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| Question : |
My healthy 9 yr old son plays ice hockey. When practice lasts more than an hour his feet turn bright red, become ice cold, and are very painful. We've changed skates, socks, to no avail. None of his teammates seem to have this problem. Could he have have a medical condition? |
Answer |
What your son could be having is something called as the Raynauds Phenomenon. Raynaud's Phenomenon is a disorder of the small blood vessels where during exposure to cold, these arteries narrow briefly, limiting blood flow. Deprived of the oxygen, the skin first turns white then blue. The skin turns red as the arteries relax and blood flows again. Extremities--hands and feet--are most commonly affected, but Raynaud's can attack other areas such as the nose and ears. Treatment includes avoiding exposure to cold and use of drugs that dilate these vessels. You should consult your pediatrician for the same and have him evaluated aand also rule out other causes that may be causing Raynauds phenomemon.
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