Chilblains
| Chilblain | |
|---|---|
Toes inflamed by chilblains
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| Classification and external resources | |
| Specialty | Emergency medicine |
| ICD-10 | T69.1 |
| ICD-9-CM | 991.5 |
| DiseasesDB | 31219 |
| eMedicine | derm/322 |
| Patient UK | Chilblains |
| MeSH | D002647 |
Chilblains (/ˈtʃɪlbleɪnz/) — also known as pernio and perniosis[1] — is a medical condition that occurs when a predisposed individual is exposed to cold and humidity, causing tissue damage. It is often confused with frostbite and trench foot. Damage to capillary beds in the skin causes redness, itching, inflammation, and sometimes blisters.[2] Chilblains can be reduced by keeping the feet and hands warm in cold weather, and avoiding extreme temperature changes. Chilblains can be idiopathic (spontaneous and unrelated to another disease), but may also be a manifestation of another serious medical condition that needs to be investigated. A history of chilblains is suggestive of a connective tissue disease (such as lupus). Chilblains in infants, together with severe neurologic disease and unexplained fevers, can be seen in Aicardi–Goutières syndrome, a rare inherited condition.
Contents
Signs and symptoms
The areas most affected are the toes, fingers, earlobes, nose.
- Blistering of affected area
- Burning and itching sensation in extremities
- Dermatitis in extremities
- Digital ulceration (severe cases only)
- Erythema (blanchable redness of the skin)
- Pain in affected area
- Skin discoloration, red to dark blue
Chilblains usually heal within 7–14 days.
Prevention
Exposure
- Avoid rapid changes in temperature (including from cold to hot).[3]
- Wear warm shoes, socks and gloves.[3]
- Wear a hat and a scarf to protect the ears and the nose.[3]
- Avoid tight fitting socks/shoes.
- Place cotton wool between the toes to improve circulation.[3]
- Recommend soaking in warm water with Epsom salts for 15–20 minutes, 3–4 times a day. Avoid very hot water.
Other
- Healthy diet, low in inflammatory foods
- Exercise at least four times a week to improve circulation[3]
Treatment
- Keep area warm, and avoid any extreme temperature changes (including very hot water).
- Keep affected area dry.[4]
- Use a topical steroid cream to relieve itch.
- Nifedipine, a vasodilator, may be used in more severe or recurrent cases.[5]Vasodilation helps reduce pain, facilitate healing and prevent recurrences.[6] It is typically available in an oral pill but can be compounded into a topical formula.
- Diltiazem, a vasodilator, may also be used.[7]
- Apply a mixture of friar's balsam and a weak iodine solution.[3]
- There are anecdotal reports that Vitamin D and calcium supplements may help.[8]
- Avoid restricting the affected area.[9]
History
The medieval Bald's Leechbook recommended that chilblains be treated with a mix of eggs, wine, and fennel root.[10]
See also
References
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.[page needed]
- ↑ Cold Stress: Chilblains. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Retrieved January 6, 2009.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Robert Lacey and Danny Danziger August:The Year 1000: What Life Was Like at the Turn of the First Millennium Little, Brown, 2000 ISBN 0316511579[page needed]
External links
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Look up chilblains in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. |
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to [[commons:Lua error in Module:WikidataIB at line 506: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).|Lua error in Module:WikidataIB at line 506: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).]]. |
- Cold stress, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
