Description

Frostbite is an injury caused by freezing of the skin and underlying tissues. The early stage of frostbite is called frostnip. Causes a cold feeling followed by numbness. As the freezing worsens, the affected skin may change color and become hard or waxy-looking.

The exposed skin is at risk of freezing in conditions of freezing cold and windy or wet. Freezing can also occur on skin covered by gloves or other clothing.

The freezing mild. it gets better with overheating. Seek medical attention for anything more serious than the freezing mild. because the condition can cause permanent damage to the skin, muscle, bone, and other tissues.

Symptoms

Symptoms of frostbite include:

  • Numbness.
  • A tingling sensation.
  • Patches of skin are in shades of red, white, blue, grey, purple or brown. The color of the skin is affected depends on the severity of the frostbite is, and the usual color of the skin.
  • Cold, hard, waxy-looking skin.
  • Clumsiness due to joint stiffness.
  • Pain.
  • Blistering after rewarming.

Frostbite is most common on the fingers of the hands, the feet, the ears, the cheeks, the penis, the chin and the tip of the nose. Because of numbness, you may not notice you have frostbite until someone else points it out. Changes in the color of the affected area may be difficult to see in Black and brown skin.

The freezing occurs in several stages:

  • Frostnip. Frostnip is the first stage of frostbite. The symptoms are pain, tingling, and numbness. Freezing does not cause permanent damage to the skin.
  • Mild to moderate freezing. Freezing causes slight changes in the color of the skin. The skin may begin to feel hot. This is a sign of serious skin involvement. If the treatment of frostbite with rewarming at this stage, the surface of the skin may appear uneven. The affected area may itch, burn and swell. A fluid-filled blister may form from 12 to 36 hours after rewarming. This stage is also called superficial frostbite.
  • The deep freeze. As freezing progresses, it affects all layers of the skin and the tissues below. The affected skin becomes white or blue-grey. Large blood blisters may appear 24 to 48 hours after rewarming. Weeks after the injury, the tissue may turn black and hard as he dies.

When to see a doctor

Another of freezing, the freezing of the lesions should be examined by a health care professional to find out the degree of severity.

Seek emergency care for:

  • Intense pain, even after taking a pain reliever and overheating.
  • Intense chills.
  • Difficulty in speech.
  • The drowsiness.
  • Difficulty walking.

People with the freezing may also have hypothermia. The tremor, speech disorders, and get drowsy or clumsy are the symptoms of hypothermia. In infants, the symptoms are cold skin, a change in the color of the skin and very low energy. Hypothermia is a serious condition in which the body loses heat faster than it can be produced.

What you can do in the meantime

While waiting for emergency medical help or an appointment with a health professional, take these steps:

  • Get out of the cold and remove the wet clothes.
  • If you suspect hypothermia, wrapped in a warm blanket until help arrives.
  • Protect the injured area from further damage.
  • Do not walk on frostbitten feet or toes if possible.
  • Take a pain reliever if necessary.
  • Drink warm, non-alcoholic beverage, if it is possible.

Causes

The most common cause of frostbite is exposure to cold. The risk increases if the weather is wet and windy. Freezing can also be caused by direct contact with ice, freezing metals or very cold liquids.

Risk factors

The risk factors for frostbite include:

  • Be in freezing conditions without the protective clothing.
  • Have certain medical conditions, such as diabetes, fatigue, poor blood circulation, or congestive heart failure.
  • Regularly smoking tobacco.
  • Have alterations in the trial, while in very cold conditions.
  • After you have had frostbite or other cold damage in the past.
  • Being a baby or an older adult in cold conditions. People in these age groups have a harder time to produce and conserve body heat.
  • Be in cold conditions in height.

Complications

The complications of frostbite include:

  • Hypothermia.
  • Increased sensitivity to cold, and to a greater risk of freezing in the future.
  • Long-term numbness in the affected area.
  • Excessive sweating, also called hyperhidrosis.
  • The change or loss of the nail.
  • Growth problems in children if the freezing of the damage of a bone of the growth plate.
  • Infection.
  • Tetanus.
  • Gangrene, which may result in the affected area removed. This procedure is called amputation.

Prevention

Frostbite can be prevented. Here are some tips to help you stay safe and warm.

  • Limit time outdoors when it's cold and wet or windy. Pay attention to weather forecasts and the cold wind of the readings. The risk of freezing increases the longer you are in freezing conditions. And freezing can occur in an instant if the bare skin touches something cold, such as the freezing of the metal.
  • Dress in loose layers. The air trapped between the layers helps insulate you from the cold. Choose the underwear that wick moisture away from the skin. Then put on something that is made of fleece or wool. For the outer layer, bring something to wind-proof and water-resistant. Change of wet gloves, hats and socks as soon as possible.
  • Wear a hat or a headband made for the cold. Make sure that covers your ears.
  • Use gloves. The gloves provide the best protection to the gloves. Under a pair of heavy gloves, wear glove liners that wick moisture away from the skin.
  • Wear socks and sock liners. Make sure they fit well, wick moisture and provide insulation.
  • Watch for symptoms of frostbite. The first signs of frostbite are slight changes in the color of the skin, tingling, and numbness. Find warm shelter, if you notice symptoms of frostbite.
  • Plan to protect yourself. When traveling in cold weather, carry emergency supplies and warm clothing in case of being caught. If you're going to be in a remote territory, tell others of your route and expected return date.
  • Do not drink alcohol if you will be outdoors in cold weather. Alcoholic beverages cause the body to lose heat faster and may affect the judgment.
  • Eat well-balanced meals and stay hydrated. Doing this even before going out in the cold to help keep you warm.
  • Keep moving. The exercise can get the blood flowing and help keep you warm, but do not make it to the point of exhaustion.

