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 By Dr. David Zuckerman In extremely cold weather, your furnace can't always pump enough heat to rooms far from the thermostat. In the same way, the body parts farthest from the heart often lack sufficient blood flow to stay warm and healthy. Severe cold constricts tiny blood vessels and blocks blood supply
to fingers and toes. The result can be frostbite or a disorder called
Raynaud's Phenomena. Once feet are damaged by the cold, they must be treated with nerve block injections or vaso-dilator drugs that open vessels to healthy blood flow. A few precautions can help prevent cold weather injuries. To prevent blood vessel constriction, avoid caffeine, tobacco and prolonged exposure to wetness and extreme cold. Exercise at an indoor gym or track. When you must go out, walk slowly and wear shoes or boots with rippled soles to avoid the sprained and broken ankles so common in winter. Examine your feet daily and seek treatment for ulceration, blisters, redness or swelling. Wear natural fiber socks to control perspiration, which pulls heat
away from the body. Change into dry, loose-fitting socks often and
use a vitamin-A and vitamin-E enriched cream to hydrate Ill-fitting boots, shoes or hose can cause neuroma - a pinched nerve. Remember, the boots you wore last winter could be too small this year because they are heavier or layered. Also, your feet grow wider as time passes. So, before you pack boots for a ski trip, wear them around the house for a few hours. Morton's neuroma is a very common winter foot complaint. It is also called "electric toe" because its symptoms include cramping, stinging or intermittent electric shock sensation in the toes - usually in the third toe. The disorder can develop when hose or footwear - especially women's boots - squeeze foot bones and ligaments against nerves that converge between the metatarsal bones. Massaging the foot may help temporarily, but the ailment does not go away. The foot looks and feels normal and X-rays reveal nothing because the problem is in soft tissue. But, unless the painful, irritated nerves are treated they can become permanently damaged, so it's important to seek help early. Treatment for an inflamed nerve may be as simple as padding the foot or wearing roomier shoes. Orthotics - molded shoe inserts - may help patients who play repetitive sports or whose foot bones are naturally loose or unstable. Others may need anti-inflammatory drugs or cortisone injections to shrink the enlarged nerve. For the next few months, limit the time spent outdoors in severe cold; avoid tight shoes and hose; waterproof shoes and boots to avoid shrinking; and watch your feet for changes in appearance or sensation, especially if you have diabetes or poor circulation. The writer is a board certified surgeon-podiatrist with an office in Woodbury, Home | About the Doctor
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The
latter causes the skin to turn from white to blue to red and causes
intense pain, tingling and blistering in the feet and toes. Skiers,
hikers and out-door workers such as mail carriers and gas station
attendants are at high risk. The ailment is also common in young women
and diabetes patients, who often lack sensation in their feet. 
and
lubricate dry, cracked skin. Creams containing a compound called Urea
are especially effective.