One in 10 people suffer from it, women slightly more than men and young people more likely than older people, chilblains or chilblains. The medical term is perniones and although it often affects the hands or feet, ears or the tip of your nose can also become painful. But it is mainly the feet or hands that are painfully red/purple swollen. Chilblains and hands are a family ailment and unfortunately there is no adequate treatment.
What are chilblains and chilblains?
Chilblains and feet are common. Young people in particular suffer from it and the complaints can diminish or even disappear over the years. The skin of the affected body parts is red/purple and swollen. The skin is painful, tingling and the spots itch. The condition is caused by a poor response of the blood vessels to the cold. The pain gets worse when you walk from outside to inside. The spots are mainly on the fingers and toes, but can also appear in other places. Feet, ears, noses, heels and arms can become painfully swollen.
How do chilblains and chilblains develop?
When your body is exposed to the cold, the blood vessels in the skin constrict. The blood vessels slightly deeper in the body actually become wider. The body and its important organs thus remain at an acceptable temperature. This process does not work well in perniones.The large vessels constrict and the small vessels widen. This causes the skin to turn red and tingle. The skin will feel a bit burning and the red/purple spots will itch after a while.It is not known why the blood vessels react this way, but it is usually a familial predisposition. In some cases, a poor diet or the use of beta blockers is mentioned as the cause. Shoes, socks or gloves that are too tight can worsen the symptoms. People who already suffer from arteriosclerosis are at a higher risk, as are people whose weight is too low or too high.
An innocent but painful ailment
Source: Sapp, Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)Although chilblains and hands are painful, it is not a serious condition. Usually a visit to a doctor is not necessary. It is a recurring ailment, the complaints often return the following winter and can last for a month. Going to the doctor is necessary if the spots continue to spread and the pain gets worse.
How do you prevent chilblains and winter feet?
- In the winter months, make sure you have roomy socks, well-insulated shoes and gloves.
- Don’t stand still in the cold, keep moving.
- Damp cold is especially disastrous, which is why the condition hardly occurs in Scandinavia.
- Stay indoors when possible and at least try not to get wet in the cold.
- Major temperature changes worsen the complaints.
How do you treat chilblains and chilblains?
To date, no treatment has been proven to be effective. But:
- Alternating baths are usually recommended. Start this before winter, so before the complaints have arisen. First soak your feet in a foot bath with warm water for two to three minutes and then in cold water for half a minute. Repeat this several times.
- Rubbing helps (against the itching), as does massaging, but be careful not to damage the skin. Small wounds can become infected because the blood circulation in the skin is poor.
- Sometimes the pain is relieved by a heat cream, such as is used for muscle pain after exercise. (Midalgan, camphor spirit, etc.)
- Cod liver oil ointment can be used for small wounds, but it is better only in the evening because it does not have a pleasant smell.
- In some cases, a GP or dermatologist can prescribe vasodilators, but these do have side effects.
It is about!
If the problems start at a young age, you will lose the condition over time. In addition, the complaints are severe in the first few years, but they diminish afterwards. When the complaints start at an older age, the prognosis is slightly less rosy. Protect the places that are painful, be careful of damp cold, eat healthy and exercise seems to be the best treatment. Fortunately, summer always comes again!