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The symptoms of frostbite appear gradually. Initially, frostbite is manifested by a change in the color of the skin, numbness, burning, and with time there is a loss of sensation. Frostbite is favored by cold, wind and moisture, and the most vulnerable parts of the body to frostbite are the face, hands and feet. How to recognize frostbite? What are the symptoms of frostbite?
Firstfrostbite symptomscan be easily mistaken for hypothermia. Over time, however, they intensify enough that it becomes obvious that we have thisfrostbite .
When may frostbite symptoms appear?
Frostbite is a change in the skin and tissues below it caused by low temperature. Frostbites are favored not only by frost, but most of all by wind and moisture. Very frosty but dry air does not harm us as much as less cold combined with wind and moisture. When we are sweaty, we are exposed to the wind, we cool down very quickly, even at a positive temperature of plus 2 to plus 6 degrees. The best way to avoid frostbite is first and foremost to wear the right clothes to protect you from both getting cold and sweating. Today, both for winter sports and for trips, we can choose outfits made of intelligent fabrics that retain heat and transport sweat to the surface and protect the body from moisture.
Frostbite - symptoms
Frostbite has three stages, which differ in symptoms.
- The slightest first degree frostbite is first seen in the skin turning pale, which turns chalky white. Then there is redness with a slightly bluish tinge, the skin begins to sting and swelling appears. There is circulatory disturbance in frozen parts of the body, the sufferer has a feeling of numbness and lack of feeling.
- Second degree frostbite is manifested by the formation of serous or serous-blood blisters on the skin. The frostbitten part of the body is blue and swollen. Second degree frostbite leaves behind long-lasting swelling and discoloration.
- Third degree frostbite covers the entire thickness of the skin, the most severe being blisters, tissue necrosis and ulcerations.
- The fourth degree frostbite also affects the muscles, and evenbones.
Frostbites - help
Under no circumstances should the frostbitten places be rubbed with snow or rubbed with a strong massage! Doing so leads to damage to frostbitten tissues and hinders healing. When the skin is turning pale, you can make warm baths in lukewarm water (about 25 degrees C), gradually increasing the temperature of the bath to even 40 degrees. After drying, the frostbitten skin should be covered with a sterile dressing. In the case of second degree frostbite, the blisters must not be broken. You also need to apply a dressing. Three-degree and four-degree frostbites require medical attention, including administration of drugs to balance the fluid balance and an anti-tetanus injection.