Chilblains are small, itchy swellings that appear on the skin due to exposure to cold or humid conditions over a period. The tissue gets inflamed, and the symptoms of damaged capillary beds in the skin are usually visible. This condition affects the extreme parts of the body that are more susceptible to cold, like the fingertips, toes, nose, ears, and heels. Chilblains rarely cause any permanent damage and tend to heal within weeks with proper precautions. Chilblains are also known as perniosis or chilburns.
Homeopathy is a natural science for treating health conditions and it offers the best treatment for cases of chilblains. Homeopathic remedy for chilblains is a completely natural, non-intrusive, and safe treatment method. Made of natural substances, homeopathic medicines are used to get rid of chilblains fast. These medicines help in magnificent relief in swelling, redness of skin and its attending symptoms of itching, burning, and pain.
Homeopathic medicines treat the root of the problem to give complete cure in chilblains cases. Homeopathy helps to boost an individual’s immune response to fight the complaint of chilblains and restore the body to its healthy state. Initially, the homeopathic medicines bring relief in troublesome itching, burning, swelling and afterwards, the condition resolves gradually. Homeopathy is helpful for acute cases of chilblains as well as to treat tendency of getting recurrent chilblains.
Homeopathy takes into consideration the characteristic signs and symptoms in every case of chilblains to finalize homeopathic medicine. This individualized homeopathic treatment aids complete recovery in cases of chilblains. A complete course of homeopathic treatment under the supervision of a homeopathic doctor is required for entire cure.
Homeopathy does not recommend the use of any skin ointment in chilblains cases. It rather gives oral medicine to help heal the complaint by working on the internal body. This treatment works at a deeper level rather than superficial. This is what leads to cure and not just suppression and temporary relief.
Top 7 Homeopathic Medicines for Chilblains
The top recommended homeopathic medicines for managing chilblains are Agaricus, Petroleum, Pulsatilla, Abrotanum, Sulphur, Nitric Acid and Nux Vomica
1. Agaricus – For Chilblains with itching and burning
Agaricus is the top-grade homeopathic remedy for chilblains. It is used to treat common symptoms of chilblains, like a burning sensation and intense itching on fingers and toes. The affected person may feel as if their hands are frozen. There is redness and swelling of fingers and toes. A sharp, prickling pain may also be felt.
When to use Agaricus?
It is an excellent medicine to manage chilblains with intense itching and burning on fingers and toes with redness and swelling.
How to use Agaricus?
It is available in different potenices from low (like 30C) to high (like 200C, 1M). To begin with, one may use this medicine in 30C potency one to two times a day.
2. Petroleum – For Painful Chilblains
Petroleum is a homeopathic remedy used to treat chilblains where there is a lot of pain. The parts affected by chilblains itch terribly and feel like fire. Inflammation usually appears. Both hands and feet may be affected.
When to use Petroleum?
This medicine is very effective for chilblains of hands and feet attended with marked pain.
How to use Petroleum?
One may take this medicine in 30C potency once or twice a day. For using its high potencies like 200C, one needs to consult a homeopathic physician.
3. Pulsatilla – For Chilblains With Heated Sensation And Bluish Swelling
Pulsatilla is a homeopathic remedy for chilblains attended with heated sensation and a bluish swelling. There is itching and throbbing pain is also felt. The warmth of bed increases itching and pain.
When to use Pulsatilla?
This medicine is highly recommended to manage chilblains when there is marked heated sensation and bluish swelling.
How to use Pulsatilla?
This medicine can be used in 30C power one to two times a day.
4. Abrotanum – For Chilblains That Are Itchy
Abrotanum is a well-indicated homeopathic remedy for chilblains where the condition is accompanied with itching. There can be associated coldness of the fingertips. Next, there is presence of prickling pain in the fingers.
When to use Abrotanum?
Abrotanum is suitable to manage itchy chilblains with coldness of fingertips.
How to use Abrotanum?
Abrotanum 30C can be taken once a day.
5. Sulphur – For Chilblains Having Tendency Of Pus Formation
Sulphur is an effective medicine for chilblains that have a tendency to form pus. The affected part is red and swollen. The skin becomes thick in the affected portion. One feels itching on the skin that gets worse from the warmth of the bed.
When to use Sulphur?
