Chilblains Treatment

Do you apply the propolis to the affected area or drink it? I have propolis (the kind you drink, 1 tsp a day).

I had a look at your site for chilblain remedies and noted that you only have limited suggestions. I used aloe vera gel on my toes and it started to disappear in two days.

Another suggestion would be to use propolis (liquid extract) as it is a very powerful healer as well. If all else fails I would try Manuka honey but since it is the most expensive, leave it till last.

Lu

I would like to add to the other comments by saying that I found essential oil of black pepper to be very effective for the awful itch of chilblains. You can put it on neat and it will take away the itch (I think that's similar to the "treat like with like", ie obviously the pepper is hot and so are the chilblains). Don't get near eyes! You can also rub in a carrier oil and then add a few drops of black pepper oil. Also, exercise - jumping up and down, a rebounder, skipping etc. Get the blood flowing. Get a basin of cold water and step in and out, or run your feet under the cold tap, then put on the oil, put on lightweight socks and start jumping!

I made a homemade hand cream from coconut oil, aloe vera and emulsifying wax (bees wax). One Tbsp of each, stirred together in a bowl over a pot of hot water. Each night and morning I would put one drop each of lavender and tea tree essential oil in the palm of my hand - and half a tsp of my coconut hand cream. I would massage it slowly and firmly and gently onto both hands. The massage would take about 5 minutes. I paid particular attention to my nail beds, and finger tips. The chilblains were terrible, but after a week of this my fingers were warmer, healthier and without pain. I wore cotton gloves to bed, at night, to allow the cream to better absorb.

I am so happy with the result. I'd tried all sorts of other things prior to this - with no result at all.

Severely itchy toes & heels

Hello all, After suffering from this on and off for a year, comments on another forum finally helped me figure out I had chillblains and I thought I would share my experience. Maybe there is higher awareness in other parts of the world but I had never heard of this before and it certainly seemed to be off the radar for the 4 docs. I saw too.

This starts as a severe localized itch usually one one toe, with no mark, but develops into severe itch on most toes, which become swollen, shiny, red and sometimes purple in spots, and severely itchy. There may be flat blister-type things and small spots as well, on the toes and possibly heels. This all happens at the tips of the toes and back of heel, NOT between the toes. I can't describe how awful the itchiness is, it is truly debilitating, preventing you from going out comfortably, and from sleeping.

I saw 4 doctors and was diagnosed with fungal, bacterial and viral infections but the medications didn't help. Meanwhile I was trying to get relief from the itch from soaking my feet in ice water and hot water as hot as I could stand. I was convinced it was a kind of infection and even resorted to putting bleach on my toes. In desperation I scoured the internet one night unable to sleep and finally considered chillblains.

Chillblains are caused by poor circulation and temperature changes the feet are exposed to (some people get this in their fingers too apparently). Despite living in cold Canada, no doctor ever raised this as a possibility with me! I considered myself fit and active but do sit at a desk in a cold room every day and have low bp. I thought it'd be worth a try to see if the chillblain treatments helped. Within a day, my feet felt 100% better though they still looked bad. The trick with chillblains is that once you have them, warming your feet causes them to itch (this is why I kept thinking the "infection" was spreading). Treating the itch with ice and hot water and going barefoot worsened the condition.

The recommended treatment is to elevate your feet to help with swelling, keep your feet warm but avoid temperature extremes, use calamine lotion for the itch or hydrocortisone (though this didn't help me). Vicks vaporub seemed to help too. Exercise that promotes circulation helped, if the itch started I would go for a brisk walk and it would resolve soon after.

If you're not sure about whether you have this, you could try this approach for a day or two - the results will show up that fast! The redness and swelling go down and itching episodes decrease. I thought I would go mad as despite tons of research I could never find a fungal infection that manifested this way, and then the images of chillblains online looked exactly like what I had.

That said, there are bacterial infections that manifest in a similar way and I'm sure other things too, so as with anything it's always worth checking in with a doc. first.

