Everything You Need To Know About Chilblains
CHILBLAINS
WINTER IS COMING – WRAP UP THOSE FEET
Yes that’s right, if you haven’t realised yet winter is on its way, if not already here! The days are getting shorter and the temperature is getting colder. No doubt we are all thinking about putting our heating on if we haven’t already!
The winter can also be a bad time for our feet. Many people suffer during the cold months with very cold feet and chilblains. These are extremely painful lesions which occur anywhere on our feet and some people get them on their hands. They are often red and itchy and painful at night especially. Strangely they often feel hot and people think they need to cool them down.
Chilblains are caused by the cold affecting the blood vessels in the skin closing them down so that the blood is diverted deeper. This causes the skin to become even colder and the waste products produced by our cells build up. This causes the pain and redness and sometimes they can even break open if not treated in time.
They are best treated by trying to prevent them occurring in the first place. The way to do this is simply to wrap up and wear warm clothing, particularly good footwear with thick socks. The shoes should have a good thick sole to help insulate from the cold. If you are doing a lot of walking in the cold you could even wear a double layer of socks to keep your feet warm. However, if they have occurred then you can still treat them in the same way.
There are various chilblain creams available on the market, however there is a cream called Akileine Winter cream which I advise for this condition which opens up the surface blood vessels and warms the feet up. This can be used to try to prevent chilblains also. The cream should not be used if the chilblains are weeping, they then should be dressed and you should seek advice as to the best way to help in this situation.
If you do suffer from this painful condition feel free to book an appointment with a Podiatrist at Walsh Podiatry, 329 Chester Road, Castle Bromwich, Birmingham 0121 749 6313, or come along to purchase the Akileine Cream which is sold here or online at www.walshpodiatry.co.uk