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Chilblains

Chilblains are the condition of inflammation of blood vessels of the skin when it is exposed to sudden warming from cold climate. It is also called pemio chilblains. This disorder will cause red patches, swelling, itching and painful blisters on fingers and toes and even on nose and ears. No treatment is required for chilblains since it will resolve on its own, once the weather improves.

The rashes and blisters will take maximum 2-3 weeks to disappear. In rare cases, it can cause infection. Chilblains do not appear immediately after exposure to cold temperature. It takes several hours for itching and blisters to appear on the skin after the body gets exposed to very cold temperature.

Symptoms :

There will be burning sensation on the extremities (on hands and legs) and the skin changes its original color forming dark blue color. There will be severe itching followed by the appearance of red scaly patches and blisters on the skin. The skin develops swelling which leads to blister formation. Red itchy areas are profoundly seen on arms and fingers and toes. In rare cases, there will be ulcerous growth on the skin due to blood leakage under the skin. Due to heavy cold weather, some people will have chilblains for 4-5 months during peak season. It would leave scars on the skin, even after the disappearance of blisters.

Causes :

Exact cause of chilblains is yet to be invented. It is believed to be caused due to abnormal allergic reaction in the body due to exposure to cold temperature which is followed by warmth. Tiny blood vessels of the skin will expand more quickly than larger ones leading to leakage of blood within the tissues under the skin. This will cause rash, itching and painful blisters on the skin.

Risk Factors :

Chilblains can occur on any person, irrespective of their age but is largely seen in elderly people and children with weakened immunity. People who have circulatory disorders have increased chance for getting affected with this problem. Chilblains are found in Europe during winter season. Women are more commonly affected than men. The place/area where you live and the season of the year are deciding factors for chilblains. Individuals who are exposing their skin to cold temperature 1`are likely to get affected with chilblains.

Treatment :

Over the counter creams and lotions are available to manage itching and rashes. You can consult your doctor if the blisters get worse and are painful. He would prescribe nifedipine for relaxing blood vessels beneath the skin thus allowing free flow of blood.

Topical corticosteroids are given for managing itching. You can also take Trental for reducing swelling on the skin. Before applying any ointment or cream, you need to clean the injured area for protecting against any possible infection.

Pictures of Chilblains :

Images, Pics, Pictures and Photos of Chilblains

Prevention :

Chilblains can easily be prevented if you do not expose your skin to cold temperature for long. Keep your body well covered if you need to live in cold weather. You can take precautions to keep your skin warm in cold climate. Apply lot of lotions that manage itching and swelling.

In case you have to stay in cold weather, make sure that you keep your hands and feet warm. Only sudden warming of skin causes chilblains so you can casually try any methods for protecting and warming your skin. Earlier it was thought that taking Vitamin D supplement is useful for treating chilblains; however there is no proof available till now.

Chilblains – Pictures, Symptoms, Causes, Treatment

What exactly are Chilblains?

This is a very painful condition involving the inflammation of blood vessels in the skin that are small. This response is triggered by any rapid warming from cold temperatures. It is also referred to as pernio. Chilblains cause red patches, itching, blistering as well as swelling on the extremities, for instance your nose, ears, toes and fingers.

Chilblains normally react well with treatment and within 1 to 3 weeks usually clear up. But, this condition can reappear seasonally for years. Different medications and lotions are characteristically treatments for this condition. Chilblains do not normally cause injuries that are permanent but they can cause infections which can cause serious damage when left not treated.

The best method to prevent this condition is to elude having it develop simply by regulating any exposure to cold, warmly dressing and being certain that any exposed skin is covered.

Chilblains Symptoms

The symptoms and signs of chilblains can include:

Itchy red, small areas on the skin, most often on the hands or feet

Swelling of the skin

Potential blistering

Feeling of burning on the skin

Possible ulceration

Skin color which changes from red or dark blue and also causes pain

Most individual with chilblains at no time need to visit a physician – as using lotions to help with the itching and pain seems to manage this condition well. But, the pain can become so severe or the skin which is affected starts to look as if it could be infected and at that time the individual should seek medical help so that this condition can be treated more effectively. An individual should also seek medical management if the skin has not gotten better in over two weeks.

If an individual has circulation which is poor or has diabetes, they need to see their primary care physician as soon as chilblains appear in order to prevent complications.

Chilblains Causes

The condition that develops chilblains is the product of an extreme reaction of the body to cold. Chilblains tend to start on skin which is exposed to the cold and is then warmed too rapidly, for instance warming cold hands in front of a fire or heater. This heating of the cold skin rapidly causes small vessels of the blood system directly beneath the skin to quickly expand faster than the larger blood vessels nearby can handle. This results in what is known as the “bottleneck” effect – causing blood to leak into nearby tissues. Why this reaction happens with some people and not with others, is not known.

Factors that can increase the risk of chilblains occurring include:

Skin exposure to cold
Any skin that is exposed to conditions which are cold and then rapidly warmed may develop chilblains.

Female
Women are most apt to get chilblains, but why is not known.

Underweight
Individuals who weight 20% less than are projected for their height have an enlarged hazard of chilblains.

Where a person lives
Oddly, chilblains are less likely in areas which are drier and colder since the living conditions as well as the clothing used in these areas are more protective against cold. But then, if an individual lives in an area with humidity that is high and low temperatures but not necessarily freezing, the hazard of chilblains is greater.
Time of year
Chilblains are most common from November to April.

You're reading Chilblains – Pictures, Symptoms, Causes, Treatment posted by minhhai2d, the information is for reference only.

Shoes are ill-fitting
Chilblains can develop from or be provoked by any unusual pressure on the skin, for instance tight shoes.

Poor circulation
Individuals with circulation that is poor tend to be most sensitive to changes in the temperature, making them most prone to chilblains.

Diagnosed with Raynaud’s phenomenon
An individual with Raynaud’s phenomenon which is another condition related to cold and affects the extremities, are also more vulnerable to chilblains. Both conditions can cause sores, although Raynaud’s causes types of color changes on the skin which are different.

Chilblains can create complications if the skin blisters. When that occurs, the individual can develop infections and ulcers. Besides being extremely painful, infections are possibly life-threatening especially if left untreated. The individual should see a physician if an infection is suspected.

Chilblains Treatment

Options for treatment can include:

Corticosteroid creams
Corticosteroids which are topical help to relieve swelling as well as itching.

Medications for Blood Pressure
A medication which lowers blood pressure called nifedipine (Procardia, Adalat) is often used to manage the cause of chilblains since it helps the blood vessels to open up.

Prevention of Infection
If the skin has broken, management should also include cleaning and shielding the wounds in order to avoid infection.

Chilblains normally clear up after 1 to 3 weeks. There are steps that can be taken at home to ease the symptoms, these include:

Using lotions to alleviate swelling or itching

Keeping the affected skin warm, but keep away from sources of heat

Keep affected skin clean with an antiseptic in order to avert infection.

Avoiding any scratching

In order to prevent chilblains it is important to limit or avoid any exposure to cold. Follow these tips:

Dress in layers of warm clothing

Make certain the hands, face and feet are warm

All exposed skin should be covered when going outside in weather which is cold

Keep workplace and home comfortably warm

If the skin is exposed to cold weather, it is useful to rewarm the skin gradually, since any sudden rewarming of cold skin will only worsen chilblains.