Diet during fissures (ano fissure)

The most important thing with fissures is to keep the stool soft, a texture similar to tooth-paste without taking the laxatives. If the stool softer than tooth-paste, it is an indication that you are eating food that is causing the stool to go soft in an unhealthy way, or there is something wrong with digestive system — which needs to be discussed with the physician.

During fissures or not, to keep the stool soft, one should increase the intake of fibres in diet, and increase the water intake as well. It is also important to avoid, or consume less food that makes the stool hard.

Following are some general recommendations, I will update a diet chart with actual names of food soon.

• Increase Fiber Intake: Consuming an adequate amount of dietary fiber can help promote regular bowel movements and prevent constipation, which can aggravate anal fissures. Include high-fiber foods such as whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, and nuts in your diet.
• Stay Hydrated: Drinking plenty of water throughout the day helps soften the stool and prevent constipation. Aim for at least 8 cups (64 ounces) of water daily, unless otherwise advised by your healthcare provider.
• Avoid Straining: Straining during bowel movements can worsen anal fissures. Ensure you have a relaxed environment, take your time, and avoid pushing excessively. If needed, you can use stool softeners or fiber supplements recommended by your healthcare provider.
• Limit Spicy and Irritating Foods: Spicy foods, alcohol, caffeine, and citrus fruits may irritate the digestive tract and worsen symptoms. Pay attention to your individual triggers and consider reducing or avoiding these foods if they exacerbate your symptoms.
• Eat Small, Frequent Meals: Consuming smaller, more frequent meals can be easier on the digestive system and help maintain regular bowel movements. Avoid large, heavy meals that may cause discomfort or put strain on the anal area.
• Include Probiotics: Probiotics are beneficial bacteria that can promote gut health. Consider incorporating yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, or other fermented foods into your diet. You can also talk to your healthcare provider about probiotic supplements.
• Maintain Good Hygiene: Practising good hygiene is essential for managing anal fissures. After each bowel movement, gently clean the anal area with mild soap and water or use unscented, alcohol-free wet wipes. Avoid using harsh or perfumed products that may irritate the area.

Remember, these are general suggestions, and it's important to consult with a healthcare professional for a more personalized diet plan based on your specific needs. They can also provide guidance on any necessary medications or treatments to alleviate anal fissure symptoms.

Get Regular Updates on Raynaud's

Hello,
Google provides a service, called as "feedburner" where a user can follow the updates of a website/blog anonymously. That is, user gets an email, whenever a new post is posted. As this is provided/powered by google, it is totally spam free and secure. Here is the detailed information about the service from google itself:

<http://buzz.blogger.com/2011/03/engage-your-audience-with-follow-by.html>

After a gap of almost two years, in which I did not post anything here, I'll be posting again. In these two years, even though I did not post here, I was still am still am active regarding Raynaud's through other aspects.

Starting from now, I will be posting new useful posts to this blog/webiste at least once in a week or fortnight. I will usually post tips, and guidelines regarding Raynaud's, and about the current research going on around the world.
So it would be wise to subscribe, and receive all the new updates directly in your inbox rather than visiting the website manually every week or two. :-D

Enter your email address:


Delivered by FeedBurner

Warm Regards,
Kiran Nayak :-)

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Raynaud's Awareness Week / Month February 2015

Just like every year since 2011, I have yet again hosted an awareness week cum month for Raynaud's Disease in February, with help of my extraordinarily energetic, and charming friends.

As every year, this event is hosted only on facebook. It is common knowledge now, that almost every person who uses internet has an account on facebook. So, even though we are hosting the event only on facebook, we believe that we can reach to huge number of people, and let them know about the Raynaud's, without spamming, and without irritating any user of facebook. :-D :-)

Through out the February 2015, the awareness month for Raynaud's, we will be sharing general knowledge, common signs/symptoms, tips, precaution, and many more about Raynaud's Phenomenon / Disease / Syndrome, in plain and simple English language. With the hopes that these posts would reach the highest number of facebook/internet users.

The following is a sample photograph from many which we are going to share. This photo has been shared for 300+ times over the two years (excluding downloading, and then sharing), from my personal facebook profile.
The number of shares shown below, is the number of the posts which are "public". If somebody shared the photo, but chose the privacy to "friends only", then his share is not counted here.

Post by Kiran Nayak.

Here are the links of the facebook event for Raynaud's Awareness Month / Week 2015 (February), and the facebook group respectively:

https://www.facebook.com/events/622530997850743/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/raynauds/

Warm Regards,
Kiran Nayak :-)

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Some Of My Own Conclusions

            The following conclusions are based on my study of Raynaud's, lots of case studies, and real-time experiences of other patients and my own. These conclusions have a base of these observations, plus a little bit of hunch. So these conclusions should not be taken for granted. I've posted (and I constantly add) confirm conclusions here: "Our Observations".

