Free
E-newsletter
Subscribe to Housecall
Our weekly general interest
e-newsletter keeps you up to date
on a wide variety of health topics.
close window
Mayo Clinic Housecall
Stay up to date on the latest health information.
What you get
- Free weekly e-newsletter
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- Recipes, tools and other helpful information
- We do not share your e-mail address
Treatments and drugs
By Mayo Clinic staffTreatment options for chilblains include:
- Corticosteroid creams. Topical corticosteroids can help relieve itching and swelling.
- Prescription medication. A blood pressure lowering drug called nifedipine (Adalat CC, Procardia) is sometimes used to treat the cause of chilblains, since it can help open up blood vessels. Another medication that helps improve blood flow that may be prescribed for chilblains is pentoxifylline (Trental).
- Infection prevention. If your skin has broken, treatment also includes cleaning and protecting your wounds to prevent infection.
References
- Goldsmith LA, et al. Fitzpatrick's Dermatology in General Medicine.8th ed. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2012. http://www.accessmedicine.com/resourceTOC.aspx?resourceID=740. Accessed Oct. 5, 2012.
- Prakask S, et al. Idiopathic chilblains. The American Journal of Medicine. 2009;122:1152.
- Vano-Galvan S, et al. Chilblains. CMAJ. 2012;184:67.
- Tintinalli JE, et al, eds. Tintinalli's Emergency Medicine: A Comprehensive Study Guide. 7th ed. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2011. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=6366741. Accessed Oct. 6, 2012.
- Souwer IH, et al. Chronic chilblains. BMJ. 2011;342:1.
- Souwer IH, et al. Vitamin D3 is not effective in the treatment of chronic chilblains. The International Journal of Clinical Practice. 2009;63:282.
Find Mayo Clinic on