Diagnosing Raynaud’s Syndrome
The diagnosis of Raynaud’s Syndrome will usually be based on the symptoms that the patient feel. A physical exam will also be conducted. But in some cases, your doctor may require you to undergo a cold stimulation test where heat sensors will be used to measure the temperature of your fingers before soaking in cold water, and temperature will be taken again after removing the fingers from water.
During the diagnosis, you can expect your doctor to ask you several questions regarding your medical history. Additional tests may also be conducted to rule out the possibility of secondary Raynaud’s syndrome. There are also tests that will be conducted for the exclusion process of diagnosing fibromyalgia and might also be a part of the diagnostic process of chronic fatigue syndrome, depending on the symptoms that you have. These tests are:
- Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (Sed Rate)
- Antinuclear antibody test (ANA)
