Bantambabe Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 Big down side to this winter weather. Got my feet cold out sledging with the kids and OH on Thursday. My big left toe was sore yesterday - OH ribbing me that I needed to lay off the port, it must be gout. Anyway, 10 minutes googling later and I realise it's a chilblain. Big toe looks a bit swollen on bottom of pad, but feels like a cartoon one that has just had something very heavy dropped on it and is doing that pulsating, throbbing thing. Only good news is my work meeting this morning has been cancelled so can mosy in to work when the rush has died down and the roads cleared a bit. Not sure if I'll get my shoes on though and I can't drive in my wellies debs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chook n Boo Mum Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 Oooo poor you Debs, they are so uncomfortable aren't they. Hope it's better soon. Sha x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 How funny that you should post this - my eldest girl has been suffering with chilblains for a couple of weeks now. I took her to the Doctor a week or so ago about something else, & she had a quick look & said that they were chilblains. Devon had been wearing really thick socks to keep warm (her feet & hands are always cold) & the Doctor said that this was partly the problem, as they was not enough room for a layer of warm air in her shoes,causing more circulation problems. Thin socks are apparently much better. We have some over the counter cream,but I am not sure how effective it is I had them as a child too.You can also get them on your fingers & nose A chilblain is like a slightly purplish swelling,a bit like a blister but with no bubble of liquid.They feel hot,itchy & sore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Groovychook Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 Deepest sympathies- they hurt like mad! I used to suffer with them every winter and had a real job to put any sort of shoe or boot over my swollen toes. Haven't had them for years but during this last cold snap, have felt them coming on. . I'm trying to avoid extremes of temperature because that makes it worse... easier said than done at the moment! Can't do my usual thing of sprawling in front of the fire of an evening... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willow Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 I get them too whenever it gets very cold. Didn't know that about air circulating although since I work at home and don't wear shoes indoors that shouldn't be too much of a problem for me although I had been wearing slippers to keep my feet warm, maybe that has made them worse Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ana's flock Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 Ouch! Poor you. They're nasty. I used to get them when I was living in a very cold house, just by standing up by the sink or cooking (concrete floor and a very thin 'lino' carpet - OH #1 was really tight-fisted with money an didn't want to install central heating in our very old little house). I found if I got the ends of matches (the phosphorous bit) and mashed them with a bit of warm water and then rubbed the mixture on to the chilblains it helped. Someone told me to put my toes on a bowl with own urine apparently that's meant to help too (but I didn't try because I thought it was . I expect nowadays there are better remedies available in the market. The no no things to do are brusque changes of temperature and of course scratching them. (Much as I wanted to scratch those painful toes out of my feet!). Get better soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snoxy Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 I have to admit that when I have suffered with them in the past I have weeeeed on them...it works I also tried mentholatum...works too! Hug n luv Wee wee Lou Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickencam Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 I used to get them every winter as a child, whereas, our children have never had them even the eldest who has Reynaulds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redwing Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 When I was a teenager I worked in a chemist and we sold loads of Snowfire for chilblains (its like a stick of solid cream) so it must have been good stuff You can still get it now and its very cheap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Groovychook Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 When I was a teenager I worked in a chemist and we sold loads of Snowfire for chilblains (its like a stick of solid cream) so it must have been good stuff You can still get it now and its very cheap. I remember that! I used to use something called zam-buk too. Not sure if you can still get it... off to google it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bantambabe Posted February 9, 2009 Author Share Posted February 9, 2009 Wow, thanks everyone for all your ideas. Might go up to Boots at lunghtime and see what there is - might give the wee a miss Managed to get shoe on to get to work, but changing gear was v painful and I've been sitting at my desk with one shoe off. Colleagues think I'm a bit loopy anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiggy Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 old little house). I found if I got the ends of matches (the phosphorous bit) and mashed them with a bit of warm water and then rubbed the mixture on to the chilblains it helped. Someone told me to put my toes on a bowl with own urine apparently that's meant to help too (but I didn't try because I thought it was . i heard the urine thing too, its probably the uric acid that does it, at lease its your own urine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackrocksrock Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 When I was young in my first job I had a bus ride every day of 15 miles and in the winter my feet were always cold and I had chilblains - the office workers in the bank I worked in made me run round and round the carpark in my bare feet in the snow till they were really cold and then took me back in - I have never had chilblains ever again! - so not sure if it really did work but oh the relief at no chilblains. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickenanne Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 I grew up being told that washing your hands in warm water gave you chilblains (not cold hands from being outside or whatever, just washing hands in warm water ever). With the wisdom of age, I suspect it was parental tight-fistedness rather than medical fact.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruth1 Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 I get them every year, my circulations rubbish, when I worked with horses I used to get them on my thighs to. Every cold snap all four toes on each foot start, its been fairly permanent this year. Snowfire or Nelsons Tamus ointment work the best I have found. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
little chickadee Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 I have problems with my circulation and have found my sheepskin boots to be a complete godsend. I never get cold feet any more and wear them indoors too. I don't wear socks with them, just bare feet as is recommended. I'm thinking of getting some sheepskin mittens too to help with my hands. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 I used to get bad ones on my shins because of being a hockey player - never liked shin pads, and my socks always fell down anyway. The trouble was heating up the cold areas too quickly instead of gradually thawing yourself out. I drove home from the matches with the heater on high, which was the worst thing I could have done. Instinct tells you to warm up by sitting close to a fire or radiator - used to get them on my knuckes as a child and putting my hands on the radiators. Hindsight is a wonderful thing, but I don't suffer any more because I warm up slowly when I have been exposed to the cold - then hog the radiator when I have thawed, but now I just get a red blotchy face instead! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickencam Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 My ED has one on her little toe. She had a hot bath straight after playing in the snow on Friday Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 Lukewarm water first, hop in and then gradually add hot water. I always get in lukewarm water first, it saves on hopping back out and screaming! Then I add water to my comfort - I don't have to add tons of cold and then find it is too cold then drain some off to add the warm again - then find out that there is no more hot water left and end up with cold baths either! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