• Persons from India, and China are more likely to have Raynaud's in upcoming few years.
• Most of the patients with Raynaud's are emotionally sensitive.
• Most of the patients with Raynaud's have an above average IQ.  
• Its either that emotionally sensitive persons are more prone to Raynaud's, or Raynaud's makes them emotionally sensitive. Same conclusion can be made with IQ.
• (From my own survey) Most of the patients with Raynaud's stay active/fresh during the night time than day time.

The conclusions would be updated from time to time.
Till then,

Best Regards,
Kiran :)
 
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The Symptoms

As I have mentioned for several times before, no two cases of Raynaud's are completely same.
Every case tends to be different than other. It makes every case unique.
But luckily the symptoms are usually common. One can categorise the symptoms according to the severity of the Raynaud's.

• The first symptom is hands (or affected part) becoming colder than usual.
• The second symptom is skin discolouration* upon cold exposure. (This discolouration varies according to the severity. Please see the footnotes for more details.)
• The patient also experience mild tingling* and numbness* of the affected part(s) that will disappear once the colour returns to normal.
• If the discolouration takes place for a little longer, lack of oxidation takes place in the discoloured area. That might cause pain.

*I have explained the complete scenario (including the different colours included in discolouration) of a an episode of Raynaud's phenomenon in following post, it will help you to understand about Raynaud's and its symptoms more clearly.:

http://raynauds.blogspot.com/2011/09/what-happens-in-raynauds-phenomenon_12.html

Warm Regards,

Kiran :)


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Raynaud's Awareness Week / Month 2013

        After the huge response to the Awareness Week of 2012, and because of the "public demand", we decided to hold the 2013 event.
As on February 13th, we have 196 attendees, and 129 persons have been invited.

         We hereby thank all the people who have helped us to make the 2012 event successful.

Here is the link for that facebook 2013 event:

http://www.facebook.com/events/228308977236349/

For the more details about facebook events held by use,
Please visit following link:
http://raynauds.blogspot.com/2011/11/raynauds-awareness-month-2012.html

Warm Regards,
Kiran :)

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Surgical Intervention

        When Raynaud’s is very severe, resulting in intolerable pain and ulcers,and lots of other stuff that don’t respond to medications,  a surgical procedure called as digital  sympathectomy*1 (nothing to do with computers :D) with adventitial stripping (which involves removing the tissue and nerves around the blood vessels supplying the affected digits). is an option.
In this surgery, the nerves that signal the blood vessels of the fingertips to constrict are surgically removed. The procedure isn’t always effective, and the benefits may not last. However, this "last ditch" approach may save the finger or toe from amputation. Some patients report that the procedure reduced their pain, healed their ulcers and/or prevented new ulcers from forming.


*1 = Sympathetic ganglia are the ganglia of the sympathetic nervous system. They deliver information to the body about stress and impending danger, and are responsible for the familiar fight-or-flight response.
A Sympathectomy is a procedure during which at least one sympathetic ganglion is removed.

(This article is not complete yet, I will finish this as soon as I get time. I truly apologise for the inconvenience.) 

Raynaud's Treatment

There are several treatment options for Raynaud's.
Treatment options depends on the type of Raynaud's present condition.
For Primary Raynaud's, if it is sever, then medications can be prescribed by the doctor.
(We will discuss madicines in depth, after this intro.)
But most of the times when it is not sever, treatment of primary Raynaud's focuses on avoiding triggers.
This applies to both primary, and secondary.

Secondary Raynaud's is usually treated by taking care of the underlying problem.

There are three major categories of treatment for both the Raynaud's.

The first is obviously General Care / Precautions.

It has been observed that the effects of Raynaud's can be decreased
just by taking precautions and care, without the aid of medication for Raynaud's.
This is also known as home treatment. ( I wonder why.)
I have discussed about General Care, and Precautions with depth in my three previous posts,
Don'ts For the Patients of Raynaud's Phenomenon,
Do's For The Patients of Raynaud's Phenomenon,
and Skin Protection For Raynaud's Phenomenon.



The second option is drug therapy, which also can be called as medication.

But medication is recommended only in severe cases that too only prescribed by a doctor.
(Do not attempt to take medicines on your own.)

I have explained about most of the medicines which are good and bad for us, in my other post: Drug Theropy.



In very severe cases surgery is the third option.
There are two different surgeries that can be performed regarding Raynaud's.
One should leave this up to doctor, the task of choosing which kind of surgery to perform.
:-D

Warm Regards,
Kiran Nayak :-)

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Drug Theropy

            Treatment for Raynaud's phenomenon may include prescription medicines that dilate blood vessels. According to most of the doctors, calcium channel blockers (Nifedipine¹) is the safest drug for us. It reduces the frequency and severity of the Raynaud's attacks. It has the usual common side effects of headache, flushing, and ankle edema; but these are not typically of sufficient severity to stop the treatment. Nifedipine also help heal skin ulcers on the fingers and toes.

