How can I treat scleroderma-related Raynaud's disease?

Treatments for scleroderma-related Raynaud’s phenomenon include avoiding the cold, or bundling up sufficiently when you do face it, making sure that your hands are well covered and insulated, avoiding anxiety-provoking activities (or treating anxiety with medication or therapy), and/or taking medications that dilate vessels and improve blood flow. And of course, if you smoke, quit ASAP. Smoking constricts the blood vessels even more.

 

 

Raynaud's disease is typicaly caused by constricted blood flow. Medical treatment typically includes blood pressure medications designed to improve blood flow throughout the body by relaxing the blood vessels.

Raynaud's disease, also called Raynaud's phenomenon, occurs in over 90 percent of those diagnosed with scleroderma. Symptoms of this condition include extreme sensitivity in the fingers to cold or stress. If home remedies such as wearing mittens (to warm the fingers) and giving up smoking (to prevent further narrowing of the blood vessels) haven't helped with the symptoms of the disease, you should consult your doctor for further treatment options. Your doctor may prescribe certain oral medications or medicated creams to help treat the symptoms. Other treatment options may include a regimen of biofeedback, nerve surgery, or a combination of medications.