Sulphur is highly preferred to deal with cases of chilblains where pus formation also occurs.
How to use Sulphur?
Usually its 30C potency is recommended in most of the cases. Sulphur 30C can be taken once a day only, not more frequent than that.
6. Nitric Acid – For Chilblains With Cracks On Skin
Nitric Acid is of great use to help cases of chilblains with cracks on affected skin. There is swelling and itching in chilblains as well. Redness is well marked along with pain.
When to use Nitric Acid?
Its use should be considered for chilblains with cracks along with red, swollen skin.
How to use Nitric Acid?
Nitric Acid can be taken once a day in 30C power.
7. Nux Vomica – For Chilblains With Bright Red Swelling
Nux Vomica is beneficial for chilblains with bright red swelling of the skin. Besides, itching and burning is felt. Bleeding with cracks on the skin may also appear.
When to use Nux Vomica?
Nux Vomica is useful for cases of chilblains with bright red swollen skin.
How to use Nux Vomica?
Nux Vomica 30C can be administered once or twice daily.
Causes of Chilblains
Chilblains are usually considered to be an idiopathic condition which means there is no particular cause behind it. The most common reasons that are thought to cause this condition are as follows:
It can be related to body’s abnormal reaction when an individual is exposed to a cold or humid environment, followed by sudden rewarming. The superficial blood vessels become narrow when exposed to extremes of temperature. These usually expand to their usual size with slow, gradual and steady warmth. But if sudden rewarming of the affected part occurs, the blood vessels expand quickly. This leads to an increased blood flow which the superficial blood vessels cannot handle. The blood then leaks out into the surrounding tissues, resulting in itchiness and swelling.
Chilblains can be hereditary too; a positive family history can be a risk factor.
A long-standing history of chronic chilblains indicates a disorder of the connective tissue.
Chilblains: Risk Factors
There can be many risk factors involved in the occurrence of chilblains, like:
Environmental factors, which are usually noticed in people living in extremely cold or humid areas.
Seasonal changes, moving from warm weather to cold, like during the months from November to April.
Poor blood circulation in an individual makes them susceptible to chilblains, as it may lead to an increased sensitivity to the changes in temperature.
Autoimmune diseases like Lupus cause swelling in the body’s tissues and the affected people become more prone to develop chilblains.
Raynaud’s disease is a condition in which the small arteries that supply blood to skin becomes narrow, resulting in decreased blood flow to the affected area. It usually affects the blood supply to fingers and toes. People who suffer from Raynaud’s disease are more susceptible to develop chilblains.
Gender: Women are more likely to get chilblains as compared to males.
Body weight is another risk factor; people with low body weight are more prone to developing chilblains.
Clothing or shoes that are too tight, worn in cold, damp weather can hinder the blood circulation and predispose a person to develop chilblains. Also, not wearing sufficient warm clothes in extremes of weather can increase one’s susceptibility to chilblains, especially on the parts exposed to the cold or dampness.
Chilblains: Symptoms
The most common symptoms of chilblains include:
Color change on the affected area of the skin
The condition can lead to the affected areas of the skin turning red or blue, or it can cause patchy discoloration. Changes in color are usually visible through naked eyes. These color changes occur as a result of the body’s abnormal reaction towards repeated exposure to extreme temperatures. Erythema, with blanchable redness of the area, may also occur.
Swelling
Swelling may occur as a result of an accumulation of leaked blood in the surrounding tissues. The blood leaks from the capillaries when sudden rewarming happens after exposure to cold or humid conditions.
Pain
Pain is a common symptom experienced by people suffering from chilblains. Pain due to chilblains can range from mild to moderate to severe. It may be a sharp, tearing, prickling, throbbing or dull, aching pain in the affected parts.
Itching
An individual can experience an irritating or uncontrollable itching sensation in the affected part as a result of chilblains. Usually, this itching occurs when the affected area becomes warm.
Burning
A burning sensation usually occurs as a result of underlying nerve damage in the area affected by chilblains. Nerve damage also leads to tingling and numbness in the affected part, which feels like a burning sensation.
I m suffering from itching in feet n toes in winter nowdays specially in night . My sleeps brake at2. 00 a. M daily after sleeping at 12.00 p. M. After that jabardust itching starts till I sleep next. I m talking agaricus 200 ,3 times a day but no benefit. PL. Suggest.
Dr. Sharma,
I am quite certain that I suffer from Chilblains in my toes and fingers (living in frigid Michigan). In terms of supplements, can you suggest a specific brand for the Agaricus? For the Carbo Animalis, is there a specific brand/source you suggest buying and how is that administered?
My daughter age is 15.she has chilblains problem in winter.when she goes outside e.g school her toes.fingers.become painful swell and face become red
Can Every intense itching on getting warm in bed cannot be termed chilblains ? Redness too is missing, yet, the knuckles on feet and fingers itch intensely.
I m suffering from itching in feet n toes in winter nowdays specially in night . My sleeps brake at2. 00 a. M daily after sleeping at 12.00 p. M. After that jabardust itching starts till I sleep next. I m talking agaricus 200 ,3 times a day but no benefit. PL. Suggest.
Hello Dr.
I’m suffering from chilblains since 7-8yrs.I’ve intense itching when my toes become warm specially at night.and whenever I tend to touch my toes, it’s painful.Please suggest some remedy to just get rid of this itching forever. Thank you..
i m suffering from chilblains. it cause redness itching and very painful. after this it becomes black and scars remains
ScepticsBane,See my earlier cemmont.And to condemn those doing the research means e2€œend of careere2€9d for those who dare e2€“ an additional unnecessary burden.The wider problem is how they do that research (which youe2€™re leaving out). See Alisone2€™s cemmont in this respect; immediately above this one.To defeat Homeopathy you must read the literature and their books and accept their accomplishements before attempting theoretical denunciations or refutations. It is essential.Not really. You could choose to, ite2€™s one thing you might do. If these books proved to be e2€˜just wordse2€™, anecdotes, ideas, etc., the time would have been wasted. Another, more definitive, thing to do would be to test the product. That is what matters in the end, after all: the product. Where thate2€™s been done ite2€™s been found that homeopathic remedies have no more effect than a placebo.NB: 1. Homeopathy has actually been looked at by the way; ite2€™s relegated to e2€˜(mal)lingering historic curiositye2€™ by critics for a reason. If you look past the many e2€˜self helpe2€™ or e2€˜promotionale2€™ books, youe2€™ll find serious accounts deconstructing homeopathy and giving a history of it and the wider vitalism, etc., movements.2. Reversing the logic, youe2€™re trying to do, doesne2€™t work if your statements are false. One of the values of blinded testing (as is used in well-designed conventional trials) is it isne2€™t confounded by the sort of arguments you present; they stand independent of them hence they should be used.
Hellow Dr.
i am 24 years.i am suffering with chillblan from many years..in winters my fingers & toes are red,itchy & painful due to cold..i have many treatment & precautions but i have no relief.so plz i request you to kindly give me right suggestion for cure it permanently.
thanks
Hello Doctor,
I am suffering with this chilblains on my toes. From past 7-8 years this problem is continue in during winter season. Mostly i feel itchy and painful during night when i am about to sleep & sometimes during day. Kindly guide me and help me in to get rid of this problem to kick out permanently. I will wait for your mail.
Thank you,
Ishita Chatterjee
Dear Ishita Chatterjee
I am also suffering with this Chilblains and I use Nifedipine and It give a best result.
It help you to solve your blood problem and you can also use Avil for Itching problem they so mush effective.
ThankYou
Omkar
Dear Dr.
I am retired and aged 70 years and keeping good general health. But I am having one or two chronic problems and they are: 1) Not getting sound sleep. I go to bed around 10 pm but woke up between 1,30 am and 4 am. I was an early riser and used to wake up at 4.30 am. Now because of my intermittent waking up at different time and also with unconnected dreams I become drowsy during day time. I tried to compensate my sleep loss by daytime sleeping after lunch for about 1 to 1 1/2 hour. I am taking passiflora Q 20 to 30 drops before bed time, on the dr’s advise since about 6-8 months with breaks. But not much improvement and day time drowsiness continues. Detailed blood examination is normal.
Kindly suggest remedies to overcome the present problem, so that I can be active in day time. I am not a sedantry man and active in my life doing free social work on voluntary service and strictly not on commercial basis.
