Among the diseases peculiar to winter we find those associated with the cold acting on the hands and feet: chilblains and frostbite. However, they can be avoided with preventive treatment.
A few tips to ward off the cold so you can avoid frostbite and frostbite. Some are simple common sense, others are lesser known but can bring comfort to your hands and feet.
Frostbite vs. Frostbite: What’s the Difference?
It can be hard to tell the difference between frostbite and frostbite: not only are the two words similar, but both have to do with cold. However, there are differences, especially in their characteristics and severity.
Frostbite is often confused with frostbite, frostbite is the result of the skin being too cold, causing cold damage: strictly speaking the fingertips are frozen, injured, swollen or even blistered and then necrotic, as we have seen e.g. climbers or homeless.
Most often, frostbite occurs in young adults, especially women. They only appear during wet and cold periods and disappear as the weather clears up. They are characterized by red skin and a strong stinging sensation.
Worse than frostbite, frostbite manifests itself as bluish, numb skin. Frostbite is rare but serious and results from prolonged exposure to severe cold. In the first stage of this skin freeze, the extremities will go numb, turn white and numb, then turn blue-black, and then be covered with blisters.
How to prevent frostbite and frostbite?
Both of these symptoms are associated with colds and it is absolutely necessary to avoid them in order to combat the latter.
The first preventive measure is to properly cover the relevant areas, i.e. the hands and feet. Wear gloves, mittens, or mittens on your hands and warm socks on your feet. Opt for natural materials like wool or cotton, and avoid synthetics that promote perspiration.
Certain purchases also allow you to fight the cold. You can find small pocket warmers in the hiking department of a sporting goods store. They feel like a little hot water bottle to soothe the cold in your hands. Also remember to put wool insoles in your shoes to insulate and warm your feet. There’s even a heated insole: luxury!
While still on your feet, be sure to wear shoes that are wide enough so that they are not too tight and impede circulation. If this preventative measure is not enough, and chilblains keep recurring in a certain area on the toes or sole of the foot, you can ask a specialist to make insoles or toe-protecting orthotics.
For protection against the cold, you can also use Tiger Balm. In fact, the ointment has a stimulatory effect on blood circulation and is therefore very effective in warming cold extremities. Before heading out, massage a small amount of Tiger Balm into your hands and feet, then put on socks and gloves. Be careful though, this ointment contains essential oils and should not be used by pregnant or breastfeeding women or children under the age of seven.
If you’re a smoker, avoid lighting a cigarette, even if you think it’s helping you beat the cold. Tobacco has an adverse vasoconstrictive effect on blood circulation in the fingers. Also don’t forget that drinking alcohol doesn’t help fight the cold: on the contrary, it lowers the body temperature.
Also, avoid oral or nasal vasoconstrictors, such as those used to treat the common cold. Finally, if these measures are not enough, your doctor can prescribe you vasodilators during the colder months, such as calcium channel blockers (nifedipine, diltiazem, verapamil, etc.).
