At this time of year the cold weather can have many effects on us as well as colds and lingering coughs that many of us have the misfortune to pick up.  Over the winter months the cold can also play its part on our feet.

One such problem is perniosis or pernio, commonly known as chilblains.

Chilblains are diagnosed on clinical grounds and should be suspected when a person has one or more intensely itchy, painful, swollen skin lesions that appear within 12–24 hours of exposure to cold.

• • The lesions appear as single or multiple (usually symmetric) red patches, papules, on a cool/cold swollen base
  • They occur most commonly on the toes and fingers
  • The colour can change from red to purple (or marked darkening in people with dark skin), and swelling can progress to painful. In severe cases, it can lead to the chilblain becoming “broken” due to blistering or ulceration.

People presenting with an acute or recurrent episode of chilblains should be reassured that the condition is self-limiting, caused by exposure to cold, and will resolve if further exposure to cold is avoided.

To avoid chilblains we advise the following:

• Dressing warmly to protect the feet, for example thermal socks
• Avoiding scratching, rubbing, or applying direct heat.
• Smoking cessation, if relevant.
• Keeping dry to reduce heat loss.
• If you are prone to chilblains each year then start applying a chilblain cream such as balmossa from late autumn through to spring in the hope this prevents the development.

If you are currently suffering from chilblains and they are unbroken or intact carry out the above but if they are ulcerated then book an appointment with a Podiatrist so that they can be assessed and made more comfortable (via padding/dressing and possible low level laser therapy) as infection can often occur in this case, if left.

In extreme cases the Podiatrist may ask your GP for a medicine called Nefidipine to be prescribed which is causes vasodilation in the extremities and therefore improved blood flow to the extremities, which can aid healing or prevent development.

If you are suffering from chilblains and want further advice or treatment from one of our podiatrists please call 01932 849373 or book online.

This blog has been written by Paul Sen and is not necessarily the opinion of The Footcare Centre Ltd

In the interest of promoting good foot health, we thought we would put together this blog with a few pointers that everyone can follow to keep your feet healthy at home.

The soles of the feet (particularly the heels) tend to dry out and form calluses through the pressures of everyday wear and tear, and even more so when high stress activities such as running are taken into consideration.

A Podiatrist can help to identify the causative problem, and remove these calluses. But, there are also a few things you can do at home to help maintain a happy balance to your feet.

As part of your daily routine, most of us will use a moisturiser on our face, our arms, and even our legs. But we often forget our feet. As the skin on the soles of the feet are on average twice the thickness of anywhere else, you would want to use a Foot specific cream that has the necessary ingredients (mainly urea based) to actively reduce the rate of callus build up.

In addition to creaming, using a course foot file twice a week on callused areas will also help to reduce how fast calluses return.

Before you take the above advice and cream every inch of your foot, stop a second and read below.

The one area of your feet, you do not want to start putting any cream, is in-between your toes.
This is because, for most people, the areas around your toes tend to be quite moist due to sweat and moisture build up that is prevented from evaporating by your toes being close together.

This excess moisture build up can make you more prone to skin infections such as Athletes Foot.
To help prevent this excess moisture; you want to make sure that you dry well in-between your toes after showers or baths.

There are a couple of extra things you can do if you suffer from particularly moist toes.
Changing socks midway through the day or through work/long walks helps to maintain a dry environment around the toes. Also, a small amount of surgical spirit on a cotton wool bud rubbed between the toes will remove sweat and dry the skin also.

Be a little cautious with this last one though, if you have a splits or eczema in the area then the surgical spirits will result in unpleasant stinging. So please check between your toes, or have a Podiatrist assess and advise you first.

This blog has been written by Tristan White and is not necessarily the opinion of The Footcare Centre Ltd