So have you been hanging out in the cold, of late? Building snowmen out there may be fun, but then, you might contract chilblains. Chilblains are caused by a sudden constriction of blood capillaries under your skin, on account of exposure to extreme cold. They are characterized by red, painful and itchy blisters on your fingers, toes, face or nose. In extreme cases, pustules and ulceration may also occur.
A poor diet, poor blood circulation or severe dampness in addition to frosty surroundings can play a part in contracting chilblains easily. Other than keeping yourself warm and avoiding exposure to cold, there are several herbal remedies that can speed up the healing process. Check out these herbal remedies for chilblains below.
Herbal Remedies For Chilblains
Neem Oil And Turmeric
Apply a paste made of Neem oil and turmeric powder to your chilblains. Neem oil has antimicrobial properties. Turmeric has antiseptic properties. Used together, they heal blisters faster in addition to protecting them from infection.
Pepper Corns And Sesame Seed Oil
Roughly grind a few peppercorns. Fry them in 2 -3 teaspoons of sesame seed oil for 2 minutes. Filter this oil. Apply this oil on your chilblains while the oil is still warm. This is effective in very early stages of having contracted chilblains. Note that, this oil must not be used in case you have broken skin.
Ginger Paste And Tea
Roughly grind a few pieces of fresh ginger. Apply this paste directly on the chilblains. A tea made by steeping fresh ginger slices in a cup of steaming hot water sweetened with honey can also work wonders in curing chilblains.Make sure to drink this tea three times daily. Ginger is known to improve blood circulation in the affected areas, thereby healing chilblains quite fast.
Onion Paste
Roughly chop a raw onion. Extract the juice by roughly grinding the chopped pieces and filtering the ground paste. Apply this juice all over your chilblains. Once the juice soaks into the affected area, itching caused by chilblains disappears. This herbal remedy heals chilblains quite fast.
Gingko Biloba Extract
Gingko is known to improve blood circulation to the peripheral areas of your body. This in turn heals the affected blood capillaries and chilblains quicker. Gingko extract can be purchased from your local health store. Consume 40mg of standardized Gingko extract thrice a day for best results.
Lemon Juice And Vegetable Oil
Warm one teaspoon of vegetable oil. Add a few drops of freshly squeezed lemon juice to this oil. Apply this mixture on the chilblains. Lemon prevents excessive blistering while the vegetable oil assists in healing your chilblains.
Rosemary Tea
Steep a few sprigs of fresh rosemary in a cup of boiling water. Allow this to stand for some time. Sweeten this tea with some honey. Drinking this tea thrice daily will increase blood circulation to the peripheral areas of your body.Rosemary is a circulatory stimulant, often used to cure chilblains. Note that if your chilblains show no signs of improvement or have been infected, accompanied by severe pain, consult a doctor immediately.
