Cardiovascular system >>>> Raynaud's syndrome - what is it?
Raynaud syndrome - what is it?
Raynaud syndrome is a local ischemia of the tissues of the extremities (hands, feet, fingers), which is caused by disorders in the sympathetic part of the nervous system, which is responsible for the spasm of peripheral blood vessels. Peripheral vascular spasms in Raynaud syndrome occur spontaneously and cause insufficient blood circulation and disorders of trophic tissue of the extremities, which entails the development of trophic ulcers, tissue necrosis and, in severe cases, the development of gangrene of the extremities. Violation of blood supply and trophism leads to deformations of the nail plates, phalanges of the fingers. In addition to the limbs, Raynaud syndrome can be observed in the chin, tip of the nose.
Raynaud syndrome refers to diseases associated with a genetic predisposition to disorders of the sympathetic nerves that regulate vascular functions (vasoconstriction, vasodilation). Most often, Raynaud syndrome develops as a secondary disease against the background of other pathologies: systemic skin diseases, angiopathies, vasculitis, rheumatic diseases of the extremities, neurological pathologies, endocrine disorders.
The factors provoking the development of Raynaud syndrome may be hypothermia of the extremities, frostbite, vibration sickness, intoxication with chemical reagents or alcohol, chronic finger injuries (compression), stressful situations.
Spontaneous spasms disrupt blood flow in the tissues of the extremities, which is accompanied by a number of signs characteristic of Raynaud syndrome:
- numbness of the limbs,
- cooling of the tissues of the limbs (chilliness of the fingers),
- whitening of fabrics (the fabric looks dead),
- cyanosis of the tissues of the extremities (pronounced blue tissue),
- slight swelling of the tissues of the limbs,
- spasm of peripheral vessels can be accompanied by significant pain syndrome,
- at the end of an attack (spasm), heat is felt in the tissues of the extremities, there is skin hyperemia (redness).
Differential diagnosis of Raynaud syndrome is carried out with obliterating endarteritis.
Treatment of Raynaud syndrome is based on drug therapy (vasodilators, anti-inflammatory, restoring microcirculation, antiplatelet drugs, antispasmodics), physiotherapy (warming or contrasting). Supportive drug therapy is a lifelong practice. With the ineffectiveness of drug treatment, surgical intervention is performed, the purpose of which is to block nerve fibers with pathological conduction.
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