Pl help me
I’m 77 female, reasonably active but slightly overweight. In the last 3-4 months I have had vertigo and slight nausea on looking up, say to a high shelf, looking down to my feet and sometimes getting up from bed in the morning. My GP has said it’s benign postural positional vertigo and not much can be done – according to him the medical treatment is worse than the condition. I know what the medical treatment is but won’t go into that here as I’m sure you’re aware of it. What can be done homoeopathically please. I have used remedies before so am aware of the benefits of this treatment. Thank you.
Dear Dr. Sharma
I’ve been suffering from chilblains for many years. I’ve used chilblains cream tamus by Nelson (ointment) but it stopped working. Having used that remedy for a while would you still recommend those above? If so which one would you think is the best from your list and is it available as an ointment?
Many thanks
Idit
Dear Dr Sharma,
Please let us know market trade name of Agaricus for chilblains, its dosage and duration and any other remedy for swollen , itchy and toes for a 15 year old female
Thanks & regards
Dr Chander mohan
My Daughter (10 Yrs) is having painful Chilblians in her both toes due to winter. Its very itching & painful.
Kindly advise a homeopathy medicine to be given to her to get releif from pain & itching.
Thanks in advance
Dr Sharma,
This blog site is not helpful. I hope that someone in your dept will revise this blog so that THE REST OF US CAN SEE THE ANSWERS TO EVERYONES QUESTIONS. What is the purpose of having all these ???? from people with the same problems just to have them read others same questions and NOT RECEIVE AN ANSWER THAT WE ALL CAN READ. Whats the best treatment for the burning symptoms of Chilblains?
Thanks for your time, expertise and answer.
AL
i m 24 year old unmarried girl. i have been suffering frm a skin elergy. and since 8years old.
sir winter me meri hands & feet ki fingers me sweling aa jati h, wo red ho jaati h sath me cheese & khujli chalti h problam hone per usme ghaav ho jaate h n paani nikalne lagta h.. sir winter me pura bachaav rakhti hu n mene saare homeopatic & allopatic treatment le chuki hu but kahi se bhi mughe parmanentv relief nahi mila .. mughe dr. sahab eisa treatment mail kare taki wo is bimari ko completly finish kr sake.. thanks
Dear Dr. Sharma,
agaricus for frostbite kind , calc carb for patechial kind, abrotanum for chilblains itching kind, carbo animalis for chillblains aggravates evening and in cold and also borax , cadmium sulph etc helped a lot
thank you
dear dr
i have contsriction in my left side centre spine, and brain, hip, and cervicle region ,apply vesilin, cold
Due to this complaine i am suffering in sugar 208pp ,fulness in right side, head chest abdomen intestine , weakness and constriction lumber and lower,cervicle and upper, always slight vertigo , i feel as my left side brain not workin pressur in right sid brain left side empty,left ear close heard to hear, pls advise me
thanks
akram siddiqui
Dear Dr Sharma..my mother has recently developed severe chilblains on the end of her fingers..she does suffer from poor circulation and her fingers are nearly always white or blue with numbness and very painful even indoors. She has suffered with chilblains on her feet during Winter but has not had them on her fingertips since she was a young woman in the 1940s.
The worst one has been bad for two or three months now..very swollen at the finger-tip…she wondered if she had injured it at first and even went to the hospital for an xray…but they told her to see her doctor…and then the skin started to come away and she realised that it was a chilblain…shes due to see her doctor this week.
She is taking medication for High Blood Pressure and an inhaler for her breathing.
She is sympathetic towards homeopathic remedies ..she uses arnica and Dr Bach rescue remedy, but is not confidant about using other remedies as her doctor is mainstream and doesn’t recommend them…so I am trying to gather as much info as possible to give to her to assist her to have confidence to try natural remedies…She is 86, and still very active mentally and physically… please can you assist with some helpful information…thankyou…Lucia
dear.dr.sharma
nice post,looking for more post on miasm,posology.
regards.
Dear Dr. Sharma
Really your article is very very helping and useful and your guidance to hundreds of people will greatly help to get rid of chilblain presently and I am also victim of this problem due to severe cold prevailing in UP and our Allahabad temperature has gone to minimum around 1 degree. I will use Carbo Animalis as per your suggestion since my problem aggravates in the evening and lasts whole night with swollen fingers and pain. Thanks a lot for your great informative article. Gold bless you. With best regards =Dr. Sayeed Ahmad=