How does a doctor diagnose Raynaud Disease?

Condition analysis:
Most doctors find it fairly easy to diagnose Raynaud’s phenomenon but find it more difficult to identify the form of the disorder.

Physicians can now distinguish primary from secondary Raynaud’s phenomenon with a complete history and physical examination. Sometimes, special blood testing is needed. If the evaluation and special testing studies are normal, then the diagnosis of primary Raynaud’s phenomenon can be made and it is unlikely to change into a secondary form.

A few tests can help the doctor distinguish between primary and secondary Raynaud’s phenomenon. They are:
Nailfold capillaroscopy. During this test, the doctor puts a drop of oil on the patient’s nailfolds, the skin at the base of the fingernail. The doctor then examines the nailfolds under a microscope to look for problems in the tiny blood vessels called capillaries. If the capillaries are enlarged or malformed, the patient may have a connective tissue disease.

Antinuclear antibody (ANA) test. In this blood test, the doctor determines whether the body is producing special proteins called antibodies that are directed against the nuclei of the body’s cells. These abnormal antibodies are often found in people who have connective tissue diseases or other autoimmune disorders.

Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR or sed rate). This is a laboratory test for inflammation that measures how quickly red blood cells fall to the bottom of a test tube of unclotted blood. Rapidly descending cells (an elevated sed rate) indicate inflammation in the body.

Instructions:
Vitamin B-3 supplementation: Although all Vitamins are important for the body, vitamin B3 plays a key role in increasing blood flow to the surface of the skin and regulation of dilating blood vessels throughout the body. Also known as niacin, vitamin B-3 can be increased by taking specific supplements, or increasing consumption of foods such as seafood, pork, chicken , liver, portobello mushrooms, peas, and sunflower seeds, all of which are rich in niacin.