Coronation Street star Samia Longchambon, who has played Maria Connor on the soap since 2000, has opened up about a condition called Raynaud’s Disease that she has lived with for around 20 years now.

Symptoms of Raynaud’s include blood not flowing properly to fingers and toes, which manifests as having white or discoloured tips.

With the cold weather making things worse for those with the condition, Longchambon shared an Instagram Story and later a post talking about Raynaud’s and offering practical advice for anyone else who has it.

“#Raynauds season. Sending warm thoughts to other sufferers,” she wrote in the Story alongside a photo of her hand, showcasing how one of her fingers has changed colour.

Posting the same photo to her grid later after receiving multiple message from fans, Longchambon shared some tips.

“I’ve had it about 20 years now and it’s not dangerous, it’s called #raynauds disease,” she wrote. “When I get too cold a couple of my fingers go numb and I lose feeling in them.

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

“My tips so far have been to keep as warm as possible (obviously!). Wear gloves when it’s cold out. Hand warmers are my best friend in winter. Eat/drink anything with ginger as that’s good for circulation. And keep moving my fingers to get the blood flowing again!

“Even going down the freezer aisle in a supermarket can set mine off.”

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She added that her advice is “purely personal” to her experience and not a professional opinion. Noting that other people’s experiences can vary a lot, she asked people to share their own stories and pieces of advice in the comments.

Among the fans talking about their own coping strategies and praising Longchambon for speaking about the condition, fellow soap star Michelle Hardwick shared her own story.

“I first noticed mine when I was 10 playing netball,” she said. “Since then I’ve been diagnosed with Raynauds Disease. Thank goodness for hand warmers in that Emmerdale village.”