Christine McGuinness is reportedly ‘overwhelmed’ and feeling ‘scared’ after sharing her secret health battle with fans.
The model, 37, recently revealed she was diagnosed with Raynaud’s syndrome by doctors after noticing issues with her hands, including them even seizing up.
The condition, which affects 10-15% of people in the UK, causes reduced blood flow to the body’s extremities – usually the fingers and toes.
Sharing an insight into her struggle of living with the condition, Christine told Femail how becoming stressed would leave her fingers white, numb and motionless.
Now it’s been reported by sources close to the former Real Housewives Of Cheshire star that her diagnosis has left her feeling ‘scared’.
An insider said: ‘Christine is a massive overthinker, so when it comes to her health, she does get really stressed – this health scare was the last thing she needed recently.’
Christine McGuinness is reportedly ‘overwhelmed’ and feeling ‘scared’ after sharing her secret health battle with fans
The model, 37, recently revealed she was diagnosed with Raynaud’s syndrome by doctors after noticing issues with her hands, including them even seizing up
They continued to The Mirror: ‘Christine was really worried when she first started having these symptoms and seizing up.
‘Immediately her mind went to the worst case and thinking it could have been something far worse than it is. Luckily, Raynaud’s isn’t too serious and she will be OK, but it’s still not nice for her.’
Daily Mail has contacted a representative for Christine for comment.
Speaking about the condition this week, Christine said: ‘When it happens, sometimes I have no choice but to stop what I’m doing until my hands recover, which can be very challenging when I’m trying to balance work commitments and family life.’
The mum-of-three continued: ‘Sometimes I feel embarrassed or disappointed in myself, as if I’ve caused it by not managing my stress or self-care well enough.
‘The hardest part is that they can stop me in my tracks until the symptoms settle, which leaves me feeling like I’ve let myself down.’
Raynaud’s is typically triggered by a drop in temperature, and the effects are usually mild. In rarer cases, it is caused by underlying health conditions. Christine falls into the latter camp.
‘My doctor explained in my case, Raynaud’s was linked to long-term stress, anxiety, panic disorder, and possibly PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder),’ she said. ‘My symptoms only show up during stressful situations.’
Sharing an insight into her struggle of living with the condition, Christine told Femail how becoming stressed would leave her fingers white, numb and motionless
It’s been reported by sources close to the former Real Housewives Of Cheshire star that her diagnosis has left her feeling ‘scared’
Christine married TV presenter Paddy McGuinness in 2011 went on to have three children: twins Leo and Penelope, 12, and Felicity, nine (pictured in 2021)
Studies have shown that chronic stress response associated with PTSD can contribute to the development or exacerbation of Raynaud’s.
‘That came as a real shock,’ Christine added. ‘I had heard of Raynaud’s before, but only in relation to people who experienced symptoms from the cold… I hadn’t realised just how much stress could impact my body.
‘It was as if all the strain my nervous system had been carrying finally spilled over into something I couldn’t ignore. I do feel that I may have elements of PTSD, though I can’t attribute it to just one cause.’
The diagnosis, she said, ‘has been a wake-up call to take better care of myself’.
Christine married TV presenter Paddy McGuinness in 2011 went on to have three children: twins Leo and Penelope, 12, and Felicity, nine.
The couple announced their split in 2022, with Christine recently revealing she was the one to end their marriage.
She said on Channel 4’s Celebs Go Dating: ‘The trust was broken… so it was me that said enough is enough.
‘In some ways I still carry that feeling of, “Well it’s my fault because I ended it.” We had an amazing 15 years, we really did. But once the respect isn’t quite there anymore, it’s time to leave.’
What is Raynaud’s disease?
Raynaud’s condition, triggered by drops in temperature or an increase in stress, causes the blood vessels in the fingers and toes contract, cutting off blood supply.
It can also affect the tiny arteries in the nose, ears and tongue.
Typically, Raynaud’s causes the fingers or toes to turn white and numb.
Then, as the blood flow returns, they turn blue and eventually red, accompanied by a burning sensation. Attacks can last from a few minutes to an hour.
Nine out of ten cases are in women, with most sufferers having their first attack before the age of 40.
Although attacks peak in the cold winter months, symptoms can be triggered by everyday tasks such as taking food out of the freezer, air conditioning, or even stress — all of which cause blood vessels to contract.
Most patients can cope by wrapping up warm, although some develop painful weeping ulcers, which can become infected.
Although Raynaud’s is common, only a small number of patients go on to develop a more serious connective tissue disease called scleroderma.
It can cause disability and can be life-threatening, which is why it is important to be diagnosed early on so any complications of the condition can be properly treated.
Raynaud’s has a straightforward treatment and can be temporarily cured with a drug called nifedipine which relaxes the muscles of your heart and blood vessels and lowers blood pressure.
