THE simple things in life such as opening a bottle of wine, turning a key or getting a carton of juice out of the fridge can prove intensely troublesome for someone with Raynaud’s syndrome.

Attacks can be triggered by changes in temperature, emotional stress or physical pressure such as when the handle of a carrier bag digs into the fingers.

An episode causes numbness and pain to fingers, toes and in some cases, parts of the face, including the nose and tongue.

When an attack begins the fingers turn white and then blue because of the lack of oxygen in the blood and finally bright red as the blood flows back, which is often the most painful part.

An attack can last minutes or hours depending on the individual and the circumstances.

The precise mechanism which causes these changes is not really known or understood but the small blood vessels of the hands or feet go into spasm, reducing the blood supply.

Mother-of-two Caroline Robjohns, aged 47, of Crowle, suffers daily attacks and was only diagnosed with the condition three years ago, although milder symptoms can be traced all the way back to her childhood when bathing in the sea had a more profound effect on her than other children.

But her Raynaud’s became much worse after she developed an ischaemic hand, which rendered her hand totally numb and led to her being admitted to hospital.

Her hand was so badly affected she thought medical staff at Worcestershire Royal Hospital in Worcester were going to be forced to amputate it in April 2006.

The episode also affected her feet, forcing her to spend six months in a wheelchair.

“Since the attack my Raynaud’s is 10,000 times worse than it was before but quite why, they don’t really seem to know. They were even talking about amputating my right hand.

“I remember the nurse said ‘I’m not sure this hand is viable’. My husband just flinched but that kind of attack is very rare in people with Raynaud’s.”

Mrs Robjohns exercises regularly to keep her circulation in good working order, an important way to manage the impact of the condition on her everyday life.

She also goes for swims on condition the water is warm enough – if it is too cold it can trigger an attack.

She uses saucepans with two handles and carrier bag holders, which distribute the weight more evenly on her hands to prevent an attack. Driving also poses a challenge – Mrs Robjohns now drives an automatic because changing gear can cause an attack.

She was also forced to give up her job after her admission to hospital.

An electric blanket is a must all year round as are hot water bottles and portable hand warmers which she squeezes, generating a chemical reaction to keep her hands warm.

Others can be warmed up in the microwave at home but perhaps the most important defence is gloves – thermal gloves inside leather gloves in warmer weather and inside thick ski gloves in winter.

Fingerless gloves can be worn in the house – Mrs Robjohns estimates that she has about 20 pairs.

But not everyone is understanding – Mrs Robjohns still recalls the time that a woman tried to remove her gloves because she felt she should not wear them in the house.

“I wear gloves all the time. You can go from a hot summer’s day to a supermarket where there are refrigerators and that can bring it on. People think it’s just a winter phenomenon but it’s not. When you have an attack you can’t pick up coins, give change in a shop or use a key. But you have to live with it – I try to control it rather than let it control me. You know how to avoid it as much as you can.

“I don’t think I could have survived without my husband – it’s the simple things most people would not think about that become difficult.

“One of the worst things is trying to squeeze garlic. That’s when the children come in very useful.

“There isn’t a cure, sadly, and I hope it’s not going to get any worse than it is now. I am very, very lucky compared with many people with it,” she said.

Mrs Robjohns suffers from the rarer secondary type which is linked to an underlying condition – in her case undifferentiated connective tissue disease, a chronic disorder of the body’s connective tissues.

The reason Mrs Robjohns contacted your Worcester News was to raise awareness about the condition but also to raise funds for the Raynaud’s & Scleroderma Association.

“There is a huge amount of ignorance about the condition yet 10 million people suffer from it in this country.

“At the end of the day if the fundraising we do helps just one person feel less alone then it’s worth it,”

she said.

Together with the Crowle Ladies, a group of public-spirited women from the village, Mrs Robjohns wants to raise as much money as she can for the charity which helped her with useful advice about how to cope and make her life easier.

The Crowle Ladies have organised a Chocolate Affair at Crowle Village Hall between noon and 3pm this Saturday.

The fund-raiser will include cakes, a tombola, icing a biscuit, a chocolate fountain, refreshments and a raffle.

For more information, call members of the Crowle Ladies Pamela Field on 01905 381776 or Lynne Collins on 01905 381671.

RAYNAUD’S SYNDROME FACTFILE

What is Raynaud’s?

The condition can be either primary or secondary. Primary is when patients have intermittent cold, white or blue hands or feet without any apparent cause. Secondary Raynaud’s is associated with other conditions and diseases, often of a rheumatological nature. Raynaud’s is not contagious but it may have a genetic element and women are nine times more likely to suffer from it than men.

Where did the name come from?

Dr Maurice Raynaud was a French physician who published a thesis in 1862 after treating a 27-year-old woman whose fingers changed colour in the cold or under stress.

She developed gangrene in her fingers with no apparent cause but otherwise seemed healthy. It was reported that the woman also had a good pulse in her wrists, which was a sign that the blood supply to her hands was good.

Is it a rare condition?

No. It is estimated that 10 million people suffer from it in the UK. The Raynaud’s & Scleroderma Association maintains that there is a long way to go before the Raynaud’s and associated conditions get the recognition they deserve.

What happens during a Raynaud’s attack?

In response to cold or emotional stress, the small blood vessels in the fingers and hand contract excessively and stop the flow of blood. Trauma, hormones and drugs can also play a part. Pressure, such as carrying a shopping bag, can also trigger an attack.

What makes it worse?

Smoking silts up the arteries and affects people with Raynaud’s. It also releases adrenalin which makes blood vessels constrict. A small amount of alcohol may help because it can dilate the blood vessels.