Do you need help with Raynauds?

In fact Raynaud’s, sometimes referred to as vibration white finger, is as common as hay fever or arthritis in the UK, yet over three quarters of people in Glasgow (77 per cent) have never heard of it or know nothing about the condition. Some Raynaud’s patients go on to develop a more serious connective tissue disease, scleroderma - which can cause disability and can be life-threatening, - so it is important to pick this up early.

As a result, (SRUK) are launching a new campaign today to help people in Glasgow to spot the signs of these conditions and encourage them to seek advice and support if needed.

The data revealed:

· Despite being as common as hay fever and arthritis in the UK, over three quarters of people in Glasgow have never heard of Raynaud’s or don’t know anything about the symptoms.

· Half of people (50 per cent) in Glasgow believe Raynaud’s affects only one person in 5,000 or even less, when the actual figure is one in six, and just 1 per cent of people in Glasgow are able to confidently identify the symptoms of Raynaud’s

· Over a quarter of people (26 per cent) in Glasgow would be embarrassed to say they had the conditions whilst a further 26 per cent of people would be frightened to touch someone with Raynaud’s and 33 per cent someone with Scleroderma.

Raynaud’s is a condition that affects the blood supply in the body’s extremities and many people living with the condition will regularly experience pain and discomfort resulting from changes in temperature or stress; these symptoms can be relieved using various treatments.

If you want more information on the condition, and how the charity can help you, contact them via their website on: www.sruk.co.uk/raynauds/spot-signs/