Conditions
Chilblains
Chilblains (otherwise knows as pernio) are caused by inflammation of the blood vessels in the skin, and can become painful and itchy. Untreated they can crack the skin, leading to infections. They are caused when an exposed body part, typically the feet or the hands, moves from an extremely cold environment to a hot one. The most common example of this is when a person with cold hands runs them under the hot tap – frequently leading to swelling and tingling in the hands, but also potentially to the formation of chilblains. The chilblain is caused by the blood vessels restricting blood flow during extreme cold, but being exposed to warmth that causes an unexpected expansion. The result is the leaking of fluid into surrounding tissues. Treatments range from simple anti-septic solutions (such as iodine) to prevent infection through to antibiotics for already infected ulcers.
Comments and Questions
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Hi I was wondering if you could help. I have been suffering with Chillblaines for the past 3years now, I keep my feet as warm as I possibly can so I have managed to control the itching and swelling. From past experience of Chillblaines I have been left with horrible marks on my toes which I can't get rid of, there really ugly and make my feet look awful. What can I do to get rid of these marks please????
ive got swollen unbearably itchy toes is this chilblains? doctor has said i might have a trapped nerve in my spint but some of the symptoms on here are exactly the same as mine my feet are left doscoloured and look bruised at the moment
Hi, I'm 17 years old and for the past 3 years, about every 6 months I get like little bump on my hands and they are sooooo itchy. Every time I get them I go to the doctors and they always give me steriod cream but it never seams to work. I have them now but this is the only time they have spread to my neck, back and shoulder. I hate it but I don't know what it is or how to treat them!!!
Im 32 , I get chill blains on my right ear. I seem to get them when I get hot. They get really big and I can feel my ear pumping blood through the veins in my ear and starts burning. Ive tried Antihistamine tablets and hydrocortisone cream twice a day but still get them. Is there anything I can do.
Can you get chilblains on the bottom of your toes as well as the tops ?
hi i have itchy red sores in mytoes and fingers for last 25 yrs except those winters when i take off from my job .i live in punjab india where temp is -2 to 18 in winter session. can someone suggest me a sure remedy to get rid of this suffering
Arghhh.. I have them on the joints of my toes. My bad, I wore Converse twice whilst dog walking recently. I haven't had them for a few years, largely because I have been (exclusively) wearing steel toe capped boots. They might not be the height of sartorial elegance but they do create temperature stable atmosphere for your feet. Wearing steels keeps my feet warm in the winter and cooler in the summer.
I currently have chilblains on my toes!! This is strange but like some of the other comments I would like to tell others out there that the onion trick really works!! I've just rubbed an onion cut in half over the affected areas and ALL of the itching has gone. A huge huge relief. What I have done now is broken up the onion and put them in some warm socks (Yeah gross I know but still, if you have chilblains and experience the extreme itching its worth it!) and put them on. The onion surrounding the chilblains in the socks has helped SOSO much. Highly recomended!!
I may smell like a packet of cheese and onion crisps but this really works.The itching on my chilblained fingers was unbearable but now I can keep it under control, thanks.
i suffer every winter from a massive chilblain on my side,it is very itchy and sore,i am a plasterer so i spend most of the day sweating and then working in cold conditions any advice
I find soaking my feet in a mustard foot bath with water as hot as you can bear it always works for me.
I'm sixteen, eat a lot of fruit and veg, (have a lot of vitamin C) and dance for about 5 hours a week. I would say I'm slim, a healthy person. My blood pressure is normal, (whereas in some of my family members have it high) and have no other medical history I can think of- so why do I keep getting chilblains!? :( Last year the doctor gave me some cream, however it did nothing, and I ended up suffering from November-May. I've tried so hard to keep my toes warm this year, but they've just swollen, and they're so sore! Any ideas what might stop the itching? Or prevent it on the first place?
I have had this on and off since my second child was born 24 years ago. I can go for several years with none and then it starts up again like now I am living in a very damp..but not overly cold place. My feet have always gotten either cold or hot very easily. In the summer they overheat. Anyway I have tried the remedy of the juice from a raw onion rubbed over the affected areas for several minutes will ease the itching within a few minutes. I add to that one 325 mg "aspirin" not acetominaphin or ibufrofin but acetesylic acid (aspirin). I take a raw yellow cooking onion that is kept in a cool location. slice into it and make hatch marks so there is a lot of juice. gently rub this over all toes/fingers. in a few minutes the itch should subside. I would not recommend this on the face. I do 2 sessions/evening and over 2-3 nights. Out of curiosity I would really like to know why dampness has such an effect on this.
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