The information was provided by Cathy Snelson, RN, MSN, Parish Nurse
Frostbite-The Chilly Truth
Frostbite occurs when the skin and body tissue just underneath it freezes. Your skin becomes very cold, then numb, hard and pale. Frostbite typically affects smaller, more exposed areas of your body, such as your fingers, toes, nose, ears, cheeks and chin.
Frostbite occurs in several stages:
Frostnip. The first stage of frostbite is frostnip. This is a mild form of frostbite. The skin turns red and feels very cold. Continued exposure leads to prickling and numbness in the affected area. As skin warms, you may feel pain and tingling. Frostnip doesn't permanently damage the skin.
Superficial frostbite. The second stage of frostbite appears as reddened skin that turns white or very pale. The skin may remain soft, but some ice crystals may form in the tissue. The skin may begin to feel warm. This is a sign of serious skin involvement. If you treat frostbite at this stage, the surface of your skin may appear mottled, blue or purple as it is warmed or thawed. With warming, you may notice stinging, burning and swelling. A fluid-filled blister may appear 24 to 36 hours after rewarming the skin.
Severe or deep frostbite. As frostbite progresses, it affects all layers of the skin, including the tissues that lie below. You may experience numbness and lose all sensation of cold, pain or discomfort. Joints or muscles may no longer work. Large blisters form 24 to 48 hours after rewarming. The skin turns black and hard as the tissue dies.
Signs and symptoms of frostbite include:
- a slightly painful, prickly or itching sensation.
- red, white, pale or grayish-yellow skin.
- hard or waxy-looking skin.
- a cold or burning feeling.
- numbness.
- clumsiness due to joint and muscle stiffness.
- blistering, in severe cases.
Seek medical attention for frostbite if you experience:
- signs and symptoms of superficial or severe frostbite such as white or pale skin, loss of all sensation in the affected area, or blisters.
- increased pain, swelling, redness or discharge in the area that was frostbitten.
- fever of more than 100.4 degrees.
- dizziness, aching or feeling generally ill.
- new or unexplained symptoms.
First-aid care
- Gradually warm the affected skin.
- Protect your skin from further exposure. If you're outside, warm frostbitten hands by tucking them into your armpits. Protect your face, nose or ears by covering the area with dry, gloved hands. Don't rub the affected area and never rub snow on frostbitten skin.
- Get out of the cold. Once you're indoors, remove wet clothes.
- Gradually warm frostbitten areas. Put frostbitten hands or feet in warm water, 104 to 107.6. Wrap or cover other areas in a warm blanket. Don't use direct heat, such as a stove, heat lamp, fireplace or heating pad, these can cause burns.
- Don't walk on frostbitten feet or toes if possible. This further damages the tissue.
- If there's any chance the affected areas will freeze again, don't thaw them. If they're already thawed, wrap them up so that they don't become frozen again.
- Know what to expect as skin thaws. If the skin turns red and there's a tingling and burning sensation as it warms, circulation is returning. But if numbness or sustained pain remains during warming or if blisters develop, seek medical attention.
Caring for your skin after frostbite:
- take all medications, antibiotics or pain medicine, as prescribed by your doctor.
- for milder cases of frostbite, take over-the-counter ibuprofen (Advil or Motrin IB) to reduce pain and inflammation.
- apply aloe vera gel or lotion to the affected area several times a day to reduce inflammation.
- don't break blisters that may develop. Blisters act like a bandage. Allow blisters to break on their own.
Information summarized from:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/frostbite/DS01164