Ayurvedic Approach to Raynaud’s Phenomenon
Abstract
Blood is flowing through our circulating system which helps in transporting oxygen, nutrients, and water from cells to other parts of the body. The first journey starts and ends from the heart but there are many blood vessels reaching the vital spot. If you lay out the blood vessels then they will stretch up to 60,000 miles. There are also small blood vessels supplying the hands including the subclavian artery, axillary artery, and many more. When these arteries are affected then the working of hands are affected and one of the disorders is Raynaud’s disease. In this article, we are going to throw light on Raynaud’s disease along with its effect and its treatment through herbal medicine.
What is Raynaud’s Phenomenon?
It is one of the rare disorders of our blood vessels and this specifically affects the small arteries mainly supplying the fingers as well as toes. Raynaud’s disease is mainly caused due to constriction of the blood vessels and the patient feels cold for a short period of time. The attack is for a short period of time which limits the flow of blood to the skin. Due to this, the affected areas of the toes as well as fingers become numb and then turn white or blue in color. When the flow of blood starts again after warming the part of the effect becomes red. This flow of blood causes the sensation of tingling or throbbing.
It can be triggered by some external factors like getting exposed to a colder environment or putting your hand into cold water. It is mostly affected in the colder climate and women are at greater risk of developing the disease as compared to men.
Types of Raynaud’s Phenomenon
- Primary Raynaud’s: – There is no specific cause for the disease and self-care is one of the common treatments for the disease. Dressing up the hands and warming it is common to treat the disease, it is commonly seen in patients between the ages of 15 to 30 years of age.
- Secondary Raynaud’s: – It is less common to find but is one of the serious types. It is generally seen in patients who are above the age of 40 years. The secondary type is caused due to connective tissue disorder or other health conditions like carpal tunnel syndrome, injuries of feet or hand, or smoking.
What are the Signs and Symptoms of Raynaud’s Phenomenon?
Here are some of the common clinical features seen in the disease including: –
- Toes and fingers become cold.
- Color of the skin changes in response to the stress or cold environment.
- Stinging and pricking feeling.
It is important to note that the skin usually turns white and sometimes blue making the affected part cold and numb. When the circulation improves and becomes warm the part becomes red as well as swollen. Raynaud’s phenomenon commonly affects the toes and fingers but other parts can also be affected including lips, ears, nose, and sometimes nipples.
What Causes Raynaud’s Phenomenon?
It is not understood how Raynaud’s phenomenon is caused but hands as well as feet overreact to stress or cold temperature.
Spasm of Blood Vessels
Raynaud’s phenomenon makes the arteries of the toes and fingers very narrow after getting exposed to stress. As time goes the arteries become thick limiting the flow of blood and it is mostly triggered by the cold temperature. For some people, emotional stress is also one of the triggering causes.
- Primary Raynaud’s Cause: – There is no medical condition related to the disease but the symptoms are so mild that there is no need for treatment.
- Secondary Raynaud’s: – There are some underlying causes for the birth of the disease. The causes include: –
- Repetitive Vibrations or Action: – It includes typing, playing piano, or doing things that need repetitive movements. There are tools like jackhammers that can cause injury to the arteries due to overuse.
- Diseases of the Artery: – This causes the building up of plaques in the blood vessels that are feeding the heart. The blood vessels of feet and hands are inflamed causing high blood pressure and also affecting the arteries of the lung.
- Connective tissue Disease: – People who have scleroderma leading to hardening or scarring of skin are most likely to suffer from Raynaud’s disease. Along with that, there is a higher risk of having Raynaud’s disease if you have conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and Sjogren’s syndrome.
- Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: – This condition causes pressure on the major nerve of the hand resulting in pain and numbness.
- Smoking: – It causes constriction of the blood vessels.
- Injury of Feet and Hand: – Fracture to wrist, frostbite or surgery are also one of the major causes.
- Certain Medications: – This includes beta-blockers like medications for migraine, high blood pressure, which contains hyperactivity disorder medications, sumatriptan, etc. causing the blood vessels to get narrow.
What are the Risk Factors?
- Sex: – Women are more likely to suffer from the disease as compared to Men.
- Age: – People between the ages of 15 to 30 years are more likely to suffer from Raynaud’s disease.
- Climate: – Colder climates are one of the common causes of the disease.
- Family History: – If someone in the family is suffering from the disease then that increases the risk of developing the disease.
- Exposure to Certain Substances: – Smoking and taking certain types of medications can affect the blood vessels. This can also be done by certain chemicals like vinyl chloride.
- Occupation: – People who are doing jobs like repetitive trauma like using tools that are constantly vibrating.
- Certain Diseases: – Scleroderma and lupus are some of the conditions that lead to the disease.
How Raynaud’s Disease Can Be Diagnosed?
The doctor might ask for symptoms and medical history of the patient along with physical examination. There are some tests that can be done to diagnose the disease including: –
- Nailfold capillaroscopy
- Antinuclear antibodies test
- Erythrocyte sedimentation rate
Herbal Medicine Provided by Planet Ayurveda
Planet Ayurveda provides herbal medicine that is 100 percent pure as well as natural and free from chemicals, preservatives as well as additives. All herbal medicines are made under the supervision of an MD Ayurvedic Doctor and also clinically tested as well. There is an herbal medicine that is very effective in treating naturally without causing any side effects. Here is the list of herbal medicine for Raynaud’s disease including: –
- Manjishtha Capsules
- Boswellia Curcumin
- Gotu Kola Capsules
- Stress Support
Product Description
1. Manjishtha capsules
These capsules are made from herbs like Manjishtha (Rubia cordifolia) and are one of the richest herbs for containing antioxidants. It will help in relaxing the muscles and also reducing anxiety, depression as well as stress. It helps in healing bruises and reducing ailments like pain and swelling in the hands or other parts of the upper limb.
Dosage: – Two capsules twice daily after meals with water.
2. Boswellia Curcumin
They are made from only two herbs including Shallaki (Boswellia serrata) and Curcumin (Curcuma longa) both of them are packed with anti-inflammatory properties. They are helpful in reducing the pain and increasing the mobility of the patient suffering from Raynaud’s disease. Along with that, it is very effective in improving the circulation around the hands.
Dosage: – Two capsules daily with water after meals twice a day.
3. Gotu Kola
It is one of the best herbal medicines for improving the circulation of blood vessels and boosting immunity as well. It is made from the single and excellent herb known as Gotu Kola (Centella asiatica) which is best known for skin or veins disorder. Due to its nutrients like Vitamin A, B, and E along with magnesium it is very effective in improving the nervous system. It will effectively help in relaxing the muscles and effectively treating Raynaud’s disease.
Dosage: – Two capsules twice daily with plain water after meals
4. Stress Support
As the name says it is very effective in reducing stress and it is packed with effective herbs like Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera), Brahmi (Bacopa monnieri), and Tagar (Valeriana wallichi). This will help in naturally reducing depression and anxiety which is one of the causes of the disease. Stress support will effectively improve natural sleep.
Dosage: – Two capsules with water twice daily after meals.
Conclusion
Raynaud’s phenomenon is a disease that can affect the normal movement of the hands making the patient depressed. However, above -mentioned herbal medicine will help in treating the disease naturally without even causing any side effects. One can easily trust Ayurvedic medicine for treating Raynaud’s phenomenon and this will also make the circulation of blood vessels better.
Dr. Vikram Chauhan
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