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Mahes Visvalingam (This site is under reconstruction)
Neutragena, witch hazel, calc phos,
friar's balsam & iodine |
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What is it? Chilblains occur in response to cold as red,
blistered skin on extremities of the body, such as toes, fingers, ear lobes,
nose etc. The causes are not well
understood. Though harmless, unless
ulcerated and infected, they can be very painful, itchy and irritating. There are several web pages which describe
chilblains, their causes and treatments.
See: http://www.patient.co.uk/health/Chilblains.htm
http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/chilblains/Pages/Introduction.aspx Self Help We are fairly active people and tend to wrap up
well when we go out. I only get
chilblains on my toes and my spouse only gets chilblains on the fingers (so
has a good excuse for not washing up or getting hands wet). I find that I get them if I happen to be
wearing shoes that let damp in (not necessarily wet). It is the combination of cold and damp that
seems to do most damage. So, I wear my
walking boots with woollen socks
next to my skin. Unfortunately, it is
quite difficult to find good woollen socks with soft tops these days. Being retired, we can avoid going out in really bad weather. So, your condition might be a lot worse and
more difficult to cure. I have used witch hazel
tincture on unbroken blisters - it is cooling and healing. On ruptured blisters, a mixture of Vitamin
E (I use natural d-alpha tocopherol) and some other light oil helps to
moisturise and heal the skin. Or, you
can try coconut or sesame oil. We
also consume the Vitamin E capsules
but not everyday.
Recently, a friend recommended Neutragena cream, and it was very effective. In the old days, I used to paint the toes with friar's balsam and iodine tincture. These are no longer available off the
shelf, but while researching for this article, I found on the above nhs website that pharmacies will make them up for you. I will inquire and report. Tamus ointment
(wintergreen) is another old-fashioned remedy. There are other herbal and homeopathic
remedies which we have not tried.
There is a theory that chilblains are caused by blood acidity. I find that Biochemic Calc Phos and Mag Phos
counteract this. So, moisturise
the skin and then keep it warm & dry.
Stay active. If affected, try Neutragena cream; the friar's balsam mixture; Tamus ointment or just organic Vitamin E. Other
remedies tried by us but which have not helped •
Herbal o chilli/cayenne/ginger powder in talcum powder on the inside of shoes. However, Louise Keet (a reflexologist) points out that talcum has
minute shards of gypsum which can cause problems. She uses cornflour
in her reflexology. •
Other remedies we did not try o roasted
onion poultice on unbroken chilblain. o make
a hole in a potato and put a small amount of vegetable oil in it and use as
poultice. o other
peripheral vasodilators; i.e. remedies which dilate blood supply to the
tissues, which are milder than circulatory stimulants - e.g. elderflowers,
rosemary, yarrow, peppermint etc. The
Chinese favour hawthorn and ephedra.
Buckwheat is widely eaten in Russia and the Baltic States. It is rich in rutin
which is good for toning and repairing blood vessels and capillaries. We did not like the taste of it cooked as
porridge and have not persevered. •
Homeopathic remedies Avoid alcohol ( we don't have any)
and wrap up well. Check
medicines and food My husband’s knuckles used to turn pink and the
hands used to look and feel arthritic when the weather turned cold. After we stopped all medication in August 2018, he no longer has these
problems. Most medicines make the body
acidic causing inflammatory diseases which have names ending with ‘itis’, e.g. arthritis, cystitis etc. Diet can also predispose the body towards
acidity, e.g. gout can be caused by medication, red and other putrefying meat
and fish, alcohol etc. © Mahes Visvalingam 17 Jan
2010 |