            To cut the chase,
            Positive medicines for us:

• Calcium Channel Blockers: nifedipine (Procardia) or amlodipine (Norvasc).
• Alpha Receptor Blockers: prozosin (Minipres) or doxazosin (Cardura). These drugs counteract a neurochemical called norepinephrine, which causes blood vessels to narrow in response to stress or temperature change. But side effects are observed with long term use.
• For skin ulcers: nonspecific vaso-dilators such as nitroglycerinpe paste is useful.
• Vaso-dilators: fluoxetine (Prozac),  phosphodiesterase inhibitors such as cilostazol (Pletal), pentoxifylline (Trental), and sildenafil (Viagra); and an angiotensin II receptor antagonist (used for blood pressure control), losartan (Cozaar).

Notes:


        A more recent treatment for severe Raynaud's is the use of Botox. The 2009 article studied 19 patients ranging in age from 15 to 72 years with severe Raynaud's phenomenon of which 16 patients (84%) reported pain reduction at rest. 13 patients reported immediate pain relief, 3 more had gradual pain reduction over 1–2 months. All 13 patients with chronic finger ulcers healed within 60 days. Only 21% of the patients required repeated injections. A 2007 article describes similar improvement in a series of 11 patients. All patients had significant relief of pain.

There is some evidence that Angiotensin II receptor antagonists (often Losartan) reduce frequency and severity of attacks, and possibly better than nifedipine. But this is not 100% confirmed yet.

            Alpha-1 adrenergic blockers such as prazosin can be used to control Raynaud's vasospasms under supervision of a health care provider.

            In a study published in the November 8, 2005 issue of Circulation, sildenafil (Viagra) improved both microcirculation and symptoms in patients with secondary Raynaud's phenomenon resistant to vasodilatory therapy. According to the scientist's report: "In the present study, capillary blood flow was severely impaired and sometimes hardly detectable in patients with Raynaud's phenomenon. Sildenafil led to a more than 400% increase of flow velocity."

            Fluoxetine, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, and other antidepressant medications may reduce the frequency and severity of episodes if caused mainly by psychological stress.


            Aggravating Medicines (To Be Avoided):


            Avoid aggravating medications such as vasconstrictors, which cause the blood vessels to narrow. Vasoconstrictors include beta-blockers, many cold preparations, caffeine, narcotics, some migraine headache medications that contain ergotamine, some chemotherapeutic drugs, and clonidine, a blood pressure medication. Some studies also associate the use of estrogen with Raynaud’s phenomenon.
.


     ¹Brand names included in this fact sheet are provided as examples only, and their inclusion does not mean that these products are endorsed by any government agency. Also, if a particular brand name is not mentioned, this does not mean or imply that the product is unsatisfactory.

Warm Regards,
Kiran Nayak :-)

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"Our" Observations / Conclusions Regarding Raynaud's.

In our facebook group, users always  ask their questions or doubts. Like few days ago, a member asked "I always have low blood-pressure (not extremely low, but low than standard),  is it because of the Raynaud's or is it just me?"
Most of the answers agreed with the question, stating that they also have the low blood pressure usually.
As no case of Raynaud's is identical, there were some other answers like this member's, "My BP stays low all the time, but when I wake up from sleep, it drops really low."
                                Without wasting the time I will directly jump to the other conclusions now.

• The blood pressure of the patients of Raynaud's stays low most of the time. (Not too much low, but lower than the standards.)
• Touch screen sensors have difficulty to sense our fingers, when touch them. :D
• "Pins and needles" (Paresthesia) is a common and regular thing for us.
• Emotional sensitivity has got something to do with Raynaud's. Not just because emotional stress is a trigger, but because most of us are very sensitive, emotionally.
• Drinking lot of water throughout the day (not lots of water at the same time), "keeping well hydrated" in nerd speak, really helps with Raynaud's.

More observations will be added with the time.


http://www.facebook.com/groups/raynauds/


Warm Regards,
Kiran Nayak :-)

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Raynaud's And Scleroderma

Although over 90% of patients with Scleroderma have Raynaud's, the chances of someone with Raynaud's developing Scleroderma are small - it is less than 2% women and 6% in men. But the chances of someone with Scleroderma developing Raynaud's are pretty high.

A little about Scleroderma:

The word Scleroderma means hardening of the skin, although the condition is not limited to the skin.  It is a disease of the connective tissue, which is the tissue that holds our bodies together.

Therefore, not only the skin can be affected, but also internal organs.  The majority of sufferers have the mild form where there is limited skin involvement, usually of the hands and feet, becoming stiff and shiny.  The gullet may also be affected making eating and swallowing difficult.

Some patients also form tiny deposits of calcium under the skin (calcinosis) which can cause ulcers.  In the more severe form, called diffuse Scleroderma, wide areas of skin and internal organs such as the lungs, bowel heart and kidneys are affected.  Localised Scleroderma can be divided into two types: 

    Morphea Scleroderma
    Linear Scleroderma

How are these conditions diagnosed?

The history of the disease is most important.  Blood tests may help, as can examining the small blood vessels at the base of the nail, which is called nail fold capillaroscopy.

