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Chilblains treatment Chilblains are inflammations caused primarily by cold weather. They affect the extremities — fingers, toes, ears, and nose — and tend to occur more frequently when circulation is poor. The exact cause of chilblains however is not entirely clear.
Chilblains tend to be aggravated by smoking, so if you smoke, you should consider stopping or at least cutting down on cigarettes. Another aggravating factor seems to be warming your skin too quickly, for example, coming in from the cold and putting your feet on a hot water bottle.
If you suffer from chilblains, practicing some of the prevention techniques will help as treatment too.
Keep the area warm, lightly exercise before you step out into the cold and when you come back in from the cold. This will help circulation and warm you up too. In addition, when you come in from the cold, don’t warm up too quickly. You should begin with light exercise and gently rubbing your extremities with a towel, and only after a few minutes of this should you use the radiator or a hot water bottle. You can also rub your feet with a cut onion or garlic a couple of times a day, and soak your feet in hot water that has been boiled with turnips or celery. Chilblains are sometimes a sign of other disease, so if you have a chronic problem with chilblains, visit your doctor.
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