Scleroderma & Raynaud’s UK online test helps over 3,000 people establish if they have Raynaud’s
Scleroderma & Raynaud's UK, the only UK charity dedicated to improving the lives of people with Scleroderma and Raynaud's launched online test that has given 93% of test users a result of Raynaud's in less than 60 seconds.
SRUK's research reveals that only 4% of respondents were able to identify the symptoms of Raynaud's, yet up to 10 million people are affected by this condition in the UK. Worryingly only 10% of people surveyed, on average, who had Raynaud's symptoms would visit a GP.
Raynaud's is a condition that affects the blood supply in the body's extremities – usually the fingers and toes - and many people living with the condition will regularly experience colour changes to the affected area, pain and discomfort.
The online test has been developed with the support of three consultant rheumatologists specialising in Scleroderma and Raynaud's ensuring this tool follows the clinical diagnosis pathway, giving users a trusted result. Users of the test will answer 5 simple yes or no questions and receive a result as to whether they may have Raynaud's or not. Further information is provided to users who may have Raynaud's including self-management information and for those identified as at risk of having an underlying condition they are being encouraged to see their GP.
If you are affected by any of the 5 symptoms below, take the test today.
Top 5 signs of Raynaud's
- Cold fingers and toes
- Colour changes in the skin in response to cold or stress
- Colour changes in the affected area to white, then blue and then red
- Numbness, tingling or pain in the fingers and toes
- Stinging or throbbing pain upon warming or stress relief
Other parts of the body can be affected by Raynaud's including the ears, nose, lips, tongue and nipples. Symptoms can last for a few minutes to several hours.
Sue Farrington, SRUK Chief Executive said:
“We are encouraging more people to seek medical help and advice if they regularly experience one or more of the main symptoms which include pain, numbness or tingling in the body's extremities."
“We know that despite a quarter of people saying that they had experienced symptoms, only 10% on average have visited their GP. This needs to change – Raynaud's can be a minor but uncomfortable inconvenience, but for those more seriously affected by Raynaud's or Scleroderma, it's crucial that they seek medical treatment and support as early as possible. We hope with our online test people can self-manage the condition better, seek treatment where necessary but above all know that they are not alone, we are here to support and assist people in coping with the painful and sometimes life-changing effects of the condition"
SRUK's test has revealed that 21% of test users may have secondary Raynaud's, which means that the condition may be caused by an underlying medical condition. 1 in 100 people with Raynaud's will go on to develop scleroderma, an autoimmune condition where the body starts to attack itself by overproducing collagen. For scleroderma early diagnosis is imperative as further treatment and close monitoring may be needed.
