Who remembers having chilblains? What was the cure?

[MissCordeliaPreston]

I grew up in an old house in the70s/ 80s and I remember having to huddle in the one room with heating in winter.

And occasionally got chilblains on my toes, and one winter, on my fingers.

Can anyone recall what the cure was back then?

I ask in case we need to know this year.

I get them, the trick is very thick socks to avoid them, massaging helps relieve them. You can buy tog rated socks you put over your normal ones (I reuse for a week) I'm very mean with heating and we never have heated the house much!

www.ebay.co.uk/itm/291659250519?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=_7UXzxapSrK&sssrc=2349624&ssuid=gz79tH01T1m&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

I tried everything over the years. Someone recommended these New Era homeopathic tissue salts (tiny wee tablets that melt on your tongue) and they've COMPLETELY GONE!

Incredible. I got mine from Holland & Barrett over 15-20 yrs ago.

Definitely worth a try.

My sister got them, I didn’t but my Mother used to really go on about not warming fingers and toes up too quickly. She was always a rebel I always did as I was told so didn’t put my feet right up against the gas fire.

You're right. Don't come in from the cold and warm yourself up by having a hot shower/bath or getting too close to the fire.

My skinny athletic (lots of running outdoors and getting feet wet) DS gets them, the last couple of winters much better as he’s taken to socks and slippers and is much more careful about keeping feet dry and warm. Did not find a useful treatment for them when he had them badly.

theres Chilblain cream from supermarkets / wilkos. Works a treat.

My mother swore by rubbing them with snow or ice, which makes no sense at all so I don’t recommend it. I honestly don’t remember if it helped.

My nana swore by the soaking them in wee method 🤮

I used to get them in my last house where we didn’t have central heating. The kitchen had one small electric heater and stone floors. I don’t remember doing anything to get rid of them. Just that they would be itchy.

My grandma used to wrap her feet in wet nappies, according to my dad.

Soaking in slightly warmer than cold water

My mum said I got them from putting my cold feet on the radiator. There was an awful smelling ointment but I used to wipe it off onto my teddy.

I get them, and Snowfire ointment is incredible. But not going from cold to hot quickly and keeping hands/feet dry is the key to prevention.

I get them badly as the garage is cold and the house used to be warm. Now both will be freezing so I imagine one benefit of not being able to afford the heating will be less chance of chilblains.

I had chilblains the other year for a couple of years in a row in my twenties. I think it's when your feet warm upto quickly after being cold. The dr gave me some cream for them. The itching was awful and my toes were so swollen.

I get them every winter, I realised mine are caused by warming up cold toes too quickly, usually by putting them in a hot bath. They’re much improved since I started warming my feet a bit more gradually and having showers more often.

They are still common in people who work outdoors in winter. You need to keep warm and dry to avoid them and if you get very cold don't warm up too quickly by jumping in a hot shower or bath or using a hot water bottle or electric blanket.

If you get them snowfire ointment is the best over the counter remedy.

My cousin swears by letting your feet regulate their own temperature as much as possible so doesn't wear socks or put them on a hot water bottle, soak in hot water etc.

Can't remember what we used as kids on our chilblains but I use Balmosa cream now if I get one.

Had them.for years when working in a freezing workplace, I heard about the weeing in the bath solution but bought some snow fire and that helped

Just put your hands / feet in COLD water

It's nothing to do with having no heating. I get them if I wear shoes that are too thin in the cold and then come into a warm house.

Balmosa