The diagnosis of the Scleroderma is based on the finding of the clinical features of the illnesses. In addition, nearly all patients with Scleroderma have blood tests that suggest autoimmunity, because antinuclear antibodies (ANAs) are usually detectable. A particular antibody, the anticentromere antibody, is found almost exclusively in the limited, or CREST, form of scleroderma. Anti-Scl 70 antibody (antitopoisomerase-I antibody) is most often seen in patients with the diffuse form of scleroderma.

Other tests are used to evaluate the presence or extent of any internal disease. These may include upper and lower gastrointestinal tests to evaluate the bowels, chest X-rays, lung-function testing (pulmonary function test), and CAT scanning to examine the lungs, EKG and echocardiograms, and sometimes heart catheterization to evaluate the pressure in the arteries of the heart and lungs.

Is it hereditary?
There is no evidence at present that either Raynaud's or Scleroderma are directly inherited.  There is however a genetic predisposition, so that the chances of being affected are greater if a relative has the problem.

The Treatment:

Just like the Rraynaud's, there is no cure for Scleroderma at present but there are many effective treatments available to alleviate specific symptoms. As each case is different you should discuss these issues with your doctor.

Your General Physician  or specialist may prescribe a vasodilator, which is a drug that relaxes the blood vessels. Occasionally, your specialist may feel an operation called a sympathectomy may be of benefit. This involves either cutting or destroying the nerves that cause the arteries to constrict.  This operation is more successful for Raynaud's of the feet, however it is not recommended for the majority of cases as it does not usually produce longer term benefits.

People who develop Raynaud's as teenagers often have a form that is benign and will disappear with age.  Unfortunately this is not true in all cases, and sometimes Raynaud's does persist.

Treatment of scleroderma is directed toward the individual feature(s) affecting different areas of the body.

Aggressive treatments of elevations in blood pressure have been extremely important in preventing kidney failure. Blood-pressure medications, particularly the angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor class of drugs, such as captopril (Capoten), are frequently used.

Recent data indicate that colchicine can be helpful in decreasing the inflammation and tenderness that periodically accompanies the calcinosis nodules in the skin. Skin itching can be relieved with lotions (emollients) such as Eucerin and Lubriderm.

Mild Raynaud's phenomenon may require only hand warming and protection. Low-dose aspirin is often added to prevent tiny blood clots in the fingers, especially in patients with a history of fingertip ulcerations. Moderate Raynaud's phenomenon can be helped by medications that open up the arteries, such as nifedipine (Procardia, Adalat) and nicardipine (Cardene), or with topical nitroglycerin applied to the most affected digit (most effective on the sides of the digit where the arteries are). Gently applied finger splinting can protect tender tissues. (It is important to not constrict the tiny arteries on the sides of the fingers when protecting them with splints, braces, or band-aid materials.) A class of medications that is typically used for depression, called serotonin reuptake inhibitors, such as fluoxetine (Prozac), can sometimes improve the circulation of the affected digit. Severe Raynaud's phenomenon can require surgical procedures, such as those to interrupt the nerves of the finger that stimulate constriction of the blood vessels (digital sympathectomy). Ulcerations of the fingers can require topical or oral antibiotics.

Esophagus irritation and heartburn can be relieved with omeprazole (Prilosec), esomeprazole (Nexium), or lansoprazole (Prevacid). Antacids can also be helpful. Elevating the head of the bed can reduce the back-flow of acid into the esophagus that causes inflammation and heartburn. Avoiding caffeine and cigarette smoking also helps.

Constipation, cramping, and diarrhea is sometimes caused by bacteria that can be treated with tetracycline or erythromycin. Studies have shown that erythromycin could also be used. Increased fluid intake and fiber intake are good general measures.

Irritated, itchy dry skin can be helped by emollients such as Lubriderm, Eucerin, Bag Balm histamine 2 blockers, or trazodone (Desyrel).

Telangiectasias, such as those on the face, can be treated with local laser therapy. Sun exposure should be minimized as it can worsen telangiectasias.

Approximately 10% of patients with the CREST variant develop elevated pressures in the blood vessels to the lungs (pulmonary hypertension). Abnormally elevated blood pressure of the arteries supplying the lungs is often treated with calcium antagonist medications, such as nifedipine (Procardia), and blood-thinning drugs (anticoagulation). More severe pulmonary hypertension can be helped by continuous intravenous infusion or inhalation of prostacyclin (Iloprost). Taken by mouth, bosentan (Tracleer), is now also available to treat pulmonary hypertension. In addition, sildenafil (Viagra) and tadalafil (Cialis) have been FDA approved to treat pulmonary hypertension.

Additionally, medications are used to suppress the overly active immune system that seems to be spontaneously causing the disease in organs. Medications used for this purpose include penicillamine, azathioprine (Imuran, Azasan), and methotrexate (Rheumatrex, Trexall). Recent research has found that low-dose penicillamine (Depen, Cuprimine) (125 mg every other day) is as effective as previously used high doses of penicillamine, with less toxicity. Serious inflammation of the lungs (alveolitis) can require immune suppression with cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan) along with prednisone (Deltasone, Liquid Pred). The optimal treatment of scleroderma lung disease is an area of active research. Stem-cell transplantation is being explored as a possible option.

