What Is Frostbite?
Frostbite is one of the most common things you get warned about during the Canadian winter. Odds are your parents or other guardians told you to put on your mittens or gloves to prevent frostbite. However, it was likely very rarely explained what frostbite is, or how to prevent the condition.
Frostbite is what happens to body tissues when it gets too cold. It starts damaging the skin, and when it gets more extreme, it can begin to damage other tissues. The most commonly impacted areas include the hands and feet (usually affecting the fingers and toes specifically), and can also impact the nose, ears, cheeks, and other areas that are commonly exposed. It is also possible, especially for men, to get frostbite on one’s genitals if the affected person is not warm enough.
Why Is Frostbite Dangerous?
The reason frostbite can be so dangerous is that it can do permanent damage to impacted tissue, cause an infection such as tetanus, or in extreme cases, gangrene, which is when your blood vessels freeze permanently, preventing blood from going to the impacted area. In the most extreme cases, the part that has frostbite might need to be amputated entirely. For this reason, it is important to understand the condition, how to prevent it, and how to properly treat it.
What Causes Frostbite?
Frostbite is caused when the skin is exposed to very cold temperatures. These cold temperatures cause your blood vessels to contract, meaning that blood doesn’t flow to them properly. This is the reason that frostbite is exposed to areas far away from the core of the body. These areas are most likely to be exposed, and their distance from the heart makes it more difficult for blood to get there in the first place.
Who Is At The Highest Risk Of Frostbite?
Due to the role that the circulatory system plays in catching frostbite, those who have circulatory issues are more likely to develop it than anyone else. Very young children and the elderly are also highly at risk. It should, however, be noted that nobody is immune to frostbite. Even young, active, healthy adults who have extremely strong circulatory systems can develop it if they are exposed to cold conditions for long enough. For this reason, it is always important to pay attention to the weather report to see how cold it is and know the proper precautions.
It should also be noted that anyone who spends plenty of time outside, due to recreation, travel or work, is more likely to develop frostbite.
How Cold Does It Have To Be To Get Frostbite?
You can get frostbite anytime the temperature (with windchill) drops below zero degrees Celsius (32 Fahrenheit). It should be noted that the colder it is, the faster exposed skin can develop it. For example, at -25 Celsius (-15 F) one can catch it within half an hour. However, the time to develop it drops quickly when the temperature plummets. When the windchill reaches -40 Celsius (-40 F), someone can develop frostbite in less than 5 minutes.
Since frostbite can be developed faster with either an increase in windspeed or a drop in temperature, it is important to take as many precautions as possible, and not just do the minimum. You should also prepare to protect yourself for longer than needed. The more precautions taken the better your chances are of preventing the condition for yourself and your loved ones, so it is best that you take as many precautions as you reasonably can.
What Are The Four Stages Of Frostbite?
The four stages of frostbite are first-degree, second-degree, third-degree and fourth-degree frostbite. First degree is the least severe, and fourth degree is the most. The more severe cases are also the ones that are harder to recover from, so it is advised that if you see symptoms, that you head to safety as soon as possible. Points of each of them are below.
First Degree Frostbite
First-degree frostbite is when only the outer layer of the skin has been impacted. The person impacted might have mild swelling or changes in skin colour, or a tingling sensation. It can easily be recovered from very quickly if treated at this point.
Second Degree Frostbite
Second-degree frostbite occurs when all layers, of skin, both outer and layer, are impacted. This is where blisters can form, physical pain act generally be felt, and skin can harden.
Third Degree Frostbite
Third-degree frostbite is when tissues under the skin start to be impacted by the condition. This is where numbness starts to occur, pain is much sharper, and blisters are much larger and appear to be filled with blood.
Fourth Degree Frostbite
Fourth degree frostbite is when tissues are deeply impacted. Deep, aching pain from the point of the muscle, patches of skin or rubbery, and painful, red blisters are common symptoms.
How To Prevent Frostbite
There are many things that you can do to prevent frostbite, most involving dressing appropriately, consuming the right food and drinks, and resting properly. Many of these are part of preparing for a blizzard. These include the following:
Wear Loose Layers Underneath
Wearing some extra layers underneath can give you some solid extra protection against the cold and prevent frostbite. Wearing a t-shirt underneath your sweater, thicker socks, longer underwear, and any similar thin layers worn underneath provide an extra bit of protection from the cold.
Wear A Heavy Waterproof Coat And Snow Pants
A light rain jacket won’t be enough to protect you against the cold temperatures. A thick jacket is probably the most iconic piece of winter clothing. Ensure you go with a waterproof version in order to prevent yourself from getting wet, as when water freezes, it will turn to ice, cooling you off further. A think, waterproof jacket will protect your upper body, and snow pants will provide similar protection to your legs. These will keep your body temperature up, lowering your risk of both frostbite and hypothermia.
