しもやけ
しもやけ
noun
chilblains; frostbite-like swelling
1.
chilblains; frostbite-like swelling on the hands or feet
A painful, itchy swelling on the skin caused by poor circulation in cold weather. Commonly affects fingers, toes, and ears.
冬になるとしもやけができる。
I get chilblains when winter comes.
指先のしもやけが痒くてたまらない。
The chilblains on my fingertips are unbearably itchy.
子供の頃は毎年しもやけに悩まされていたが、大人になってからはほとんどできなくなった。
When I was a child, I suffered from chilblains every year, but since becoming an adult I hardly get them anymore.
A common winter ailment in Japan, especially among children. Chilblains are caused by repeated exposure to cold (but not freezing) temperatures, which damages small blood vessels in the skin. Unlike frostbite (凍傷), しもやけ occurs at temperatures above freezing and involves itchy, red, swollen patches rather than tissue damage from ice crystals.
The word is written in hiragana in modern usage, though the kanji 霜焼け (literally "frost burn") is occasionally seen.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- しもやけができる: to get chilblains
- しもやけに悩まされる: to suffer from chilblains
- しもやけが痒い: chilblains are itchy
- しもやけの予防: prevention of chilblains
- しもやけの薬: medicine for chilblains
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 凍傷: frostbite — more severe, caused by actual freezing of tissue
- {あかぎれ}: chapped skin; cracks in the skin from cold and dryness