No medication has been found to be universally effective for all patients with scleroderma. In an individual patient, the illness may be mild and not require treatments. In some, the disease is ravaging and relentless.

One can find more info about medications for Scleroderma on following website:
http://www.hopkinsscleroderma.org/patients/scleroderma-treatment-options/

Precautions:

There are several things you can do which may help.  The most important is to stop smoking, take regular exercise and keep warm.
Most of the precautions are same as with Raynaud's.
Here are the Do's For the Patient's of Raynaud's Phenomenon.
And these are the Don'ts For the Patients of Raynaud's Phenomenon.



Smoking
If you are a smoker you must make a sincere and determined effort to give up completely. Tobacco is harmful as it causes the blood vessels to constrict, decreasing the blood flow to the fingertips.  Your GP should be able to discuss strategies for you to give up smoking or arrange for you to see a smoking cessation counsellor.  Nicotine replacement may also help and you should discuss this with your doctor or pharmacist.
One can find more detailed information of smoking on human body here: Raynaud's Phenomenon and Smoking

Eating for warmth
Eating and drinking can help you keep warm.  Try to eat lots of small meals to maintain your energy; high protein foods, milk, meat, fish, and fresh vegetables are best.  Hot meals and plenty of hot drinks are essential.
(I am currently working on a post completely about diet for Raynaud's, I will publish it as soon as possible.)

Exercise
Gentle exercise will help your circulation. Try to avoid sitting for long periods. Get up and walk around the room, moving arms and legs to maintain the circulation.  Do not however let your fingers or toes get cold. In cold weather take exercise indoors.

Clothing
Tight clothing should be avoided as this may restrict blood flow.  Hands and feet should always be adequately covered.  A scarf should be used to keep the face warm in cold weather.
One should wear a hat, because most of the body heat gets released from the head.
So, keep the head and trunk warm, because the core temperature of the body is the thing which really matters.
Feet are especially prone to cooling, therefore a good thick pair of socks is essential. Wet shoes and clothes should be changed as soon as possible.

One can find more information about clothing, skin protection, and the effect of alcohol regarding Raynaud's in the index.


Warm Regards,
Kiran Nayak :-)

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What is more severe Raynaud's Primary or Secondary?

        As explained in my previous post, Raynaud's Primary or Secondary?,
The names Primary and Secondary have nothing to do with the severity of the Raynaud's Phenomenon.
As a matter of fact, there are very few patients of Secondary in comparison with Primary.

        One might say, "That's not correct, I have heard a lot about Secondary being more complex and difficult to treat, and it is more dangerous." Well, that is true. But it has got nothing to do with the severity.
        It is not very rare that Primary form is more sever than the Secondary. Then what has to do with the severity?
        Well the answer lies in my previous post. Don't worry, you don't have to visit the post. (But if you want more information about the difference between Primary and Secondary form then I can't help it, you must visit that post :p )
        In simple and non-techy language, the name Secondary Raynaud's is given to Raynaud's Phenomenon when, the Phenomenon is a result of some other disease which the patient already has.

Now, my most favourite part, the assumptions!

Suppose, Mark Z. is perfectly fit and fine on medical terms, but all of a sudden he generated Primary Raynaud's on February 1st 2011.
Assumption second: Bill G. has been suffering from Lupus since 98. But his Lupus gave him the gift of Raynaud's exactly on February 1st 2011.
Assumption third: Mark and Bill and neighbours, so all the environmental conditions are same for them.
So, technically Mark has Primary and Bill has Secondary Raynaud's.
Now we will assume that as of February 1st, Mark and Bill has the same severity of Raynaud's.
But Mark did not take care of his Raynaud's, he smoked a lot of cigarettes, drank a lot drinks containing caffeine, consumed medicines containing beta-blockers.
And on the other hand, Bill behaved like a good boy, and did no bad things.
So, on March 1st 2012, the severity of Mark's Raynaud's became more than of Bill's.
Here you saw, how severity has nothing to with the form of Raynaud's.

        Now, one might ask, "Then why is it said that Secondary is more complex than Primary? And furthermore, why is it more difficult to treat than Primary?
Well, for the answer, we will consult Bill!
Here is Bill's answer: "As you know, I am suffering from Lupus since a long time now, my body is a little fragile. When my doctors found out that I am also suffering from Raynaud's, they had to be very careful about my medicines. Because they did not want to give me some medicines that would increase my problems with Raynaud's."
So, you can guess why is it said to be complex/difficult to treat.
        And while it is the primary form, the doctors or the patients don't have to worry about anything except Raynaud's.
        If we take a look at Mark, we can see that Mark has to take the precautions only for Raynaud's. But as his severity has increased, his doctors think that it is time to threaten Mark and prescribe some medicines for him. (This kind of threatening includes "quit smoking, or your body will..." A word to the wise!) Here, doctor doesn't have to be as careful as he has to be with Bill's case. Both, Bill, and Mark are treated by the same doctor, named Timothy G.

