It’s just about the end of Winter yet we’re still bracing relatively arctic conditions.  With an icy chill in the air and snow threatening to fall at every moment, it’s apt that February has been Raynaud’s Awareness Month.

I’ve often spoken about my personal Raynaud’s experience and how it affects me: walking on numb soles, trying to make use of stiff fingers (even indoors) and crying in acute pain from within my bra.  Without any exaggeration, Raynaud’s is every inch the debilitating condition that descends with pain and uselessness, and if you have the displeasure of being on the receiving end of Raynaud’s inflictions, you’ll be familiar with the sub zero agony that a chill can trigger.

When the blood vessels constrict and leave a part of the body starved of oxygen, numbing is often described to interpret the half dead attribute, but its a pretty misleading symptom. It leads you to think it’s painless, when the reality really is burning, tightening and pain like you have just inserted your bare hand into a snowman’s innards.  The feeling is completely present.  If only it was merely the loss of sensation.

The key to surviving Raynaud’s is preparation.  Properly layer up and you stand a good chance of making it through a cold spell.  Keeping your core warm is the most important factor with Raynaud’s, but insulating your extremities is still hugely important because that’s where the attacks hit.

Heat Holders are my absolute essential Winter wear brand.  Their leggings and tights, which are fleecy on the inside, are perfect for wearing under dresses, and I practically live in their thick boot socks 24/7.

Heat Holders sent me their ‘Ultimate Thermal Socks‘ together with a pair of their thermal gloves, both of which are a snuggly 2.3 tog rating.  Compared to a duvet, it doesn’t sound so impressive, but when you compare that to 0.89 tog of a typical thermal sock, you begin to see how awesome Heat Holders are.  They’re thick and super soft on the inside, and I’ve come to learn my feet are literally dead without them.

In all honesty, these are probably the most boring colours.  I love colour (wearing red, purple and blue Heat Holders myself) and thankfully there’s a huge choice in funky brights, stripes, various lengths of sock for short boots or wellies and even slipper socks with gripper soles.  I need to get the pink stripe socks on my list…

The gloves are surprisingly new to me, despite suffering from ‘dead man’s fingers’ since I was a kid, and being honest I don’t know how I’ve put up with regular gloves.  Unlike many thermal gloves that can resemble hiking gear, these gloves are a modern knit, and having the thermal inner seems to make all the difference compared to my normal gloves.  Interestingly, the inner fleece is different to the socks, reminding me more of a luxury pile blanket, which can never be a bad thing.

Check out Heat Holders’ range which is massive these days – so many varieties of sock and thermal clothing that’s pretty cool to have in your wardrobe whether you have Raynaud’s or are just adverse to the cold.

Helpful links:  UK Raynaud’s & Scleroderma Association | US Raynaud’s Association

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Heat Holders

Original thermal socks RRP £6.00

Ladies gloves RRP £10.00

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Do you suffer with Raynaud’s, or think you may have it?

What do you do to cope?

Please do share your tips and suggestions on coping with the cold!