Diagnosis

The diagnosis of frostbite is based on symptoms and examination of the recent activities, during which they were exposed to the cold.

Your health care team may have to undergo X-rays or an mri to find the bone or muscle damage. It may take 2 to 4 days after rewarming to tell the extent of tissue damage.

Treatment

First aid for frostbite is the following:

  • If you suspect hypothermia, call for emergency help.
  • Protect the injured area from further damage. Do not attempt to warm the frostbitten skin if you can freeze again.
  • Get out of the cold, remove wet clothing and wrap in a warm blanket.
  • If it is possible, it leaves the skin with freezing in a tub or sink with warm water for about 30 minutes. For freezing in the nose or ears, cover the area with warm water, wet cloths for about 30 minutes. Another option is to heat the affected skin with the heat of the body. For example, the cosmetic surgery of freezing fingers under the armpit.
  • Do not walk on frostbitten feet or toes if possible.
  • Take a nonprescription pain reliever, if necessary.
  • Drink warm, non-alcoholic beverage.
  • Remove rings or other tight items. Do this before the affected area swells with overheating.
  • Do not apply direct heat. For example, do not warm the skin with a heating pad, heat lamp, a hair dryer or heat of the car.
  • Do not rub frostbitten skin.

If it is possible, it leaves the skin with freezing in a tub or sink with warm water for about 30 minutes. For freezing in the nose or ears, cover the area with warm water, wet cloths for about 30 minutes.

Another option is to heat the affected skin with the heat of the body. For example, the cosmetic surgery of freezing fingers under the armpit.

After providing first aid, seek treatment from a health care professional if you have a burn. The treatment may involve overheating, medicine, wound care, surgery, or other measures depending on the severity of the injury.

  • Re-heat the skin. If the skin has not been heated already, your care team rewarms the area with a warm-water bath for 15 to 30 minutes. The skin can become soft. You may be asked to gently move the affected area, as it is rewarms.
  • Take medications for the pain. Due to the reheating process can be painful, you may be given a pain reliever.
  • Protect from injury. Once the skin melts, your health care team can freely wrap the area with sterile sheets, towels or dressings to protect the skin. You may need to lift the affected area to reduce swelling.
  • Soak in a hot tub. Immerse yourself in a bathroom with a spa bath can help in the healing, since it keeps the skin clean and naturally removes the dead tissue.
  • Take the infection-fighting drugs. If the skin or blisters look infected, your health care team may prescribe antibiotic medication that is taken by mouth.
  • Take the medicine.You may receive an injection of a medication into a vein, which helps to restore the blood flow. This type of medicine called a thrombolytic. An example is the tissue plasminogen activator, also called TPA. Studies of people with severe frostbite show that the TPA can reduce the risk of amputation. But this medication can cause serious bleeding. Sometimes used in severe situations, and within 24 hours of the exposure to the cold. Another drug that improves blood flow is iloprost (Aurlumyn). It was recently approved by the FDA for severe frostbite in adults. You can reduce the risk of finger or toe amputation. Side effects of the medicine include headache, redness of the skin and heart palpitations.
  • Remove the damaged tissue. To heal properly, freezing of the skin should be free of damage, the dead or infected tissue. This procedure to remove this tissue is called debridement.
  • Tend to blisters and wounds. The blisters can act as a natural dressing. Depending on the type of blisters, your health care team may stop cure for its own account or drain them. A variety of wound care techniques can be used depending on the extent of the injury.
  • To undergo the surgery. People who have experienced severe frostbite in time the need for surgery or amputation to remove dead or decayed tissue.

Take the medicine. You may receive an injection of a medication into a vein, which helps to restore the blood flow. This type of medicine called a thrombolytic. An example is the tissue plasminogen activator, also called TPA. Studies of people with severe frostbite show that the TPA can reduce the risk of amputation. But this medication can cause serious bleeding. Sometimes used in severe situations, and within 24 hours of the exposure to the cold.

Another drug that improves blood flow is iloprost (Aurlumyn). It was recently approved by the FDA for severe frostbite in adults. You can reduce the risk of finger or toe amputation. Side effects of the medicine include headache, redness of the skin and heart palpitations.

Lifestyle and home remedies

After reheating, your skin can leave you tingling and return to its normal color within a few hours. Deep tissue injury may heal slowly and be very sensitive to the touch for weeks. Take all medications as prescribed by your health care team. For mild cases of frostbite, a nonprescription pain reliever can help ease the symptoms.

Preparing for your appointment

Seek medical attention if you suspect you have frostbite. For the serious frostbite, you may be told to go to an emergency room.

If you have time before your appointment, use the following information to prepare.

What you can do

  • List of the symptoms you have and how long you have had. Helps your health care team to have as many details as possible about your exposure to the cold and to know if your symptoms have changed.
  • The list of your key medical information, including any other terms and conditions that you have been diagnosed. Also the list of all the medications you are taking, including nonprescription medicines and supplements.
  • Take note of the date of your last tetanus shot. Freezing increases the risk of tetanus. If you have not had a tetanus vaccine or have not had a term of five years, your health care team may recommend that you receive an injection.
  • List of questions to ask your health care team. Being prepared helps you make the most of the time you have with your health care team.

For freezing, some basic questions to ask your health care team include:

  • The tests are necessary to confirm the diagnosis?
  • What are my treatment options and the pros and cons of each one?
  • What results can I expect?
  • What skin care routines do you recommend, while the freezing is cure?
  • What type of follow-up, if any, should I expect?
  • What changes in my skin should I look for?

Do not hesitate to ask any questions that occur to you.

Symptoms and treatment of Frostbite