Conclusions:

• Severity has nothing to do with form of Raynaud's.
• The only difference is, Secondary Raynaud's is difficult/complex to treat, than the Primary Raynaud's.
• In case of Secondary form, person has Raynaud's and something more. And this persons needs to take care of all of them.
• With Secondary, as there are more than one diseases in the body, it is a real troublemaker.
• You should read the difference between primary and secondary form, and precautions on this blog. :D

Warm Regards,
Kiran Nayak :-)

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Raynaud's Discussion Groups / Support Groups / Facebook Groups

There are several user groups on internet, on forums and websites.
I have visited almost all of them.
But in the end I prefer two facebook groups.
The first one (as of January 25th 2011) has 235 members.
It is very active and helpful group.
This group is public and anyone can join it.
Here is the link to this group:
http://www.facebook.com/groups/raynauds/

The another active group.
The members of second group, (including me) are members of the first group as well.
However, this second group is a secret group. That is, it is literally invisible who is not a member of that group.
Only members can see it, and only members can invite their facebook friends.
But me and other members keep both of these groups updated on same levels. That is if we find something new, we discuss about it on both the groups.
If someone posts something only on one group, then we post the same to the other group.
The second group was created for the persons who want to keep their Raynaud's as a secret.


Warm Regards,
Kiran :)

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Raynaud's Awareness Week / Month 2012

An annual health campaign is held every February, aiming to create a greater understanding of Raynaud's among the general public.

There are several institutions/organisations, who organise little campaign, usually on any Sunday from February. But it is not possible for everybody to attend these campaigns may be too far away from there town. And few people are uncomfortable about telling others that they have Raynaud's.

So we created an event on facebook. Unlike the other campaigns, this is not aimed only at general public. But we also aim this event towards the patients of Raynaud's.
Lot of patients lack about the knowledge about Raynaud's. In last few days, I advised a lot people about Raynaud's, through facebook and some contacted me on my e-mail through this blog.
When I told them something to stop or start they said, "I didn't know it was good/bad for us."
So me, and my fellow friends from facebook created this event.


Raynaud's Awareness Week 2012 (February 1 to February 10)
In this event:

• We expect everybody to share their knowledge, personal experiences, their troubles or funny incidents with Raynaud's.
• Discussion about "My symptoms and problems and and what makes it better." (Its ok, if a user doesn't want share. We respect everybody's privacy.)
• Gain more information medicines/home-medicines/solutions on Raynaud's.
• In an all, have fun, get more information about Raynaud's, talk a lot, and meet new people from all around the world.

I hope whoever has Raynaud's and hears about this event, will join this event.
Me and my fellow friends from facebook are looking forward for this event.
We are hoping that people from all around the world will join this event.
If you, or someone from your family or friends have Raynaud's, then you are more than welcome to join this event.
You are welcome to join this event even if you are a doctor.

As this is an online event, we don't have to go anywhere, just sitting infront of the computer or mobile is all what is required.
Even today, there are lots of misconceptions and lack of information about Raynaud's, and that's what we are trying to do,
spreading knowledge about Raynaud's.


Though originally created as "Raynaud's Awareness Month", this event has been scheduled only for 7 days, to avoid it being stretchy and stale, and to make it more active and fun.


And, don't expect somebody else to do the task.
Do what can you do!
And invite your friends!
:)

We want to unite everybody under the same roof.
So we have to invite all the known people related with Raynaud's before some other roof is created.
:D
So please spread as much word as you can.
:)

Warm Wishes,
Kiran :)

Post Script:

        This event turned out be very successful, but we will not stop here, yes we expect more. So, because of the "public demand" we created one more event for 2013. For more details on that event, please visit:

http://raynauds.blogspot.com/2012/02/raynauds-awareness-week-month-2013.html

                (Post script added on February 13th)

Warm Regards,
Kiran Nayak :-)

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Raynaud’s Awareness Ribbon

There is no official symbol or awareness ribbon for Raynaud’s Phenomenon.
On facebook, me and my friends discussed about this issue.
Though not with the symbol, we came up with an idea of ribbon.
The colour combination is the outcome of this discussion.

Though I worked on this image all by myself, the credit for the idea goes to all the users who participated in the discussion mentioned above.


In the following image, we have used "the three colours", as quoted by a friend of mine in the discussion mentioned above, "red-white-blue, since those are the stated colours our fingers and toes turn..."

We (the creators of the ribbon, including the ones who came up with the idea), hereby give permission to use this Ribbon, as long as it is being used in relation with Raynaud’s Phenomenon, AND as long as credit is being given to Kiran Nayak, for coming up with ribbon's idea.

Mazel tov!

