I also suffer from Raynaulds disease. The doctor said it was the nerve endings in your hands or feet reacting too quickly to outside stimuli. No cure, just keep hands warm.

Excruciating at times, I find it catches me out when I am not expecting it. I can walk the dog in all weathers, and as long as I have my warm ski gloves, plus all the other warm clothes I am fine. Then I go to the supermarket and forget to take my gloves in with me. By the time I reach the tills the ends of my fingers hands are white and have no sensation.

At home just getting something out of the fridge can trigger it, and I have to wear gloves to get something out of the freezer. Swimming is a no no, because the combination of water and feeling cold or cool also sets it off.

Even in the summer on a hot day, it can happen if I touch something cold and wet (that's why I drink red wine not white!!) You would laugh if you saw me driving the car - sometimes, I might be wearing a T shirt because it is warm, but still have to wear gloves because the steering wheel is cold to the touch. Most times when I am driving in the winter I have to put my hands by the heating vents to defrost them, about ten minutes after starting off. After that they are OK.

It is manageable, but you have to think ahead and always have some gloves in the car or in a coat pocket, whatever the time of year.

People say to rub your hands together or shake them to get the circulation back, but that doesn't work. The only thing that works is to have a heat source on or close to your hand, such as a fire, warm water to plunge your hands in, a radiator that you can hold your hand against.

I read some years ago that Vitamin E can help, but have not tried it.

Having a really bad time with this at mo, my right hand swollen from Chilblains & making things very restricting............very fed up
Sorry I know there are people worse off than me....................

I have suffered from this for years,and so did my sister,she was a landscape gardener and found it very difficult sometimes when she was planting,if she did not wear gloves,as she was in danger of cutting her fingers without feeling it(she was a smoker) on stones and glass.I just get it in certain fingers,but it is so painful when they come back. I have tried acupuncture and reflexology but they don't alleviate it completely. I found some mitts which have a gel lining(at a chemists) you put them in the microwave for a couple of minutes and they stay warm for about an hour,they did help. It's all to do with circulation,and if yours does not work that well it is something we have to live with,unfortunately.