Focus on... Raynaud's Syndrome
Do you suffer from especially chilly fingers? It may be that your circulation is a bit sluggish or perhaps you suffer from Raynaud's Syndrome.
February is Raynaud's Awareness Month.
Raynaud's can be caused by stress or anxiety, so if your stress levels are high try to find ways to relax. Exercise can help and with regard food avoid stimulants like coffee and alcohol and include plenty of circulation-boosting foods such as chilli, dark chocolate, oranges, avocados, ginger and garlic.
Homeopathic remedies can help to relieve discomfort. The tendency toward episodes may be reduced with the help of constitutional treatment.
Here are a few remedies to think of for Raynaud's episodes:
Arsenicum album: This remedy can be useful when the tips of the extremities are icy cold, with a burning sensation that is relieved by heat. The fingers or other affected areas may look swollen and feel itchy. People who need Arsenicum are often perfectionists, restless, anxious, and feel chilly generally.
Carbo vegetabilis: People who need this remedy have very cold extremities and often look pale and feel weak or faint, with a strong desire for moving air, and a tendency toward indigestion. Toes and fingertips may have a cramping sensation and sometimes overreact to circulation problems by turning red.
Chelidonium: This remedy may be helpful with Raynaud’s disease if the person also has a tendency toward pain and tightness in the region of the shoulder-blades and neck (especially on the right). A tendency toward right-sided headaches, indigestion, and liver problems also suggest the use of Chelidonium.
Hepar sulphuris calcareum: Individuals who need this remedy are extremely sensitive to drafts and cold, and often need to wear gloves and be warmly dressed, or even to stay indoors, to prevent unpleasant symptoms. People who need this remedy are often vulnerable in many ways, and can be very irritable and touchy.
Sepia: If a person with Raynaud’s disease has cold extremities most of the time, and feels chronically worn out and irritable, this remedy may help. Circulation may be poor because the person’s internal muscle tone is lax (including the tone of the blood-vessels). The person may also experience chronic constipation or a weak or sagging feeling in the pelvic organs. Exercise often improves the symptoms, as well as the person’s mood and energy.
Veratrum album: This remedy may be indicated for icy coldness and paleness—even blueness—with a sensation of cramping in the tips of the extremities. People who need this remedy often feel extremely cold and weak with other physical disorders, such as diarrhea and vomiting, or difficult menstrual periods.
Select the remedy that most closely matches the symptoms. Take one dose and wait for a response. If improvement is seen, continue to wait and let the remedy work. If improvement lags significantly or has clearly stopped, another dose may be taken. The frequency of dosage varies with the condition and the individual. Sometimes a dose may be required several times an hour; other times a dose may be indicated several times a day; and in some situations, one dose per day (or less) can be sufficient.
If no response is seen within a reasonable amount of time, select a different remedy.