The Credits:
Kiran Nayak, the one who started the discussion regarding ribbon.
Rosemary Erickson, the one who came up with idea of the three colours.
Liz, who cleared the confusion/doubts about turners syndrome.
There are two more beautiful ladies, but as per their request, I am not going to mention their names.

Regards,
Kiran :)


Edit:

The image uploaded above is not a completey square.
So, I creaeted one more image, of 1400x1400 pixels.

 
Here is the link to the group where the ribbon was conceived:
http://www.facebook.com/groups/raynauds/


Warm Regards,
Kiran :)

Raynaud's Disease and Lupus

Our target here, is not to give complete information about lupus,
The target is, to give so much information about lupus that a patient of Raynaud's can get an idea about lupus.

A General "About":
Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, often abbreviated to SLE or lupus. People with lupus produce abnormal antibodies in their blood that target tissues within their own body rather than foreign infectious agents. Sometimes lupus can affect many different body systems, including the skin, heart, lungs, kidneys, joints, and/or nervous system.
        One out of three patients of lupus generates Raynaud's Phenomenon.

Signs and Symptoms:
Common initial and chronic complaints include fever, malaise, joint pains, myalgias (muscle pain), fatigue, and temporary loss of cognitive abilities. Because they are so often seen with other diseases, these signs and symptoms are not part of the diagnostic criteria for SLE. When occurring in conjunction with other signs and symptoms, however they are considered suggestive.

SLE is one of several diseases known as "the great imitators", because it often mimics or is mistaken for other illnesses. SLE is a classical item in differential diagnosis, because SLE symptoms vary widely and come and go unpredictably. Diagnosis can thus be elusive, with some people suffering unexplained symptoms of untreated SLE for years.

For more and detailed symptoms of lupus, please  visit following website.
The symptoms are described there in very normal english.
http://www.londonlupuscentre.co.uk/lupus/symptoms/


There are four different types of lupus:
systemic lupus erythematosus,
discoid lupus erythematosus,
drug-induced lupus erythematosus,
and neonatal lupus.

Regards,
Kiran :)

Raynaud's Phenomenon and Smoking

Smoking causes blood vessels to narrow (Constrict in nerd-speak). This constriction in blood vessels causes skin temperature to drop, smoking worsens frequency and intensity of attacks. Medications to treat Raynaud's may not be as effective in smokers. Smoking can lead us to angina. [Angina is severe chest pain. It happens because of ischemia. (ischemia is lack of blood, thus a lack of oxygen supply.)]

On a website, I found some information related to Raynaud's Disease and smoking, in a highly encrypted way. They used so technical words, most of which belong to nerd-speak, it made think may be by mistake, I got access to the confidential documents of some Top Secret Research Facility.
:D

I am copy-pasting the data here, as it was on the website. Take a look for yourself. (And go nuts.)

The acute effects of smoking a single cigarette on peripheral blood flow were investigated by laser-Doppler flowmetry in nine patients with Raynaud's phenomenon and 12 normal controls.In regular smokers, a marked fall in finger blood flow was demonstrated, but this was not present in non- or irregular smokers. These results suggest that regular smoking sensitizes the peripheral vasculature to the vasoconstricting effects of the next cigarette, and that at least part of this sensitization is mediated by the inhibition of endothelial prostacyclin synthesis.

According to this website, "they" conducted similar smoking test on some normal people,
and on some patients of Raynaud's. They got following results:
In human language these results are:

• The blood flow in fingers of regular smokers was decreased.
• But the similar decrease of blood flow was not found in the fingers of irregular or non-smokers.
• Regular smoking makes the arrangement of blood vessels in extremeties (hands, toes, and perepheral organs) sensitive to the next effect of the cigarette. This effect of cigrette means the same about blood vessels getting consticted, as I have already mentioned above.
• In simple words, first cigarrete doesnt create much trouble, but this first cigarrete makes our blood-circulation system sensitive for the effect of next cigarrete. And this second cigarrete decreases the blood flow in fingers.
• So, the bottom line is, we must never smoke!

Warm Regards,
Kiran :)

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Raynaud's Primary or Raynaud's Secondary?

A lot of people get confused over the classification of Raynaud's Phenomenon. Most of the times they think that the Primary is the first stage, and when it gets worse, it is secondary; as in the second stage. But I am sorry to say that it isn't true, or it would have been too easy.

In medical literature, Primary Raynaud’s Phenomenon may also be called idiopathic(*1) Raynaud’s Phenomenon, Primary Raynaud’s syndrome, or Raynaud’s disease. There is no known cause for Primary Raynaud’s Phenomenon. It is more common than the secondary form and often is so mild the patient never seeks medical attention. It generally is an annoyance that causes little disability. 
Raynaud's disease, or "Primary Raynaud’s", is diagnosed if the symptoms are idiopathic, that is, if they occur by themselves and not in association with other diseases. Some (and I, funnily) refer to Primary Raynaud's disease as "being allergic to coldness". 

It is possible for the primary form to progress to the secondary form.

In more simple words, Primary Raynaud’s occurs all by itself, not because of any other reason.

