your fingers and toes with neutral and non-irritating soap. Do not soak them in soapy water.
3 Check your fingers and toes daily for skin damage or ulcers. If so, keep it clean, wrap it with an OK bandage, and seek medical attention immediately.
4. Please wear rubber gloves when washing dishes.
5. Work that requires hard fingertips, such as vibrating tools, typing, playing the guitar, playing the piano, etc., be careful, it may cause Raynaud’s phenomenon.
6. It is easier to absorb sweat when wearing clothes made of cotton or wool.
Seven to protect the nails, use latex or hand cream to keep the nail bed soft. Do not trim the nail bed skin with scissors. Do not squeeze it with sharp objects. Carefully trim the nail clippers and repair the nails carefully.
Drug treatment of Raynaud’s phenomenon
If Raynaud’s phenomenon persists, reliable drugs such as calcium channel blockers or nitrate drugs can dilate blood vessels. However, some people may experience headaches, palpitations, dizziness, or swelling of the feet while using these drugs, which can be avoided by gradually adjusting the dosage.
Avoid drugs that aggravate Raynaud’s phenomenon
Some vasoconstrictors used for headaches and B-blockers used for angina, hypertension and migraine can aggravate Raynaud’s phenomenon and should be used with caution. Therefore, when you see any disease, you must also inform the doctor that you have Raynaud’s phenomenon, and pay attention to avoid using the above-mentioned drugs.
Precautions in life
1. Never smoke and try to relax as much as possible is the rule that patients with Raynaud’s phenomenon should follow, because smoking and tension will constrict blood vessels and reduce blood flow.
2. Appropriate exercise can be obtained with the permission of a doctor to increase blood circulation.