We are experiencing the coldest days of the year and at this time, it is common for patients concerned due to lack of knowledge of this pathology to come to our clinics with signs and symptoms such as:
- Small red areas that usually cause itching on the skin, especially on the feet, which is the area in question, although it is also very common on the hands.
- Sometimes it is common to see swelling, blisters or even ulcers on the skin when erythema pernio becomes complicated.
- Patients feel a kind of burning that, accompanied by pain, creates discomfort that is sometimes disabling.
- The color of the skin changes, starting with reddish areas, turning to cyanotic bluish.
The length of time that chilblains usually last on our feet is usually a week on average, but on some occasions and more so when the cold does not subside, there are patients who have suffered this ordeal for almost a month.
Hormonal changes, lack of vitamin C, lack of exercise, insufficient blood flow, sudden changes in temperature, are possible causes that favor its appearance, but today there is still much to study on this topic.
Statistics tell us that it is more common in women.
To avoid them we must try not to expose ourselves to extreme cold for a long time, although this is difficult when we do winter sports, work outdoors or live in mountain areas. Avoid tobacco consumption as it hinders microcirculation.
El tratamiento más indicado además de los consejos de lo que debemos evitar, son los corticoides tópicos con la finalidad de minimizar los síntomas, pero es fundamental un buen diagnóstico certero para que el problema no empeore.
