Coronation Street star shares secret health condition…

Coronation Street star shares secret health condition she’s had for two decades

Coronation Street star Samia Longchambon has opened up about a secret condition she’s been living with for two decades.

The actor, who has played Maria Connor in the ITV soap since 2000, said she has Raynaud’s syndrome, a condition that reduces blood flow to the fingers and toes.

After sharing an Instagram photo of her fingertips after they had turned noticeably pale, Longchambon, 43, was flooded with messages from her followers, who have experienced the same thing.

“Seems many of you have the same thing and lots are asking for tips on how to deal with it,” she said.

“I’ve had it about 20 years now and it’s not dangerous, it’s called #raynauds disease.”

She said that when she gets too cold, she loses feeling in some of her fingers.

“It doesn’t last long but can be a bit painful when the blood returns,” Longchambon continued.

“For me, it’s usually just my fingers, so it’s quite mild, but I know that it can affect toes too in some people.”

Longchambon, who said the condition can be triggered by walking down the freezer aisle in supermarkets, shared her tips on how to improve the condition, telling her followers to keep as warm as possible and to wear gloves or use hand warmers when it’s cold out.

She added: “Eat/ drink anything with ginger as that’s good for circulation. And keep moving my fingers to get the blood flowing again!”

The NHS website describes Raynaud's as a “phenomenon where your blood stops flowing properly to your fingers and toes”.

“It's common and does not usually cause severe problems. You can often treat the symptoms yourself by keeping warm. Sometimes it can be a sign of a more serious condition.

According to the NHS, Raynaud's can also affect ears, nose, lips or nipples. Their tips for treating symptoms, which may last from a few minutes to a few hours, include: