Chilblains are a common condition in winter, easily occurring in cold (below 10°C) and humid environments. They tend to recur in winter and heal on their own as the weather warms. Cold is the root cause of chilblains, so it is very important to prepare for the cold in winter, especially for the extremities such as hands, feet, and ears. Moreover, the recurrence rate of chilblains is high, often leading to the saying, "once you get chilblains, you get them every year."
Why do some people get chilblains in the same environment, while others remain unharmed?
Firstly, this is related to individual constitution. Some people have autonomic nervous dysfunction, poor blood circulation in the extremities, sweaty hands and feet, etc., making them prone to chilblains. Therefore, it is crucial to enhance one's physical constitution and improve the body's own cold resistance. In winter, you can also eat high-calorie foods like lamb and chocolate, or consume alcohol, chili, and other items that induce sweating to promote blood circulation.
If you have chilblains, you should strengthen warmth protection. If the chilblains are just hardened nodules and not ulcerated, you can wash the affected area with chili tincture or hot alcohol. If they are already ulcerated, you can apply and wrap them with erythromycin ointment or lard and honey ointment to promote early healing. In addition, traditional Chinese medicines that invigorate blood and unblock collaterals, such as Danggui Sini Decoction or Yanghe Decoction, can also be used.
Here are several proven folk remedies for chilblains that you might want to try.
1. 30 grams of rabbit hair, burned to ash for later use. Wash the affected area with water boiled from red radish. Mix the rabbit ash with sesame oil and apply to the affected area once or twice a day;
2. 10 grams of Bletilla striata, 20 grams of tangerine peel, ground into a fine powder, mixed with sesame oil, and applied to the affected area once a day;
3. 10 grams of pure honey, 2 grams of lard, mixed into an ointment, and applied externally to the affected area once a day;
4. 20 grams of Phellodendron amurense, ground into a fine powder and sprinkled on the affected area once a day. On the second application, wash with light salt water before reapplying. Use for 7 consecutive days;
5. Persimmon skin calcined to ash for later use. Mix with cooked vegetable oil and apply to the affected area once or twice a day.