The Occupational Disease & Injury Company Limited

What are the symptoms of hand-arm vibration syndrome?

Symptoms may include Raynaud's phenomenon (the 'white fingers'), nerve symptoms, and muscular aches and pains.

Raynaud's phenomenon ('white finger' symptoms)

Raynaud's phenomenon comes in bouts or 'attacks' that are triggered by cold weather or touching a cold object. The fingers can become white and cool, due to the small blood vessels narrowing (going into spasm). They can then turn a blue, due to the reduced blood supply of the narrowed blood vessels. They may then turn red, due to the blood vessels opening up again (dilating) and blood flow returning to normal. Normal blood flow may then cause tingling, throbbing and pain. The duration of symptoms can last from minutes to hours, and the amount of pain or discomfort varies between people.

Nerve symptoms

Numbness (loss of feeling) and/or tingling (pins and needles) in one or more fingers may develop. Nerve symptoms may be mild, being occasional and affecting just the tips of the finger(s). In severe cases, permanent numbness may extend along affected fingers, causing clumsiness and difficulty in doing fine tasks (for example, fastening buttons, handling coins, screws, nails or threads).

Aches and pains

Minor damage to the muscles, joints and bones may cause aches and pains in the hands and lower arm. The strength of your grip may be weakened.

How do symptoms progress?

Raynaud's phenomenon may first occur on cold, wet, and windy days affecting the ends of one or more fingers. There may be some numbness or tingling which 'comes and goes'. Symptoms may remain mild, but can progress if you continue to work with vibrating tools. Vibration itself rarely triggers a bout of Raynaud's phenomenon. As the condition develops, the amount of cold needed to trigger symptoms becomes less. Eventually Raynaud's phenomenon may occur in the summer, though usually only if your hands are wet. As the condition becomes more severe, you may Raynaud's phenomenon may occur along the full length of affected fingers, and permanent numbness may develop.

Asbestosis

Asbestos, now illegal to use in buildings, was used extensively in the past. Buildings built before 2000 (e.g. houses, factories, hospitals and schools) may contain asbestos. If you have worked in an environment where you were exposed to asbestos over a number of years (e.g. demolition work, plumbing or lagging), you could be at a high risk of developing asbestosis or a similarly related condition and potentially have a claim.

Occupational Asthma

Occupational asthma can occur following prolonged exposure to substances at work, often specific to that industry (e.g. isocyanates, from the manufacture of paint, polyurethane foam, adhesives or surface coatings). When the bronchi tubes in the lungs are irritated, the airways narrow making it difficult to breath. This may cause wheezing or coughing and the chest become tight. The narrowing can be reversible, with the aid of inhalers.

Industrial Deafness

Industrial deafness is usually caused by the repeated exposure to excessive noise at work. Because hearing deteriorates gradually, the sufferer may not be aware that noise-induced hearing loss has occurred. Symptoms can include distorted or muffled sounds and difficulty in understanding speech, particularly in a crowded room. A simple hearing test can tell you if you suffer from noise-induced hearing loss.

Occupational Dermatitis

Occupational dermatitis affects virtually all industries and businesses. Initial symptoms can be redness, itching, scaling and blistering, but the skin can crack or bleed. Dermatitis can be severe enough to keep you off work and serious enough to force you to have to change your job. When spotted quickly and adequate precautions are taken, most people can make a full recovery. However, some people are affected for life.

Hand-Arm Vibration Syndrome

This condition is caused by the repeated and frequent use of hand held vibrating tools. Symptoms of white finger (VWF) may start when your hands get cold. To begin with, attacks are usually occasional and cause the fingertips to become white. However, with additional vibrations, the injury becomes worse. Sometimes, a person may only suffer with sensory nerve damage, developing problems of pins and needles or numbness in their fingers.

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