Frostbite occurs when meat freezes due to prolonged exposure to cold temperatures. Frostbite most commonly occurs in the fingers, toes, nose, ears, cheeks and chin. If the case is severe, frostbite will need to be amputated. In most cases, the freezing occurs only on the skin (known as frostnip). However, in extreme cases, the tissue can die deep enough and should be handled with care. Frostbite requires good medical care to minimize past and future damage.
Step
Part 1 of 3: Determining the Severity of Frostbite
Step 1. Determine if you have frostnip
Frostnip is not the same as frostbite, but not much different either. The blood vessels in the skin constrict, resulting in an area that looks pale and red. You will feel numbness, pain, itching or tingling in the area. However, the skin will respond to pressure without problems and its normal texture remains unchanged. These symptoms can be reversed by rewarming the frozen part.
- Frostnip can occur more quickly in children than adults, and usually affects the ears, nose, and cheeks.
- Frostnip indicates frostbite can occur if exposed long enough to the current weather conditions.
Step 2. Determine if you have superficial frostbite
Although it doesn't feel superficial, frostbite can be cured with the right treatment. This frostbite is more serious than frostnip, and the symptoms are numbness, white or yellowish-gray skin with red boils, throbbing pain, and slightly hardened or swollen skin.
The chances of tissue damage in superficial frostbite are less. Some people with superficial frostbite will develop blisters with clear fluid for 24 hours, which are usually on the edge or edge of the frostbite area and do not cause tissue damage
Step 3. Determine if you have severe frostbite
Severe frostbite is the most dangerous type of frostbite. The symptoms are the skin looks pale and unnaturally stiff, as well as a sensation of numbness in the affected area. In some cases, the tissue affected by frostbite has blisters filled with blood, or signs of gangrene (gray/black dead skin).
The most severe forms of frostbite can penetrate into the muscles and bones and can cause skin and tissue death. The risk of tissue damage is very high
Step 4. Stay away from cold weather and seek medical attention as soon as possible
If you can go to the hospital or emergency department in two hours, you should not try to treat frostbite on your own. If you can't get out of the cold, don't warm the frostbite area because it will freeze again later. The freeze-thaw-freeze-thaw cycle can cause more damage to the tissue so it's best to just leave it frozen.
If you can get new emergency help in more than two hours, you can start your own frostbite treatment. All frostbite conditions (frostnip, superficial, and severe) share the same basic “field treatment” (out-of-hospital care) procedures
Part 2 of 3: Rewarming the Frozen Area
Step 1. Start warming the frostbite affected area
When you notice areas of frostbite on your body (often on your fingers, toes, ears, and nose), take steps to warm the area immediately. Wrap your fingers in your armpits, and hold dry gloved hands against your face, toes, or other areas of your body to provide heat. Take off all wet clothes as this will prevent your body temperature from rising.
Step 2. Take pain medication if needed
If you have superficial frostbite, the rewarming process can be painful. To prevent this, take an NSAID (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug) pain reliever such as ibuprofen. However, you should not take Aspirin as it prevents the body from healing effectively. Take the medicine according to the recommended dosage instructions on the medicine package.
Step 3. Rewarm the area affected by frostbite by soaking it in warm water
Fill a bucket or basin with water with a temperature of 40-42 degrees Celsius. At best, the water temperature should be at 40.5 degrees Celsius. Do not use water exceeding the above temperature as it will burn and scald the skin. If possible, add antibacterial soap to the water to prevent infection. Soak for 15-30 minutes.
- If you don't have a thermometer, test the water temperature by submerging an uninjured area such as your hand or elbow in the water. The water should feel very warm, but still tolerable. If the temperature of the hot water is painful, cool it down a bit first.
- If possible, use stirred water instead of still water. Whirlpools are ideal, but running water will suffice.
- Do not allow the frozen area to touch the sides of the bowl or basin as this will damage the skin.
- Do not rewarm the frozen area for less than 15-30 minutes. Melting frozen areas will be accompanied by pain. However, you should continue to warm the frozen area until it melts completely. If you stop too quickly, the damage to the frozen area can be even more severe.
- Areas affected by severe frostbite may need to be warmed for up to an hour.
Step 4. Do not use dry heat such as heaters, fireplaces, or heating pads
These heat sources are too difficult to control and heat is not delivered gradually.
