Jack Frost is nipping

It’s a cute song, The Christmas Song. But, when Jack Frost actually comes nipping, it’s no longer cute. It hurts. Sometimes it hurts even years later.

I grew up in frosty Minnesota. Now that I live in the desert southwest, I take it as a personal affront when it’s cold outside. (I left the cold. How did it find me?) My nose is my tenderest spot. The mercury doesn’t have to dip too far for my nose to feel it. Yesterday, it was about 45 degrees when we took the dog for a little walk. Within 5 minutes my nose was talking to me. Within 10 minutes my nose actively hurt. The answer to this problem is a true conundrum. Scarves and neck gators get in the way of breathing, plus they get wet from the breath and then the whole thing is worse. I did resort to a little nose warmer (like the one in the photo) for a short time, but that, too, gets wet and is quickly untenable. 
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I throw around the term "frostbite" quite willy-nilly when I'm talking about my nose, fingers and toes; but, actually, frostbite is a severe condition which requires medical attention. 

Frostnip is the first rung on the cold skin ladder and can cause redness and possibly numbness but does not cause permanent damage to the skin.

Chillblains are the painful inflammation of small blood vessels as a response to repeated exposure to cold, not freezing air. Though they tend to clear up in warmer weather, seasonal recurrences may happen for years (AlMahameed and Pinto 2008; Mayo Clinic).

Frostbite is caused by the freezing of the skin and the underlying tissues. When skin temperature is 25 degrees Fahrenheit, ice crystals form in the blood (Knapic et al. 2020). (Yikes!) Exposed skin is (not surprisingly) most vulnerable, but frostbite can occur under gloves and clothing, too. And, of course, the colder it is, the faster frostbite can occur (Cleveland Clinic).

** Important! ** When re-warming your skin, do so gradually, but rapidly. (Confusing, I know.) The rewarming should occur quickly, but a gentle method should be employed. Don't submerse the cold limb in hot water or expose it to a hot heat source (Cleveland Clinic). Use tepid* water to begin (Golant et al. 2008). Strohecker and Parulski (1997) recommend 100-108 degrees Fahrenheit. Don't rewarm the skin unless the patient can remain in a warm environment. Repeated freeze/thaw cycles cause further injury (Knapic et al. 2020).

Conventional medicine uses calcium channel blockers (Tlougan et al. 2011) which relax the muscles of the heart and blood vessels (Drugs.com 2021) as well as rewarming therapies. (Yes, side effects are a definite possibility with these drugs.)

In addition to a gentle rewarming of the skin, homeopathically speaking, the answer to this problem is Hamamelis virginiana 200c mixed with Arnica montana 3c, twice daily for mild cases and every few hours for severe cases. This Banerji protocol works for any coldness to the extremities, including Raynaud's. 

Why have the Banerjis chosen these remedies? They are both beautiful remedies for circulation and circulatory disorders.

Homeopathic Hamamelis' affinity is for the veins (Vermeulen 2004) and is primarily known as a hemorrhagic remedy including: blood vessels and veins, and phlebitis (inflammation of the walls of a vein). In the skin, it is known for prickling sensations and stinging pains (Murphy).

​Homeopathic Arnica's affinity is for the blood, blood vessels and nerves (Vermeulen 2004) and is highly indicated in chilliness, coldness and shivering (even rigors) in the body. Arnica is also a remedy for bleeding, blood vessels and veins. It is one of only 10 remedies noted for chilblains (Murphy). Arnica is also indicated in complaints which should be painful but are not. (This brings to mind the numbness which may accompany the advanced stages of injuries resulting from the cold and in severe cases, the cold is no longer felt.)

Arnica is also noted for shock. A quick look on PubMed shows us that one form of shock is microcirculatory in nature (Kanoore Edul et al. 2015) resulting from decreased blood flow through an organ. The organ in the case frostbite being the skin (Zook et al. 2021).

Discoloration of hands, blueness in particular (think Raynaud's).

If you have to go out into the cold (I know, I know -- some people LOVE going out to play in the cold, I'm just not one of them anymore!), bundle up and keep a tube of Hamamelis + Arnica in your pocket to help keep that blood flowing. Or, there's certainly nothing wrong with enjoying a good book and a nice cup of bone broth by the fire.

Julia Coyte, CHom
Classically Practical homeopath

#wellnessawaits



* finding the actual temperature range of tepid, warm, Luke-warm, hot proved to be difficult. Here are the best sources I found: Peshin 2018, Leverette 2019 and Wash.com 2018.

I have no affiliation with this Etsy shop, but if you want to purchase a nose warmer, here's the link.

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Reference list
AlMahameed, A. and Pinto, D. S., 2008. Pernio (Chilblains). Current Treatment Options in Cardiovascular Medicine [online], 10 (2), 128–135. 

Cleveland Clinic  Frostbite: Causes, Symptoms, Stages, Treatment & Prevention [online]. Cleveland Clinic. 

Drugs.com, 2021. Nifedipine Uses, Dosage & Side Effects [online]. Drugs.com. 

Fudge, J., 2016. Exercise in the Cold. Sports Health: A Multidisciplinary Approach [online], 8 (2), 133–139. ‌

Golant, A., Nord, R. M., Paksima, N., and Posner, M. A., 2008. Cold Exposure Injuries to the Extremities. Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons [online], 16 (12), 704–715. 

Kanoore Edul, V. S., Ince, C., and Dubin, A., 2015. What is microcirculatory shock? Current Opinion in Critical Care [online], 21 (3), 245–252. 

Knapic, J., Reynolds, K., and Castellani, J., 2020. Frostbite: Pathophysiology, Epidemiology, Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prevention. Journal of special operations medicine : a peer reviewed journal for SOF medical professionals [online], 20 (4). 

Leverette, M. M., 2019. Hot, Warm, or Cold Water for Laundry? [online]. The Spruce. .

Mayo Clinic, 2018. Frostbite - Symptoms and causes [online]. Mayo Clinic. 

Mayo Clinic, Chilblains - Symptoms and causes [online]. Mayo Clinic. 

Mayo Clinic, 2021. Frostnip [online]. Mayo Clinic. 

Murphy, R., 2015. Keynote Materia Medica. Blacksburg, Virginia: Lotus Health Institute.

Murphy, R., n.d. Homeopathic Remedy Guide. accessed through Radar Opus software.

Peshin, A., 2018. What Is Lukewarm Water? How Hot Is It? [online]. Science ABC. 

Raducan, A. and Tiplica, G., n.d. Cold Injuries -Chilblains and Frostbite Е В Р О П Е Й С К А Д Е Р М А Т О Л О Г И Я [online]. 

Strohecker, B. and Parulski, C. J., 1997. Frostbite Injuries of the Hand. Plastic Surgical Nursing [online], 17 (4), 212–216. 

Tlougan, B. E., Mancini, A. J., Mandell, J. A., Cohen, D. E., and Sanchez, M. R., 2011. Skin Conditions in Figure Skaters, Ice-Hockey Players and Speed Skaters. Sports Medicine [online], 41 (11), 967–984. 
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Vermeulen, F., 2004. Prisma : the arcana of materia medica illuminated : similars and parallels between substance and remedy. Haarlem, Netherlands: Emryss.

Wash.com, 2018. Washer Water Temperature Guide | WASH [online]. Wash.com. 

Zook, N., Hussmann, J., Brown, R., Russell, R., Kucan, J., Roth, A., and Suchy, H., 2021. Medscape: Medscape Access [online]. Medscape.com. 
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