Secondary:
Raynaud's Syndrome, also called as Raynaud’s Secondary  is the name for the condition when it is result of an underlying problem. (That means,  secondary Raynaud’s is a gift from some other problem, which the patient already has.) The underlying problem can be from a negative reaction to a medical drug, an eating disorder such as anorexia, a medical condition that affects blood flow and blood vessels, or the development of hand arm vibration syndrome as a result of working with vibrating heavy machinery too much.
The most common cause of secondary Raynaud’s Phenomenon is connective tissue disease. The condition most commonly occurs with scleroderma or lupus, but is also associated with Sjögren’s syndrome, dermatomyositis, and polymyositis. Some of these diseases reduce blood flow to the fingers and toes by causing blood vessel walls to thicken and the vessels to constrict too easily.
Other possible causes of secondary Raynaud’s Phenomenon(*2) are carpal tunnel syndrome and obstructive arterial disease (blood vessel disease). Some drugs are also linked to Raynaud’s Phenomenon. They include beta-blockers, such as Lopressor1 or Cartrol, used to treat high blood pressure; ergotamine preparations, such as Cafergot or Wigrane, used for migraine headaches; certain agents used in cancer chemotherapy; and drugs, such as over-the-counter cold medication and narcotics, that cause vasoconstriction.
In extreme cases, the secondary form can progress to necrosis (premature death of tissues) or gangrene of the fingertips.

*1 = Idiopathic is an adjective used primarily in medicine meaning arising spontaneously or from an obscure or unknown cause.
*2 = There is actually a whole big list, you can find it on wikipedia on following link :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raynaud%27s_phenomenon#Secondary_Raynaud.27s_.28syndrome.29


Warm Regards,
Kiran Nayak :-)

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Raynaud's Phenomenon and Alcohol

The effects of alcohol and Raynaud's are conflicting, that is, the effects of alcohol varies from person to person. More studies need to be done.

But in most of the cases, following scenario takes place.

• Alcohol temporarily warms up our hands and feet but its after-effects outweigh its benefits as a hand and foot warmer.
• Alcohol increases blood flow to the skin, giving the immediate feeling of warmth.
• That heat is soon lost to the air, reducing core body temperature.

Thus, it can be said that alcohol actually makes our body colder.

Red wine in small quantities has been known to help with Raynaud's symptoms in women.

Warm Regards,
Kiran Nayak :-)

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Don'ts For the Patients of Raynaud's Phenomenon

There are few "Don'ts" for us, not much, here is the list :

• The first and most important thing, we must never smoke! (I've explained about smoking in detail, in Raynaud's Disease and Smoking. )
• Consumption of caffeine must be in a moderated way. Caffeine is a vasoconstrictor (in nerd-speak Vasoconstriction means the narrowing of the blood vessels, so vasoconstrictor means the one who responsible for it) Caffine can be found in  coffee, tea, beverages, chocolate, stay awake pills, some aspirin preparations, some painkillers, and some other medications.
• Never walk barefoot, if you feel temperature has dropped or if start to feel cold, make your body warm.
• Never expose your body in cold atmosphere. That means, you should wear warm clothes, not just your regular clothes. (Exposing body in cold doesn't mean dancing in a skimpy bikini on the picnic-spot Antarctica.)
• Do not carry heavy shopping bags with handles that restrict blood flow to fingers.
• Avoid extreme/repetitive vibrations. Avoid tools that vibrate the hand. That dosen't mean just the driller which is mentioned everywhere else. It has been found that some other tools which produces smaller but powerful vibrations also may trigger an attack. Like power saw or chain saw.
• Some drugs actually can make Raynaud's worse by leading to increased blood vessel spasm. We Should avoid taking:
• Some over-the-counter cold and diet drugs. Examples include drugs that contain phenylpropanolamine. In U.S. phenylpropanolamine is not sold without a prescription. It is banned in some contries including India, but is still available "over the counter" in some contries. It can be found in dietary supplements (meant to assist with weight loss), medicines used to relieve symptoms of the common cold. It is also found in some "over the counter" throat lozenge. It is found in some "sore throat spray" as well.
• Pseudoephedrine: It is found in the drugs used to relieve nasal congestion - stuffy nose.
• Beta blockers: This class of drug, used to treat high blood pressure and heart disease, may worsen Raynaud's. Beta blockers are also found in most of the birth control pills.
• Birth control pills: Hormones and drugs that regulate hormones, such as birth control pills (hormonal contraception) may aggravate Raynaud's. In simple words, these drugs affect your blood circulation and may make you more prone to attacks.
  Contraception which is low in estrogen is preferable, and the progesterone only pill is often prescribed for women with Raynaud's.
• So, the bottom line is, we must check for the contents before buying/consuming the medicines.

I know that this post, unlike my other posts, contains a lot of technical words.
So after reading, just nod your head (or babble and coo) and follow whatever has been told here.
:-D

Warm Regards,
Kiran Nayak :-)

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