Diagnosing Raynaud's
Diagnosing Raynaud’s syndrome/phenomenon
Raynaud’s phenomenon is often diagnosed by a doctor, most often a rheumatologist, based on your symptoms and your medical history. They will probably also arrange some blood tests, so that any underlying health conditions can be ruled out. We explain what to expect and how to prepare for the tests.
Water test
Your doctor may put your hands in cold water or cool air to see whether you show symptoms of Raynaud’s. The water test shows the temperature response (using thermography) to a cold challenge: immersing the hands in cold water at 15°C for one minute.
Blood tests
Blood tests can be used to check for other health conditions that could be causing your symptoms. These tests can include:
- full blood count – to check for infection or, very rarely, blood cancer such as leukaemia
- antinuclear antibody (ANA) test – to check for an overactive immune system, which is common in people with autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, myositis or scleroderma
- erythrocyte sedimentation rate – this test measures how quickly red blood cells settle at the bottom of a test tube. A higher than normal rate may signal an underlying inflammatory or autoimmune disease such as arthritis or lupus
Most blood tests take only a few minutes and are done in a clinical laboratory. It is advisable to have the antinuclear antibody test done in a specialised immunology laboratory with highly qualified specialists and new, modern equipment, allowing highly reliable results and a wide range of tests.
This English version is a translation; in case of doubt, the Bulgarian version applies.
