Is Raynauds syndrome the same as Raynauds phenomenon and Raynauds disease?
The terminology is a bit confusing, with many physicians throwing around the terms as being synonymous and others reserving each term to mean variations of the same process. For example, Raynaud’s Disease is often used to indicate some systemic problems (like connective tissue disease, dysfunction of the esophagus, atherosclerosis, tarsal tunnel, Rheumatoid arthritis, Lupus, etc.) associated with the Raynaud’s syndrome. Who gets Raynaud’s syndrome? There are several factors in determining who might be susceptible: • Women outnumber men 8 to 2. • Those 10-45 years of age get this more frequently. • Individuals of northern European heritage seem to get this condition more than others. • It is more frequent in certain family lines. • Those living in a cold environment get this more frequently than those living in warm areas. • Previous exposure to frostbite increases the odds of getting Raynaud’s syndrome. • Emotional factors also seem to play a role. What does it look like? Raynaud’s syn
