To diagnose Raynaud's your GP may place your hands in cold water or cool air to see the symptoms of Raynaud’s themselves.
While Raynaud’s can normally be diagnosed by studying your symptoms further, testing is usually recommended to find out whether you have primary or secondary Raynaud’s.
Secondary Raynaud’s may require more treatment and in some cases a referral to a specialist.
The first step is usually to check if you have the following features as these would suggest that you have secondary Raynaud’s:
- your symptoms only started when you were older than 30 years of age – most cases of primary Raynaud’s begin between the ages of 20 to 30, so the onset of symptoms after this time suggests that it may be secondary Raynaud’s
- you are experiencing severe pain during an attack of Raynaud’s
- only one side of your body is affected
Your GP may also check the tiny blood vessels, known as capillaries, that can be found at the the base of where your nail meets the finger. These capillaries are commonly larger than normal in people with secondary Raynaud’s, and look like red pen marks.
Depending on these factors your GP may then refer you for further blood tests that are described below.
Full blood count
As the name suggests a full blood count is a measurement of how many of the different types of blood cells you have in your blood.
High levels of white blood cells could indicate that you have an infection, or much less commonly, a cancer of the blood such as leukaemia.
Antinuclear antibodies (ANA) test
This blood test checks for antinuclear antibodies in your blood. These antibodies are produced by your immune system and attack your body's own tissues.
If these antibodies are present, it indicates an overactive immune system, which is common in people with autoimmune conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus. A positive result would strongly indicate that you have secondary Raynaud’s.
Erythrocyte sedimentation rate
This blood test measures how fast your red blood cells settle to the bottom of a test tube. A faster-than-normal fall rate suggests inflammation (swelling of the tissues), which can indicate an autoimmune disorder.
