Red Fingers

[darkangel]

Just thought I would ask you intelligent folks about something I've had for as long as I can remember. I don't know if others have this or what.

My hands are odd. They're ALWAYS ice cold, and about an inch from the tip of each finger is always red, sometimes beet red. (nice image huh?) About a week ago I went out to brush the snow off my car, it took about 5 minutes, and when I went back inside to the heat, my hands felt like they were stuck in the fire and I couldn't move them very well. They were all beet red and hurt for about a half hour or more after that. And the weather wasn't even cold, my hands were the only part that got affected by the cold.

I figure it's poor circulation or something. I also replied to that 'blacking out' thread about standing up and losing vision and clawing at the walls for life

Can anybody shed some light on this? My dad things I'm weird

[darkangel]

Nobody? Do I have tumors in my hands?

[typhus]

Are you a smoker? Smokers usually have poor circulation and as a result have red, cold hands. I did when I used to smoke, but not real bad.

[Pip]

Bad circulation, more than likely. Some people just have it, without any obvious reason. You have a higher risk of getting frostbite though, so keep your hands warm and dry! Also you can try wristwarmers, I use legwarmers to keep my frost-abused feet at a decent temperature.

[Rlyss]

If you use a computer a lot it might be related to that. Try getting a stress ball or a piece of foam and squeeze that often for a few minutes, every half hour or so, or do some other circulation excersizes for your hands (I think basically any rapid finger or hand movements would work) and it should help after a while.

[maleficent]

Have you ever had your thyroid tested? it's a pretty simple blood test that your doctor can do to determine if there is a problem. Thyroid problems can cause anything from sensitivity to cold, weight loss or gain, dry skin, about a bazillion symptoms, but the cold thing is what made me think it.

How's your blood pressure? If you are experiencing dizziness or blacking out, it could be low blood pressure, and with your cold fingers, that points to poor circulation, that could be related.

I'm not a doctor, nor do I play one on tv... But I do know that if you are experiencing something that is out of the ordinary, you should get yourself to a doctor and describe your symptoms to them.

[darkangel]

Yes I smoke, and I do keyboard a lot, so does the rest of my family. But as you guys said, I guess I'm just more sensitive to it.

Mal, you know I always thought I had low blood pressure because of the dizziness etc. but about 3 years ago I went to the doc for another problem and had him test my BP and he said it was normal.. So I don't know. My doc was rushing me out of the office, so I didn't go on about anything else.

Thanks for the responses, I'll keep those tips in mind.

[maleficent]

Originally Posted by ei555

So I don't know. My doc was rushing me out of the office, so I didn't go on about anything else.
.

Ooooh doctors like that get me so aggravated... You are the customer and are entitled to customer service. If he were the owner of a store where you were buying furniture, he wouldn't stay in business long treating people like that.

[Nachtschleicher]

ei555 I have short of the same thing you do... except they don't feel cold, and it's on my the back of my right hand, on the right side, about the size of half a credit card, but roundish. It turns red when I'm hot, and purplish when I'm cold. I've had this problem since I was in Elementry, and I still have it today (13th grade).

Anyone know about this thing? I would sure like to get rid of it, I'm embarrased about people asking me about it.

[jgp]

there's a disease called raynaud's disease characterized by spasm of smaller blood vessels that can result in symptoms you described, cold fingers with red tips. other circulatory and rheumatic diseases can also result in similar symptoms. check with your primary care physician.

[Redlemon]

Originally Posted by Nachtschleicher

ei555 I have short of the same thing you do... except they don't feel cold, and it's on my the back of my right hand, on the right side, about the size of half a credit card, but roundish. It turns red when I'm hot, and purplish when I'm cold. I've had this problem since I was in Elementry, and I still have it today (13th grade).

Anyone know about this thing? I would sure like to get rid of it, I'm embarrased about people asking me about it.

I have a "birthmark" next to my eye, very similar to what you are talking about. It only shows up when I am very cold, or when I cry. I was told that it was caused by the forceps that the doctor used during my birth; I assume there's another one somewhere under my hair. I suppose that there was damage to the blood vessels there or something.

[thingstodo]

Boy, this one is too wierd to comment on!