Wear Gloves Or Mittens And A Winter Hat To Prevent Vulnerable Areas
Your hands and face are the most susceptible parts of your body to frostbite, so it’s important that you do everything you can to protect them. For your hands, you have a choice between gloves and mittens. Gloves have separate areas for each finger allowing for more flexibility and dexterity for handling tasks such as shoveling snow. Mittens however keep your fingers all together, keeping them warmer. It is your choice as to which of these forms of hand protection you use.
When choosing a hat, it is important to remember you should choose a winter hat with thick material, not a baseball cap. It would be even better to wear a hat that covers your entire face if possible, as this protects your nose, ears, mouth, and other places that are most vulnerable to frostbite.
Wear Boots Instead Of Shoes
While Shoes might be very comfortable, boots are much thicker, go up higher, and are usually waterproof and snowproof. This will help protect your feet and toes, which is a great way to prevent frostbite.
Avoid Alcohol
If you want to prevent frostbite, it is important to avoid alcohol consumption. This is partially because alcohol can impair your senses and decision-making, causing you to ignore symptoms, and also due to the impact dehydration can have.
Stay Hydrated And Eat Healthy Food
Healthier drinks are a great alternative to alcohol when you’re on your break. Dehydration and hunger lower the body’s natural defenses against frostbite. Heating healthy food, and drinking water, sports drinks, or warm beverages such as coffee or hot chocolate can help prevent the condition by keeping the body warm and give it enough nutrients to preserve itself.
Remain Moving
Movement increases your body temperature. If you are doing work outside, ensure that you keep yourself active. Don’t stand around for a few minutes at a time. If you need to remain stationary, move to a warmer place to rest, by which I mean rest inside.
Limit Time Spent Outside
Weather reports can often let you know how much time it takes to get frostbite. If it takes an hour to get the condition at a certain temperature, it would be best to limit your time outside to less than this time. Give yourself a significant cushion. If it takes half an hour to get frostbite, for example, it’s best to limit time outside to 45 minutes, as opposed to pushing it to 59 minutes. This is because conditions outside might change for the worst, and going in before the recommended time allows for some leeway.
Keep Rest Areas Warm
If it’s cold enough to give you frostbite within minutes, or if you spend a lot of time outside, it’s probably best to take a rest inside for a handful of minutes at a time and take a break whenever you can. If this is the case, you should ensure that your rest place inside is kept warm enough for you to be able to recover quickly. Ensure that you have your furnace and some heaters running inside if you need them. Ensure that when you open the doors to leave or enter, snow doesn’t get inside.
Watch For Symptoms Of Frostbite
If you see some symptoms of frostbite, it’s time to immediately go inside and shield yourself from the cold. Symptoms are listed below.
What Does Frostbite Look Like?
Some symptoms of frostbite are visible to onlookers. It is best to be on the lookout for these symptoms in both yourself and others. The symptoms to look for include the following:
-Miscoloured skin. Red is very common, but blue, white, grey, yellow, brown, black and purple have all been associated with frostbite. The colour depends on the severity of the frostbite and the colour of the person’s skin normally.
-Swelling. Swollen skin is a major red flag.
-Blisters. These start being visible with the second degree variation of the condition.
-Harder skin. The more severe the frostbite, the more severe the condition.
Please note that there are also other symptoms, and this is not an exhaustive list.
What Are Other Frostbite Symptoms?
There are also symptoms of frostbite that must be felt by the person experiencing it. If you have any of these symptoms, seek shelter and treatment immediately.
-Pain. If you feel active discomfort, it might be a symptom of the condition. Even if its a false positive, you should get to safety anyway, as pain should never be completely ignored.
-Numbness. If part of your body feels nothing, even when touched, it may also be a symptom of frostbite.
-Waxy feeling skin.
-Tingling.
-Stiff joints.
Please note that even this is not a full list of symptoms. If you are unsure of if something is a symptom of frostbite, it’s best to go inside, rest, and give yourself a warm treat.
How To Treat Frostbite
It is important to treat frostbite as quickly as reasonably possible. However, it is important to do it right, as doing it wrong can make things even worse. Remove all wet clothing, and replace it with warm, dry clothing. Add extra layers to other areas of the body to increase body temperature. Using blankets or other extra think insulators also helps. Avoid walking on frostbitten feet. Although it sounds like a simple solution, using heaters to heat the frostbitten area will do more harm than good. Avoid bursting or rubbing blisters.
Some things you can do to properly treat the frostbite include the following:
-Warm the area in warm water or, if it is part of the face, with a warm wet cloth.
-Drink a warm, non-alcoholic beverage.
-Take a painkiller to make yourself more comfortable.
These are not the only options you have. If you notice that your condition is worsening, or you are developing hypothermia, it is advised that you call 911.
Does Frostbite Heal Over Time?
Frostbite, unless causing an infection or needing amputation, can heal on its own if properly treated early on and not aggravated. It can take anywhere from a few days to several months. If you are ever in doubt, seeing a doctor is generally a good idea.