[sci.bio] Weird Symptoms

valhalla@nocturne.Eng.Sun.COM (Tony Danis) (03/07/91)

    Can't contact you directly, Mickey, so hope you're still reading sci.bio:


    Not my hands, but the back of my legs from butt to heel and all around the
    knee area do appear to become extremely cold; it's actually a prickling,
    freezing sensation like immersion in frigid water. I've noticed no
    correlation between eating and the appearance of these symptoms. Please
    let me know what you think.

rowe@pender.ee.upenn.edu (Mickey Rowe) (03/07/91)

In article <9246@exodus.Eng.Sun.COM> valhalla@nocturne.Eng.Sun.COM (Tony Danis) writes:
>
>    Can't contact you directly, Mickey, so hope you're still reading sci.bio:

I'm actually surprised that my letter got to you :)

>    Not my hands, but the back of my legs from butt to heel and all around the
>    knee area do appear to become extremely cold; it's actually a prickling,
>    freezing sensation like immersion in frigid water. I've noticed no
>    correlation between eating and the appearance of these symptoms. Please
>    let me know what you think.

There is a disease (or syndrome--I've heard it called both) known as
Raynaud's disease which manifests itself as an abnormal constriction
of the vasculature going out to the skin.  I know of two people that
have been diagnosed with the condition--both of them complain of
having very cold hands.  Only one of them finds that the problem
increases during eating, but I believe he told me that that was a
common symptom.  I don't know how widespread the disease (or
information about it) is since if it wasn't for these two people I'd
have never heard of it.  

I can try to find out more from them if you (or anyone else) would
like to hear about it...


Mickey Rowe    (rowe@pender.ee.upenn.edu)