How many people have raynaud's phenomenon?

Raynaud's disease, as you may be aware, is an overreaction by the body to stimuli such as cold or stress. Specifically, causes vasoconstriction resulting in decreased or absent bloodflow to the affected extremities.

There are different degrees of severity in Raynaud's. Most commonly, blood flow is restored once in a warm environment and is consider more of an inconvenience. In rare cases, Raynaud's can be serious. If an artery to an affected area becomes blocked completely, sores (skin ulcers) or dead tissue (gangrene) may develop. Ulcers and gangrene can be difficult to treat.

Also, Coronary Artery Bypass Grafts diverting bloodflow from an artery in the breast is becoming increasingly common. In rare situations, a patient with Raynaud's could experience a spasm of that artery, resulting in chest pain or cardiac ischemia.

You're right in the age range where Raynaud's is first diagnosed. It is more common in women than in men. There are some pharmaceutical options to treat Raynaud's, such as Calcium Channel Blockers, Alpha Blockers, and Vasodilators. You should speak with the physician who diagnosed you about treatment possibilities as well as their risks and drawbacks.

You'll have to be careful in the future to avoid smoking and caffeine, be cautious with birth control use and over-the-counter cold medications such as pseudoephedrine (causes vasoconstriction). Regular exercise can also be helpful at reducing the number and severity of attacks.

Good luck!

Its not that serious really. I'm 17 and two of my friends have it so I would say it was relatively common and nothing to worry about :-)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raynaud's_phenomenon

My Father has this but I've never met anyone else that has this.