The Equestrian Blog

Chilblains – T’is the season.

Chilblains are a nightmare for riders who tend to suffer with them every year, after they first develop.

They are also known as pernio or perniosis, and a chilblain is an abnormal skin reaction to cold or damp weather in humid climates.

The biggest contributing cause of chilblains is exposure to cold, damp, non-freezing weather. The blood vessels constrict when they become cold and when they are warmed too quickly. Your blood vessels can't react quickly enough and blood leaks into the skin and this causes the chilblains to form. Although damp cold weather is related to the condition it isn't the reason for it;  warming the skin too quickly is what causes chilblains rather than the actual cold.

Any place where blood circulation is restricted is at risk of developing chilblains including pressure points on the feet such as bunions and calluses or where the toes are under pressure from tight shoes, riding boots, etc. A further contributing factor can be damp living conditions.

Lots of young female riders tend to get them on the outside of the thigh as this is exposed to damp cold weather while riding out on long hacks and then stuck up against a radiator when they get home.

Treatments for Chilblain include:

Avoid scratching. Use anti-itch cream. Rub lanolin or something similar into your feet to help maintain body heat. Wear woollen or cotton socks. Routine exercise to improve circulation. Do not smoke, and a healthy low-fat diet rich in fruit and vegetables to keep your circulation strong.  

Medication is sometimes used to prevent chilblains in people who have recurring chilblains. A drug called nifedipine can dilate (open wide) the small blood vessels and may help to prevent chilblains. 

Always remember to warm areas slowly with blankets and warm clothing rather than applying direct heat. Symptoms may clear on their own within seven to fourteen days. However we know of no guaranteed treatment that will cure chilblains.

A couple of home remedies which I have been told, worked wonders; include.

Take a raw onion, cut it in half and then rub vigorosly onto the tortured toe and then sit back till the throbbing abates – utter bliss! Don't worry if friends forsake you immediately after treatment. Onions don’t smell for long.

Rub a few drops of Turpentine Spirit on the affected area three times a day. A cheap, simple and efficacious cure but also a bit smelly. But if it works, it works.