Frostbite
Frostbite is a condition that hurts. It's defined as damage that is done to the skin or tissues due to extreme cold. It's more likely to occur to your extremities, those body parts located far from the heart, like your fingers and toes, but can occur to any part of the body if the body is exposed to extreme cold. What happens to the body when you have frostbite?
Frostbite (not frost bite) needs to be handled carefully to prevent further damage to the tissues. Children and seniors are more susceptible to frostbite so more care needs to be taken with them to prevent the problem in the first place. Warming the body slowly will help prevent further damage to both the affected area(s) and to the heart.
When the body is exposed to temperatures at or below freezing (32 degrees Fahrenheit), the blood vessels begin to constrict and narrow to help preserve your core body temperature. When exposed to these temperatures for a long period of time, this causes blood flow to decrease to a dangerous level to certain parts of the body. This allows these parts of the body to freeze, which is when tissue and skin becomes damaged. This occurs most commonly in mountainous regions, or in colder, high altitude areas. Hands, feet, noses, and ears are the most common parts of the body that are affected by frostbite.
The first most common frostbite symptom is the discoloration of the skin. Accompanying that change in skin color is a burning or tingling sensation, pain, and/or numbness. As soon as you begin to feel some of these symptoms take action, rather than ignoring then to the point that you have major tissue damage.
What do you do in case of frostbite? Medical attention is the best way to make sure that the body is warmed slowly to prevent further damage. If you aren't able to get to medical assistance, you need to warm the affected area slowly.
This slow warming is a point of debate though. Some say to place the affected area into warm, not hot, water at 107.6 degrees Fahrenheit to allow it to thaw gradually. Others say to put it in cool water, body temperature at the highest, and defrost the frozen tissues slowly. Quick thawing can be dangerous, as the cold blood may travel to the heart and cause it to stop.
Don't massage the frozen tissues! That causes lots of tissue damage and must be avoided.
After the area has thawed, it's important to cover it with sterile dressings and get medical attention. It is essential to keep the area from refreezing as this can cause major damage.
Frostbite is something that can occur to children and adults. Wear proper clothing for the weather. This includes hats, scarves, coats, warm socks, boots, and more to help keep every part of the body warm and free from frostbite. If you are caught in a blizzard or bad snowstorm, be sure you find some type of shelter and keep physically active to help keep the blood circulating to all parts of the body to ward off frostbite and the pain that comes with it.
Cold weather is not something to thumb your nose at. By preparing properly for the weather, you can help to prevent this from occurring to you and your family members.
