Chilblains: Cold Weather Woes For Your Feet and Toes!

It’s that time of year again when the low temperatures are making our feet feel frozen, numb and cold. All you want to do is find warmth in a nice hot shower, electric blanket, hot water bottle or heater. You may not know it yet, but sometimes exposing your feet to extreme changes in temperatures can cause chilblains. Chilblains present as itchy and painful red lumps on your toes that can drive you up the wall!

CHILBLAINS: What are chilblains?

Chilblains (also called erythema pernio) are small itchy, red (and sometimes blue to purple) swellings on the skin, which can be painful. Chilblains are a reaction to severe cold weather when our capillaries shrink to keep the warmth of our blood close to our bodies and not close to the skin where heat is lost. When we rewarm the feet too quickly, this can lead to leakage of fluid and blood into the toes leading to chilblains. The fluid and blood in the tissue can cause redness and cause irritation and itching and sometimes they can break down to become a small ulcer prone to infection.

CHILBLAINS: Who is at risk of getting chilblains?

Particular population groups prone to getting chilblains are:

People who smoke (this can lead to constriction of arteries as well as peripheral arterial disease)
People with connective tissue disorders (for example lupus)
People who suffer from Raynauds syndrome
People with a family history of chilblains
People with poor circulation such as those are living with Diabetes
Those who enjoy the outdoors but neglect to keep their feet warm and dry

CHILBLAINS: What are the symptoms of chilblains?

Chilblains usually cause discomfort, pain and can be extremely itchy. They usually appear as red / purple lumps and in some cases they can blister and scab over. They usually last for a week or longer and subside with appropriate treatment or when the warmer weather arrives. Chilblains occur mainly on the extremities (toes, fingers, nose, ears) and over bony areas (knuckles).

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