'I was fitting windscreens for royals, until a disease turned my fingers blue and I lost my job'

His hands were the key to his livelihood. Avtar Gill fitted car windscreens for celebrities and royals, until an illness turned his fingers blue.

He lives with a condition that affects around ten million people in the UK, but which many have never heard of. Raynaud's disease is where the small blood vessels in the hands, feet, fingers or toes are over-sensitive to slight changes in temperature, cold conditions and even emotional stress.

It can cause cold fingers and toes, change of skin colour, numbness or stinging and throbbing pain. Avtar, from Solihull, went from working on BMWs and Mercedes to unemployed as the condition turned his life upside down.

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He has some dark days, but still supports others through SRUK (Scleroderma & Raynaud's UK) Support Group Midlands, a Birmingham community supporting those affected. Avtar is pushing for more Brummies to take the SRUK charity's one-minute online test that reveals if you could be suffering from Raynaud's. The 52-year-old recalled the first night his fingers were in agony.

Avtar, who would not name his Royal clients, said: "It happened with the click of a finger as there was no warning. I was driving one evening in February and my fingers were in so much pain and went white, I went to the GP and her face dropped.

"I have been in hospitals ever since. Raynaud's was diagnosed straight away and I have had to have blood taken and be tested for Lupus and cancer. I also have fibrosis in the lungs.

"I was working on BMWs and Mercedes for footballers and royalty, I was flying high then it all came down." He couldn't bend his fingers properly and lost dexterity. His employers tried to help him but he was considered too high risk and left the job.

Avtar tried working as a home delivery worker for supermarkets but would gasp for breath as he walked up stairs carrying groceries. He gave up working altogether and is now on ESA and PIP, while carrying a disabled badge.

Raynaud's is estimated to affect up to ten million people in the UK and can be an indicator of more serious, life-limiting conditions such as scleroderma. Symptoms of Raynaud's include numbness, tingling, skin colour change or pain in fingers and toes in response to different temperatures.

Other symptoms include stress and a stinging or throbbing sensation when they warm up after exposure to the cold. Avtar said his torso could be hot but his arms and legs cold, he once had to go to the theatre wearing ski gloves. Yet he still has a sense of humour about his bizarre symptoms, even dying his hair blue for fun.

He said: "I have dark days but you can either laugh or cry about it. I am on anti-depressants and a cocktail of drugs, every day it's like one step up and two steps down. I am in hospital every month. I think it can affect anyone randomly, even the healthiest person.

"I wanted to know everything about the condition so I put feelers out on Facebook and heard nothing. Then I went on HealthUnlocked, a social network for health, and found people who did have Raynaud's. I found people close to me in the UK and we met in Birmingham. Then I started running the SRUK Support Group Midlands."

The charity is calling for a minimum of 10,000 people to spend 60 seconds taking the online test. If you may have Raynaud's you will be directed towards sources of advice, as well as further ways to participate in their citizen science project.

Avtar said: "The earlier you get tested the better you can be treated. Some don't want to know and are scared, we are like penguins in Antarctica where we survive huddled together.

"I call our Birmingham group penguins as if you are by yourself, you will struggle. Don't let it grind you down, there are good and bad days but try and put a smile on your face."

Take the online test here.