Tag Archives: cold injury

What is the cause of chilblains on the feet?

Chilblains are uncomfortable lesions that characteristically show up on the toes in colder environments. They are not resulting from what is popularly considered as poor circulation however are because of a inadequate reaction of the blood flow to variations in temperature in wintry climates. Those who are healthy with good blood circulation still get chilblains and the cause of them isn't totally clear. They start out originally as tiny red-colored patches on the toes which might be itchy. The spots later on take on a dark bluish colour as waste materials accumulate in the skin. The easiest method to overcome chilblains would be to not get them by avoiding them. This can be done by continuing to keep the foot warm instead of letting it get cold. If the foot does become cool, then it's extremely important that it's warmed up gradually. A too fast warming up by, as an example, placing the cold foot in front of a heat source is commonly considered as just what leads to a chilblain. When a chilblain occurs, numerous creams can be used to assist the blood circulation and promote the removal of the waste products. It is vital that the chilblain is protected against the footwear pressure with bandages of some kind.

There are actually many unknowns about chilblains that medical research has not yet uncovered. One of these is that there is quite a big group of people who once suffered from chilblains and then one winter they just stopped being a problem and have definitely not occurred again. If you search and ask them what changed the year that they didn't occur, you typically can find out next to nothing. There was no alteration of their health status or diet or anything which might be identified. Obviously, in the event the reason for this might be found then that has the potential to open up an important opportunity for controlling people with active chilblains.