The symptoms of Raynaud’s usually happen in three stages:
- stage one: the affected body part first turns white (there is less blood supply)
- stage two: it then turns blue because of lack of oxygen (blood carries oxygen molecules), during this phase the body part can feel cold and numb
- stage three: the body part turns red as the blood returns at a higher rate than normal - during this stage you may feel a tingling or throbbing sensation, and there may be some swelling in the affected body part
These symptoms gradually disappear as the flow of blood returns to normal.
Not everyone will experience all three stages and they can occasionally occur in a different order.
An ‘attack’ of Raynaud’s can last from several minutes to several hours.
The most commonly affected areas of the body are the fingers and toes. Sometimes only a few fingers or toes may be affected.
Other parts of the body that can be affected by Raynaud’s include:
- earlobes
- nose
- nipples
- tongue
- and in very rare cases - the penis