Every winter I would get annoying chilblain....until by luck I found out that if I stop consuming dairy and gluten products I would not get the chilblains during that winter....no matter how cold it was;) Don't ask me why it works....I just know that it does for me! Maybe give it a shot and have a chilblain-free winter!!!!

I looked on this site for help with chilblains on my toes. They were so painful I could barely walk. I decided to soak my feet in warm water with Epsom salts and then massage with coconut oil. I went to bed noticing my toes felt quite hot but comfortable. Felt a bit better in the morning and took 2 anti flams. By mid day there was hardly any discomfort. I am not sure what worked but am repeating it again hoping to be rid of them by tomorrow. I am excited to say the least. Thanks everyone who posted their helpful hints.

Hydrogen Peroxide Napkin Plaster for Toe Chilblains:

Give this a try. It worked for me. This remedy also works on toe nail fungus. Hydrogen peroxide can be used to eliminate fungi causing chilblains and add O² to the blood stream in the toes.

Fold down a paper towel or napkin just enuff to cover your toenails completely, top, sides and bottom. Then place napkin in a bowl and saturate the napkin with 3% H2O2 brown bottle. Wrap the napkin over your toes, top and bottom. Tuck and fold the sides of the napkin and put a recycled bread bag over your foot (I tried using plastic-wrap but it leaked everywhere and soaked the socks). Then put on an old sock to keep everything in place. This way you can move around the house freely.

You will need to do this for a few hours or over-nite, everyday for 10-14 days.

Don't forget to change and clean all your socks, sandals & shoes or at least pour ACV in your shoes every time if you suspect fungal infection.

Source of idea: https://www.earthclinic.com/cures/fungus8.html#h2o2_190829

I remember the awful combo of the itch and pain. I had chillblains in the arch of my foot and the only relief I could get was to stand at the bottom of the stairs and rub my foot on the carpet jumping from one foot to the other till I cut the skin or my mother caught me - whichever came first.

Bathing my feet with mustard powder was what helped me. This seemingly heated the skin closer to the level of the blood vessels and created less constriction. Use a tablespoon to start in a basin of water and go up if it doesn't increase to heat in you skin. One person I know that this remedy also helped used 1/4/tsp mustard powder and a tsp of vaseline and rubbed it on his feet instead of putting it into water.

DO NOT USE this remedy if the chillblains have cut your skin as the mustard powder will burn. The chillblains disappeared at some stage in my teens - never to return.

As a child I sufferd from chilblains, my dad told me of an old cure for this ailment. I thought this remedy was nonsense and was sceptical of trying it. The pain and itching got the better of me so I relented and tried it and it works...... Cut 1 onion and rub over affected area. the symtoms disapear quikly, keep the onion in a zip lock bag and use as required

Hemorriod cream appied to affected areas, also to areas that are known to give problems as a preventive messure. Wear cotton socks and merino wool socks over them. Buy shoes for the cold weather months sized for the extra socks. This has brought relief to me.

Chilblains Treatment: My husband has suffered with red, raw toes for years. This occurs only in the winter time. While researching this site there was no doubt he has Chilblains. We started trying different suggestions. Peppermint oil, helped. Went to health food store they suggested neem oil. We mixed the two oils together, applied twice each day. Unbelievably, redness is gone and so is the pain. He will keep applying till cold weather is over.

This is an easy one. I had chilblains. I didn't know what they were at first. I mentioned it to my Dad and he told me to use rubbing alcohol. So, I put some on a cotton ball and rubbed my toes with it. Didn't take to many days and it was gone. So to keep it from coming back, I put the rubbing alcohol on my toes before I went outside to keep it from coming back. I have no need for it anymore.

Adding a cup of sea salt or epsom salt to a foot bath helps tremendously the chilblains. Just have to do it like twice a day for 5-6 days and they'll pretty much be gone depending in the severity. Eating a non-inflammatory diet helps as well.

I have got to share this nugget of wisdom I have found for relieving chilblains...

Selica Gel. The packets you get when you buy new items, to keep them dry. Put some in your socks and wear them. This has gotten me through a working day on my feet without aggravating the soreness, and I believe it helps clear up the condition from keeping the feet from getting too humid/wet.