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Raynaud Syndrome

Most people will know Raynaud's syndrome by its more common name: chilblains.

What is Raynaud's syndrome?

With Raynaud's syndrome you get cold fingers or toes. They also discolor: first turning white, then purple and red. They can be painful or tingly. It usually happens on both hands and/or feet at the same time.

People usually first experience it between the ages of 12 and 30. The symptoms are annoying, but harmless.

You are more likely to get Raynaud's syndrome:

  • if it runs in your family

  • if you suffer from migraines

  • if you are a woman

  • if you smoke

Source: www.thuisarts.nl

I was told by the doctor around the age of 17 that I had Raynaud's syndrome when I came to her with complaints about my hands. All she said was that I had to stop smoking immediately (I used to smoke cigarettes at the time). I did not quit smoking, which in hindsight was not smart at all! Repentance comes after sin they say and I know it well.

In my case, the syndrome manifests itself in my hands as well as my feet. It causes a lot of discomfort, but especially a lot of pain. This resulted in wounds on my hands, blue fingertips, tingling, no strength in my hands and a lot of pain. Opening bottles or cans was not even possible (and sometimes it’s still not).

Unfortunately, Raynaud's syndrome continued to develop and the pains became more severe by the day. A few years ago, the pain became so extreme that it made me nauseous when I walked outside in the winter. I remember standing in front of my front door, crying in pain because I couldn't open my front door and it seemed like thousands of needles were being put into my fingers.

I did some research on the internet myself and I came across an article about turmeric. The promising results from the article made me decide to try using turmeric. Through Annie's Beneficial Herbs, I have found the cure for my symptoms.

The first time I used turmeric it was in the form of drops. Three times a day, seven days a week, I took the maximum number of drops allowed. I mixed the drops with water and then took them. I started taking the turmeric drops in November 2014.

I can remember very well that it was going to be a harsh winter, which for me would result in a lot of pain. The pain decreased enormously after a week and a half. Not only the pain in my hands, but also the pain throughout my body decreased significantly. In the past I frequently had back pain, pain in my bones, pain in my wrists and pain in my legs. Now sometimes the pain is still there, but it is not comparable to what I felt in the beginning. Especially with chilblains, the results are amazing.

As mentioned before, I started with a frequency of three times a day, seven days a week, taking the maximum number of drops allowed. Once the results were astonishing, I decided to taper off slowly. From 7 days a week to 5 days a week and then to 3 days a week.

Then I switched to taking turmeric in other ways. For example, I like to drink a cup of milk or water with turmeric.

Several years later, I have noticed that this winter (2020/2021) I am having a little more trouble compared to previous years. In recent years, I have not had to take as much turmeric as I did before. Unfortunately, I have become less consistent about this myself. Since mid-January 2021, I have started using turmeric on a regular basis again.

These days I am drinking hot water with turmeric. I boil some water and grate fresh turmeric on top. Then I let it boil for another 10 minutes. Once it has cooled down, I drink half a cup. I now do this three times a week, usually in the morning. It helps me a lot! Turmeric is my natural pain reliever and I am happy now that my pain has eased.

P.S. Another tip I can give is to rub your hands and feet with mustard oil, which you can get at many corner shops. The smell takes some getting used to but it really helps! I also rub my feet before going to sleep and put on my winter socks for a while in bed. I have warmer feet than before and I sleep better and more soundly. During the day I also moisturize my hands with a little mustard oil. Just be careful if you rub your feet with oil, as it can become slippery. Make sure you have your socks with you and put them on immediately after applying to avoid slipping. The same also applies in the evening.

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