What is frostbite?

Frostbite typically affects the nose, ears, cheeks, chin, fingers or toes. This condition occurs when the skin and underlying tissues freeze because of the narrowing of blood vessels due to exposure to extremely cold temperatures or wind chill. Frostbite also can occur on skin covered by gloves or other clothing. Lets take a look at the causes, stages, symptoms, risk groups and treatment of this condition.

📝 What is frostbite?

Frostbite is damage to the skin caused by extreme cold over long periods of time, typically any temperature below -0.55 degree Celsius (31F). It occurs when the skin, nerves, and blood vessels below the top layer of the skin freeze. Frost bite can occur on any part of the body, but the most commonly affected areas are hands, fingers, feet, toes, ears, nose, lips, and cheeks.

The lack of blood supply and oxygen to the skin can start to cause damage to the cells forming ice crystals and blood clots in the affected tissues. The chance of frostbite is increased the longer that you are exposed to the cold temperatures.

📝 How common is frostbite?

Frostbite is uncommon in the UK, but some people are at greater risk of frostbite:

• People in freezing conditions without protective clothing
• Having certain medical conditions, such as diabetes, Raynaud disease, poor blood flow or congestive heart failure
• Smokers
• Having had frostbite or another cold injury in the past
• Infants and older people in cold conditions. People in these age groups have a harder time producing and retaining body heat
• Being in cold conditions at high altitude

🥶 What are the symptoms of frostbite?

There are three stages of frostbite with various symptoms:

Stage 1: Frostnip

During the frost nip stage you will feel a throbbing or aching in the affected area. The affected body part will have a tingling sensation. The early signs of frostbite also include a skin colour change to white and the skin will becoming cold and numb.

People who live or work in cold climates are at greater risk of this stage. The extremities, such as the fingers, nose, ears and toes, are most commonly affected. Frostnip doesn’t cause permanent damage to the skin.

Stage 2: Frostbite

As exposure to cold temperatures increases, it can cause more tissue damage. The frostbitten area will feel hard and frozen affecting the top layers of skin and tissue.

When you’re out of the cold and the tissue has thawed out, the skin appears red with painful fluid filled blisters including swelling and itching. To prevent permanent damage treatment is needed at this point.

Stage 3: Deep frostbite

This stage is severe frostbite. The injured area of skin at this point is white, blue or blotchy, and the tissue underneath feels hard and cold to touch. There may also be further damage beneath the skin to the tendons, muscles, nerves and bones.

As the skin thaws, blood-filled blisters form and turn into thick black scabs. At this stage, there is dead tissue and urgent medical help is needed.

💊 How is frostbite treated

Some options for treating the early stages of frostnip include:

• Come indoors straight away
• Remove all wet clothing. Wet clothes draw heat away from the body
• Wrap up affected parts of the body in warm blankets and use body heat to rewarm cold areas. Do not use direct heat such as a fire or heating pad

Rewarming frostbitten areas

According to the NHS rewarming should ideally be carried out under medical supervision by a healthcare professional to prevent refreezing, which makes tissue damage worse.

The rewarming process is slow to raise the body temperature. It is done in warm water or by applying warm, wet packs to your skin for up to 30 minutes.

Dressings are applied to the frostbitten skin and you will be prescribed antibiotics and pain killers. Blood flow in the affected area will be tested to monitor progress of the rewarming process.

Treatment for extreme frostbite

If you have severe frostbite, you’ll need to be admitted to a specialist unit for medical attention. Your healthcare provider may connect you to an intravenous drip to improve your circulation.

🏥 Complications of frostbite

The affected body part may be left with permanent problems:

• Tingling or feelings of electric shock
• Cold sensitivity
• Chronic numbness
• Chronic pain
• Nerve damage
• Infections such as tetanus
• Gangrene: The affected limb may need amputation to prevent spreading of gangrene in rare cases

🏥 Preventing frostbite

The following precautions can be taken in cold weather:

• Dress for the weather. Wear windproof, waterproof and appropriate clothing such as thick socks, hats, mittens and scarves over your face, ears and mouth
• Eat enough food
• Don’t drink alcohol and don’t smoke. They make the skin more sensitive to cold
• Avoid frozen objects like an ice pack or metal pressed against your skin
• Avoid getting wet
• Watch for symptoms of frostbite, such as cold prickly skin, numbness, skin colour changes, or stiffness of body tissues

📝 Conclusion

If you think you or someone else may have frostbite, speak to your healthcare provider for advice. Seek immediate attention immediately if you have:

• Symptoms, such as confusion, memory loss, slurred speech, or slow and uncoordinated body movements
• Heartbeat changes
• Chest pain or trouble breathing
• Loss of consciousness

Sources

• Frostbite – NHS
• Frostbite: Signs & Symptoms, Stages, Treatment & Prevention
• Frostbite – Symptoms and causes – Mayo Clinic