Symptoms:

Strong emotion or exposure to the cold causes the fingers, toes, ears, or nose to become white, then turn blue. When blood flow returns, the area becomes red and then later returns to normal color. The attacks may last from minutes to hours.

Specific symptoms include:

• Toes or fingers that change color when exposed to the cold
• Toes or fingers that change color upon pressure
• Pain in the fingers or toes when exposed to the cold
• Tingling or pain on warming

Additional symptoms that may be associated with this disease:

• Skin redness or inflammation
• Bluish skin
• Paleness

Signs and tests:

The doctor will perform a physical exam. Vascular ultrasound and a cold stimulation test for Raynaud's phenomenon may be done.