Raynaud's syndrome is a condition that makes a person's fingers or toes temporarily feel cold, numb, tingly, or painful. When a child has a Raynaud's (ray-NOZE) episode, blood vessels under the skin become narrow, so less blood gets to the affected area.
Raynaud's syndrome usually affects fingers and toes. Less often, episodes can affect the nose, ears, lips, nipples, or knees.
During an episode, the skin will:
The skin usually changes from white to blue or purple, then to red. But in some kids, all these colors may not happen, or the colors may happen in a different order.
Episodes can happen when a child is exposed to cold or is under emotional stress. The cold or stress is called a trigger. Episodes usually end within about 15 minutes after a child warms up or calms down.
Doctors usually don't know what causes Raynaud's. But the condition is more likely to happen in people who:
Kids with Raynaud's often can ease the symptoms by doing things on their own. For example, to warm fingers or toes during an episode, they can:
If Raynaud's is severe or causes problems, doctors may prescribe medicine to help.
If your child has Raynaud's:
Reviewed by: Yamini Durani, MD
Date Reviewed: Sep 12, 2023
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