It’s February! As well as Valentine’s Day and the occasional leap year, Raynaud’s Awareness Month also takes place in February.
Organised by the Raynaud's and Scleroderma Association, the month aims to raise awareness of these disorders and offer help and advice not only to sufferers, but to their friends and families too – it is a fantastic cause and deserves all the awareness it can get!
You may not have heard of Raynaud's – in fact only 30% of the staff at The Great Care Company had heard of it – but it's thought that 10% of women in the UK suffer from the disorders which occur when blood vessels become over-sensitive to changes in temperature. As a result, sufferers' hands often turn blue or white.
Scleroderma is slightly less common. It affects the immune system and blood vessels, making skin on the hands and feet stiff and tight. As you can probably ascertain, both disorders are very uncomfortable for the people affected by it.
All the money raised from Raynaud’s Awareness Month goes to help the Raynaud's and Scleroderma research projects or help children who suffer from Scleroderma. To get the ball rolling visit the Raynaud’s Awareness Month website and get ready to do your bit for this worthwhile cause!
Their #LoveYourGloves campaign, aims to (because February is statistically the coldest month of the year) get individuals to wrap up warm and protect their extremities. Why not get your oven gloves on and host a bake sale or your goalie gloves and host a charity football match?
What to learn more?
Then visit the Raynaud's Awareness Month site to find out more about the symptoms and how to raise awareness for this unfamiliar cause.