Raynaud's

Meaning

1. 1noununcountablemedical

   A condition in which the small blood vessels in the fingers and toes tighten in cold or stress, making the skin turn white or blue and feel numb.

   Grammar: Used without an or the in most contexts: she has Raynaud's.

   Patterns

   • have Raynaud's
   • suffer from Raynaud's

   She has Raynaud's, so her fingers go white whenever she handles frozen food.

   Doctors told him that his cold, numb toes were caused by Raynaud's.

   People with Raynaud's often wear thick gloves even in mild weather.

Common combinations

have Raynaud's

My sister has Raynaud's and keeps hand warmers in her bag.

Raynaud's disease

Raynaud's disease can run in families.

Raynaud's attack

A Raynaud's attack can last from a few minutes to hours.

symptoms of Raynaud's

One of the symptoms of Raynaud's is tingling in the fingertips.

Synonyms and how they differ

Raynaud's phenomenon

This longer name is often used for cases linked to another illness, whereas Raynaud's alone is the everyday short form.

Raynaud's syndrome

This is another full name that doctors may use interchangeably, while Raynaud's is how patients usually speak.

Word family

Raynaud proper noun

the surname of the French doctor who first described the condition

circulation noun

the flow of blood around the body

vasospasm noun

a sudden tightening of a blood vessel

Commonly confused: Raynaud's or frostbite?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “Raynaud's”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

Explore more words