Lyme Protect Your Hands and Feet from Extreme Cold

With Lyme protect your hands and feet from the extreme cold temperature prevalent this winter. Why?  You may not have the  resiliency to cushion you against frigid air and can get into health trouble quick.  Half the country is in the deep freeze with record cold and wind chill. Many people are wisely adapting their behavior and activity level under these circumstances you may want to too.

Lyme can impact your heat and cold sensitivity, so you feel the cold more than most.  With Lyme protect your hands and feet from extreme cold because peripheral circulation can be impaired by Lyme disease. This may increase your susceptibility to complications like Chilblains and Raynaud’s Syndrome.  Raynaud’s and Chilblains are painful and not at all fun.

Both of these conditions are in part a result of  compromised peripheral circulation.  Raynaud’s is on many of the common symptom lists of Lyme disease.

In a healthy body your arteries expand and contract to support increased or decreased blood flow.  Blood Flow changes to accommodate the flight and fight response, normal digestion and response to temperature extremes.  All this happens all day long without conscious thought.

Raynaud’s Disease and Chilblains

Raynaud’s  is a condition where the small arteries and veins in your hands no longer respond elastically to dramatic changes in temperature.  They get stuck and it can cause pain or damage.  For more information on the condition click the link.  

Chilblains happen in the feet.  They can be part of Renaud’s Disease other serious illness or their own thing.  Chilblains are the result of broken blood vessels in the toes.   This results in red swollen and blistered toes. Your feet hurt and itch for days at a time.

Click this link to get more information on Chilblains.

Photo Credit By Sapp – Own work, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3297622

Chilblains was part of my Lyme Journey

I have a bit of a hippy in me, I used to run around in Berkies with no socks for most of the year. I didn’t protect myself from extreme cold at all. My feet would warm up once I got inside.

Then all of a sudden my feet didn’t like it one bit. The end of my toes were red blistered and really painful.  I thought I had some kind of fungus or infection from the gym. So I tried some cream and when that didn’t work, off I went to consult my health care team.

The doctor looked  at my feet carefully but was kind of puzzled, so she sent me off a specialist.  He took one look and said “You have chilblains.”  “That is really unusual for someone your age in the United States.” (With Lyme you hear that a lot.)

I had no idea what he was talking about. He told me to protect my hands and feet from extreme cold, wrote me a prescription for a vasodilator and told me to come back if it persisted.  I went off and did some research on the condition and self care.

What can you do to protect your hands and feet from extreme cold?

• Invest in some good warm socks and slippers for around the house.
• Sleep in insulating gloves and socks to keep your extremities warm.
• Soak your feet in Warm Water with Epsom Salts
• See an Herbalist to support rebuilding the flexibility of your veins and arteries and strengthening your circulation.
• Get regular exercise.  It is healthy for your circulation in general
• Massage Feet & Hands and when you are not symptomatic. Never massage blistered or damaged tissue.
• Keep your heat up a little 68 F minimum.
• Wear warm socks and boots  and gloves when you venture out.
• Raynad’s Syndrome and Chilblains can be very serious. Work with your health care team to get the treatment you need.

If you have Lyme disease and start to feel sensitive to the extreme temperatures of this winter take action.  Protect your hands and feet from extreme cold.

The information provided on this website is not a substitute for professional medical care, treatment or advice. All the material here is for information purposes only. Always share strategy and work with your health care team.