Keep in mind that the area affected by frostbite will be numb and you won't be able to judge the temperature. Dry heat sources cannot be monitored accurately
Step 5. Take a good look at the frostbite affected area
When the skin begins to warm again, you will feel a tingling and burning sensation. The area affected by frostbite will be red or pink, often ulcerated, and the normal texture will return. Your skin should not be swollen or blistered. If these two symptoms appear, it means the damage is getting worse and needs to be checked by a doctor. In addition, if the skin does not change at all after a few minutes in the warm water, there may be serious damage that needs to be checked by a doctor.
Take photos of the frostbite affected area, if possible. This will help the doctor monitor the progress of the frostbite and determine whether the frostbite is improving due to the treatment given or not
Step 6. Prevent further damage
Continue to seek medical attention while preventing your condition from getting worse. Don't rub or scratch frozen skin, avoid too much movement, and don't expose the frostbite-affected area to extreme temperatures again.
- Allow the frozen area to warm itself in the wind or dry gently with a towel, but don't rub.
- Do not bandage the frozen area alone. There is no medical evidence to suggest that frostbite areas should be bandaged before proper medical care is provided. otherwise, the bandage may interfere with your movement.
- Do not massage the frostbite area. This will cause more severe tissue damage.
- Elevate the frostbite area above the heart to avoid swelling.
Part 3 of 3: Getting Professional Treatment
Step 1. Get medical care
Depending on the severity of frostbite, the treatment received from the doctor will vary. The most common treatment given is hydrotherapy, but in severe cases surgery will be performed. If you have severe frostbite, your doctor may resort to amputation as a treatment option, but this decision is only made 1-3 months after initial exposure, when tissue damage is fully apparent.
- Your doctor will check to see if rewarming is done properly and assess for any “damaged tissue,” or tissue that cannot be healed. When all the treatments are done and you are released from the hospital, the doctor will put a bandage on the area where the frostbite is not healing as a precaution as it heals. This is done depending on the severity of frostbite.
- If you have frostbite, your doctor may recommend transferring you to a burn care department.
- You will still need to see your doctor for 1-2 days after leaving the hospital if you have moderate or severe frostbite. Very severe conditions require control as much as 10 days for 2-3 weeks.
Step 2. Talk to your doctor about post-treatment care
Because it is damaged by frostbite, your skin is susceptible to further damage as it heals. You will experience pain and inflammation as you heal. Get plenty of rest, and talk to your doctor about the following:
- Applying aloe vera (aloe vera). Research states that pure aloe vera cream will prevent further skin damage and accelerate tissue healing.
- Treating blisters. Your skin will blister as it heals. Do not break or tear any blisters that appear. Ask your doctor how to treat it until it heals on its own.
- Control pain. Your doctor will prescribe ibuprofen for pain and inflammation. Use according to the dose given.
- Prevent infection. Your doctor may prescribe antibiotics, especially if the case is severe. Antibiotics must be taken as prescribed.
- Back to activity. If frostbite affects your foot or toes, you should refrain from walking while it heals to prevent further damage. Ask your doctor about wheelchairs to help with your mobility.
Step 3. Protect the frostbite affected area from exposure to cold temperatures
To ensure you heal properly and fully, protect the affected area from frostbite for 6=12 months.
To prevent further frostbite incidents, reduce your time outdoors in cold temperatures, especially if accompanied by strong winds and wet weather
Tips
- Treat Hypothermia first, if it occurs. Hypothermia is a generalized drop in core body temperature to dangerous levels. Hypothermia can be life-threatening and must be treated first.
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Preventing Symptoms of Frostbite (Frostbite):
- Wear wool gloves instead of regular gloves.
- Wear layers of clothing instead of just one or two thick clothes.
- Keep clothes dry, especially socks and gloves.
- Make sure your child wears layers of clothing and calls into the house every hour to warm up. Children are more susceptible to frostbite than adults.
- Make sure your shoes or boots are not too tight.
- Wear a hat and/or ski mask that protects the nose and ears.
- Seek shelter in case of a strong storm.
Protection
- Once warmed, the limb affected by frostbite should not be refrozen to prevent permanent tissue damage.
- Do not warm the area with direct or dry heat such as any kind of fire, hot water bottle or heating pad as you will not feel burned. The area affected by frostbite can burn easily.
- Never smoke or drink alcohol while healing because it interferes with blood circulation.
- The hands cannot feel the heat of the water because they are numb, so have someone else check the temperature of the water and prevent burns.
- Once warmed, the body part affected by frostbite cannot be used until it heals. This can cause serious additional damage.
- Children are more prone to frostbite so take care of your child when it is very cold outside.
- In extreme cold weather, frostbite can occur in as little as 5 minutes.
