Is there an effective way to get rid of chilblains? I have some boring little ones, located mostly on my right hand, with a couple on the left. The doctor says I possibly have bad circulation, but they will probably go away if I eat properly and avoid sudden changes in temperature. Well, that hasn’t done a thing. Web sites offer such unhelpful advice as “Do not place feet directly on radiators” and suggest leg warmers and thermal underwear. Is there anything else I could try? I feel that I can’t just attribute them to the lousy climate in England. –Catherine Seale
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The average reader isn’t wondering how to get rid of chilblains, Catherine. She’s wondering what the hell chilblains are. Didn’t they go out with gout, consumption, and lumbago? Obviously not. (For that matter, gout, consumption, and lumbago haven’t gone away either. Gout, a particularly painful form of arthritis, is caused by knifelike crystals of uric acid in the joints. Consumption is now known as tuberculosis, and lumbago, or lower back pain, is now more commonly described in terms of the underlying condition, e.g., a slipped disk, or else called “lower back pain.”)
Some blame hot-water radiators for chilblains due to their allegedly uneven heat distribution, but that hasn’t been proven and I’m doubtful. There may even be a genetic predisposition to them–research suggests a possible link between chilblains and “abnormal proteins that tend to sludge in cold temperatures.” I’ve seen speculation that chilblains are more common, presumably due to lack of insulation, in people who are excessively thin–another problem we don’t have much in the U.S.
As a child, I was taught that the point of toothbrushing is to prevent the bacteria in food particles from producing an acidic environment that would cause tooth decay. Later, in sex ed, I learned that semen is alkaline. So what I’m wondering is, does having a little bit of semen in my mouth before I go to sleep also prevent tooth decay? It’s more fun than using a toothbrush. –Creative Hygiene in Santa Barbara, California
