Learning about Raynaud's phenomenon:

• What is Raynaud's phenomenon?
• Who is affected by it?
• When should I see a doctor about problems caused by exposure to cold temperatures?

The Vascular Disease Foundation is a non-profit organization that provides information and support for patients and their families about vascular diseases. This organization also provides public education through its press releases, Web site, and printed materials.

The Arthritis Foundation provides grants to help find a cure, prevention methods, and better treatment options for arthritis. It also provides a large number of community-based services nationwide to make living with arthritis easier, including self-help courses; water- and land-based exercise classes; support groups; home study groups; instructional videotapes; public forums; free educational brochures and booklets; the national, bimonthly consumer magazine Arthritis Today; and continuing education courses and publications for health professionals.

The U.S. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) information center offers information and publications about preventing and treating:

• Diseases affecting the heart and circulation, such as heart attacks, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, peripheral artery disease, and heart problems present at birth (congenital heart diseases).
• Diseases that affect the lungs, such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), emphysema, sleep apnea, and pneumonia.
• Diseases that affect the blood, such as anemia, hemochromatosis, hemophilia, thalassemia, and von Willebrand disease.

The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) is a governmental institute that serves the public and health professionals by providing information, locating other information sources, and participating in a national federal database of health information. NIAMS supports research into the causes, treatment, and prevention of arthritis and musculoskeletal and skin diseases and supports the training of scientists to carry out this research.

The NIAMS website provides health information referrals to the NIAMS Clearinghouse, which has information packages about diseases.

The Scleroderma Foundation's mission is threefold: support, education, and research. The foundation aims to help patients and their families cope with scleroderma through mutual support programs, peer counseling, physician referrals, and educational information. It promotes public awareness and education through patient and health professional seminars, literature, and publicity campaigns. The foundation also stimulates and supports research to improve treatment and ultimately find the cause of and cure for scleroderma and related diseases.