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
You can share your experiences and thoughts with other Embarrassing Bodies site-users below. Comments & Questions are reviewed by moderators, but if you see anything on the site that worries you, please report it and one of our moderators will look at it as soon as possible.
Please note: Unfortunately Channel 4 cannot respond to individual inquiries. If you have any concerns, you can check out NHS Choices, but ultimately it is always best to check with a health professional.
My daughter has had chilblains and no one could offer any help.One day when she came and showed me how her toes were swelling so they wouldn't touch the floor and painful I recalled my swollen dislocated finger tip and the pharmacist gave me some PILE cream. After I fell about laughing he said seriously it is anesthetic and will reduce swelling. So I tried this on the chilblains and we saw instant relief. We now use this everytime they appear and instead of 2 weeks of hell and tears they go almost instantly. If models can use it to reduce teh puffy eyes they have then surely it can't harm feet!
Hi i am a 24 year old male , and my problem is that some of my toes are sore and they look inflamed/red with some dried blood behide the skin. I have been using cream for chilblains but it doesnt seem to be healing them. This problem has been going on since the start of the winter. Please advice Thanks
I have a problem with my toes getting unbearably itchy and red. It's happening a lot at the minute, during the day and at night in bed or the shower. I moisturise my feet and body daily as i get very dry skin and I know this can can sometimes lead to itchyness. My toes are troubling me though, it itches right at the tips and around the nail bed which feels quite hot and red. It comes on very quickly and gets so that I can't resist rubbing them, often until it hurts. It then goes away again. I'm worried that it is an infection but it does not seem to be all the time.
my names abbi, i am 15 and i have a serious thing.the rash i get comes when i am exposed to cold weather , not just when i come into heat, mainly when i am just out with my friends, it makes my social life drop, i never want to go out. i can feel it coming naw, it is a rash that looks and feels like i have been thrown into a stingy nettle bush, it is from head to toe. it is quite painful and it is realy itchy, i went to my doctor about it, they saud it wasnt chillblings, but they couldnt diaognose what it is, i am on a tablet called loratadine, i am supposed to take 1 a day, i take 3 because it gets so bad, i walk around my house with scarfs and gloves on, it has officialy ruined my life. can you diagnose me for it please, the one wish i could have , would be to get it sorted, i watch the show all the time, and nothing has been anything like it. write back x
Looking at some of the symptoms its possible that people are suffering from eczema, as it gets worse in extremes of temperature. I have had it for 30 odd years but notice that its flares up with seasonal changes, also I was told by an occupational therapist that this was the case. It is a good idea also to make sure that you keep the skin moistured particularly if showering a lot after exercise, dry skin is also more itchy. I hope this helps
I have developed really itchy feet on my soles and the base of my toes and around my toes it isn't athlete's foot. It happens when my feet get warm and I want to scratch them with anything to hand, I usually end up rubbing them up and down on the carpet. I am taking Topiramate tablets and wonder if they are a side-effect, I can't find anything and I don't want to worry my doctor about this as it seems such a waste of time - any thoughts?
Hi Guys Iv been reading some of these comments and iv noticed what alot of you have said i have experienced, and after many visits to different doctors they have eventually have given me a diagnoses!! Those of you who have said they have hands and/or feet that are usually cold and go red/blue and feel numbness or patchy and likewise swelling when they are hot, may have Raynauds Disease/Phenomenon. Raynauds is basically irregular circulation. If you think you may have this google it,look at some pictures and the info on it and if it looks familiar go to your GP and explain to them that you think you may have Raynauds. Raynauds can not be cured as such but can be treated quite easily with tablets. I have been given tablets and i am gald to say that it is now under control, taking 1 a day. In fact, after taking them just 3 months i have noticed a significant change and have not had to take 1 for about 2 months and experienced no coldness/numbness/swelling/red or blueness! I have had this problem for as long as i could remember and it took years to be diagnosed so i know how you feel.
Standing here this morning looking at the snow has eminded me that I should look for a forum where I can let people know that there is a fast & effective relief from the pain & itching of chilblains. I suffered terribly, every year for 50years. I found an entry in an old book, late 1800's, that recommended lemon juice. Acid..........I wondered if that was where the tale of sticking feet into a pot of cold pee ( under the bed in the middle of the night ) originated from. Every sufferer will know how badly chilblains itch when the feet get too warm. I tried it(lemon juice not pee ) & after 3 days the chilblains were gone. If you do not keep your feet etc warm the chilblains WILL return but at the first sign, the lemon juice knocks them on the head straight away. I cannot describe the misery I have suffered over the years & all I needed was a little lemon juice. I used to by fresh lemons but discovered that PLJ lemon juice works just as well. Dab on neat, 2 or 3 times a day. Do not wash off. 3 days is usually enough but carry on if needed & always keep a bottle of PLJ in the cupboard.
I am 29 now, Thai people. When I was 15, I travelled to England, France, Switzerland and Germany for 4 weeks. After I come back around 1-2 months, I started to have rashes over my face, hands and legs but no rashes on my body. Face is the most severe. My face swells like fat women. It was very itchy and I scratch it until bleeding. Sometime I have to put ice on it to make me feel better. At first, one of the best doctor told me that I have leprosy and inject me with something. A week later, he told me that it was not leprosy. And he take skins from my face and no disease was found. I went to see many doctors but no one could tell me what it is. Now i find out that if I stay in an air conditioner room or in cold temperature, these rashes will not come up. Everytime i stay in hot temperature just a few hours, i will start itchy and rashes will start to form up under my skin. Weather is always hot through out the year and it makes me don't want to go out. Pls help.
Hello, I am 22 yrs old and I have got quiet bad circulation..my hands and feet are constantly cold..even in the summer time (unless in very hot country)! The worst is when I try to shower my toes becoming very red and itchy, but not my hands. After shower my toes are red, especially there where bones are sticking out and they still a bit itchy. When I've tried to rub some cream (any brand) but they tend to become more itchy..When i leave them for a while (and not scratching them) they calm down and look just like before. This itchines is only happening while and after shower. Its been like that for about 1,5 years. Is it the same like chilblains? or something different? Please help..
Important Notice
The information provided on this website (including any NHS Choices medical information) is for use as information or for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical care by a qualified doctor or other qualified healthcare professional. We do not warrant that any information included within this site will meet your health or medical requirements. This Embarrassing Bodies site does not provide any medical or diagnostic services so you should always check with a health professional if you have any concerns about your health.
If you want to embed our videos in your site, read our embedding T&Cs here
