Chillblains - anyone suffer?

[janeyo]

I have just been to the chirpodist who tells me the bruises on my feet are chillblains! I thoght that's what old people who sat about all day got?!

She has recommended a cream, given me some insulated insoles, and told me to cut up a pair of socks to out round my ankles. She then put this gadget thing (dopla)on my pulse in my ankes to test the circulation to discover there sort of wasn't much in one foot and erratic in the other - eek and said I ought to have my heart checked out.

Freaking out a bit now...... Has anyone heard of such things? Should I worry? Am I going to keel over before I get to eat all the xmas chocs I have made?!

janeyo

[Bephlam]

You'll be fine....you will definitely get to eat your chocolates, but beyond that I can't promise you!

Only kidding - worry not, it's relatively normal for them to check your circulation when they diagnose chillblains!

[zazen999]

Oh yeah, I had them as a child. We put something on them and they went away again.

I'll have a think and get back to you. It might be a while as I'll have to ask my mother and that could be a long conversation.

*Remembers

surgical spirits. love the smell.

[SlugLobber]

What cream did she recommend, Jane? My OH gets chilblains every winter (handling cold tools and engine parts in a rampshed). He doesn't 'do' Doctors, though!

[janeyo]

Cream is called 'Balmosa' Cream

janeyo x

[PAULW]

Old fashion remedy is to wee on the chilblains

[di]

Have you managed to get rid of yours Jane?
I have had them since a few weeks before Christmas.....and they are now driving me absolutely potty!!!At the start there was something oddly satisfying about how intense the itchiness was....relieved by major scratching.....however,they've now got that when they don't itch they're incredibly painful....no way am I going to the docs....& really can't even think about soaking them in a wee bath....the chemist said really the only cure is to keep your temperature consistent....cos that's really possible in this weather!!!(O.K,I'm sure the welies & steel toe caps don't help too much)
I'm just assuming(hoping!!) they'll go away on their own once the weather perks up a bit!!???

[jackie j]

I dont know if this is right but I thought chilblains would be worse if you go from one extreme to the other cold to hot. When we were kids we were always told to warm up slowly and not to put hotwater bottles directly on our feet but to have a cover in between because we would get chillblains correct me if I am wrong. I have never had them touch wood.

[di]

I can only think mine are a direct result from being a little lazy & I leave my work boots(steel toe cap to prevent a repeat occurance of a rather nasty childhood injury!)in the shed at the lottie & they do get pretty cold.....the only alternatives are to either wear them to walk to lottie(find them fine towork in but really uncomfortable for walking far)or carrying them up there(quite heavy & put together with compost peelings,chook lunchmy flask & whatever other bits I need to take,I really can't be bothered!!)
I might try stuffing them with newspaper to see if that helps.....mustn't really grumble....could be far worse....just getting a tad annoying!!
The strange thing is,this is the first winter I've not suffered from really itchy legs & also the first time I've ever had chilblains....so maybe they've actually cured the leg problem!

[janeyo]

They were better before the snow came cos I bought some furry boots just before christmas and didn't take them off for about 6 weeks lol.
Since the snow even with furry boots and 2 pairs of socks they are coming back.

Roll on summer!

[Growem]

I got them this winter too and I treated them the same way my doctor recommended for my frostnip when I lived in Germany. You take two basins big enough for you feet. One you fill with hot water and the other with cold water. Not scalding hot, but hand temp hot. Then you put your feet into one basin for about 30 seconds, then put them into the other basin straight after. Keep alternating for about 5 minutes.

The idea is that the circulation in your feet is poor which is part of the problem. The hot water dilates the blood vessels in your feet and then the cold water contracts them. So in a way, you give your circulation a bit of a work-out by doing this. It sounds odd, but it did help for mine, so it might be worth giving it a try.

[janeyo]

I could happily put them in hot water, not sure about the cold, but might give it a go. Thanks

[Pumpkin Becki]

I used to suffer from Chilblains as a child really badly, and then when I started to drive myself to my horseriding lessons, I'd freeze in my riding boots (coz you don't really move your toes do you) and then I'd blast them with the car heater on the way home - not a wise move. When I was little I used to take a tiny pink tablet called 'Pernivite' but I don't know if the still make it. Now I use Balmosa which is good but has a fairly peculiar smell.

[Growem]

Janeyo, I always finished with a quick dip in the hot.

[lettucegrow!]

Nasty 'orrible things chilblains!!!I used to get them when I was a Florist ( years ago in a previous life!) Try not to heat up too quickly if you get cold,they can itch really badly and the skin can split and be very sore. I took a homeopathic remedy,tiny little pills that dissolved on the tongue and they did the trick.Thing to do is not get cold,keep an even temperature-nice thermals for you jaynyoxx