Raynaud’s Awareness Month February 2020

Raynaud’s Awareness Month is being honoured this February. The Scleroderma & Raynaud’s UK (SRUK) charity will be campaigning to continue to help increase awareness and understanding of this condition.  They want people to know why it is important that we knows the signs and symptoms.

Overview of Raynaud’s

Raynaud’s is a common condition. It occurs as a result of the small blood vessels being over-sensitive to even the slightest change in temperature, the cold and sometimes stress. It most commonly affects the hands, feet, fingers and toes.

Although there is no cure, there are many steps individuals can take to help both prevent and manage the symptoms of this condition. Such tips include:

  • Avoiding cold environments, touching cold items or spending time in areas where temperatures fluctuate.
  • Wearing lots of thing layers and loose clothing in order to remain as warm as possible.
  • Using hand warmers, gloves and thick socks to keep cold fingers and toes comfortable on chilly days.
  • Other products may help, such as thermal shoe insoles and fleece blankets.

Outlook of Raynaud’s

The outlook for people with Primary Raynaud’s is usually good as the symptoms are usually mild and manageable. However, the symptoms experienced by those with Secondary Raynaud’s are usually more severe.

What is Secondary Raynaud’s?

Less common the Primary form, Secondary Raynaud’s is usually caused by an autoimmune condition, such as scleroderma or lupus. If this type of Raynaud’s is suspected, other investigations will normally be required along with more careful monitoring to watch for any other conditions that may occur as a result of this condition, such as ulceration or sores.

What does Private Medical Insurance cover in relation to Raynaud’s?

As a general rule, most individual private medical insurance policies tend to exclude cover for chronic conditions (a long term condition which is persistent and cannot be cured). As there is currently no cure for Raynaud’s this would be deemed as a chronic condition and wouldn’t be covered however, insurers would agree to cover any initial tests and consultations to establish the diagnosis.

If you would like to know more about Private Medical Insurance and what it’s designed to cover, please contact SMP Healthcare Ltd on 01245 929129 or email enquires@smphealthcare.com and one of our expert adviser will be more than happy to assist you.

Information sourced: https://www.sruk.co.uk/