What Is Frostbite?
Exposing your body to temperatures below the freezing point of your skin can freeze your tissues, causing frostbite. Anyone is susceptible to this condition, including those living in cold climates. Your ears, nose, hands, toes, and feet are the most vulnerable to frostbite. Frostbites can either be superficial or deep. Superficial frostbites occur on the surface and are comparatively less severe than deep frostbites.
Stages Of Frostbites
There are several stages of frostbite.
Frostnip
This is the first stage of frostbite, where your skin turns pale or red and very cold. Prolonged exposure to low temperatures can cause pain and a tingling sensation with no permanent damage.
Superficial Frostbite
You know your frostbite is proceeding to the second stage if it first appears as reddened skin that turns pale or white. Although your skin may remain soft, you will start noticing the formation of ice crystals in your tissues.
Severe (Deep) Frostbite
As the frostbite progresses, it affects all your skin layers, including the deep tissues. You will experience pain, numbness, and sensations of cold. The following are some of the common signs and symptoms associated with the superficial and deep frostbite.
Signs And Symptoms Of Frostbite
If you are suffering from superficial frostbite, you may experience:
Numbness Tingling Itching Cold sensations in the affected area
Also, your skin may appear white or frozen. Deep frostbite, on the other end, may result in:
An initial decrease in sensation that may be completely lost over time Swelling Blood-filled blistering Skin turning yellow or white with a waxy appearance Significant pain when the area is rewarmed Skin looking dead or turning black
When exposed to an extremely cold climate, your body undergoes changes to keep you alive. Frostbite is a result of such changes.
Causes And Risk Factors For Frostbites
The most common causes of frostbite are:
Constriction of blood vessels (your body signals blood flow to vital organs) As the temperature drops, your blood vessels get dilated for a short period before constricting again. But when your body temperature drops below 98.6°F, your blood vessels constrict permanently to prevent cold blood from returning to your internal organs. Such a scenario indicates the beginning of frostbite.
Frostbite is caused in two ways:
Cell death at the time of exposure to cold Further cell death and deterioration due to lack of oxygen
Some factors that may increase frostbite risk include:
Medical conditions like dehydration, diabetes, exhaustion, and poor blood flow that impair your response to low temperatures Alcohol/drug abuse Smoking Stress, anxiety, depression, or other mental illnesses A history of frostbite or cold injury Age – older adults and infants are at a higher risk of developing frostbite. Being at a high altitude, which reduces the oxygen supply to your skin.
Let’s now understand how you can diagnose frostbite.
How Are Frostbites Diagnosed?
Frostbites are diagnosed based on your physical signs and symptoms. A doctor analyzes your skin appearance and reviews your recent activities (where you might have gotten exposed to cold). Your physician may also conduct tests like an X-ray, bone scan, or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to determine whether the frostbite has caused damage to your bone or muscles. Since frostbite can occur to anyone, knowing certain simple home remedies can help. Here you go!
How To Treat Frostbite Naturally
5 Natural Treatments For Frostbite
1. Warm Water
A bucket of warm (not hot) water Soak your frostbitten hands/feet in warm water until your symptoms disappear. Do this as and when required. Soaking the frostbitten body part in warm water for a few minutes helps in re-initiating blood flow to it. This works as an immediate remedy that can prevent worsening of a frostbite (1).
2. Essential Oils
a. Helichrysum Oil
3-4 drops of helichrysum oil 1 teaspoon of coconut oil (or any other carrier oil)
You must do this 1 to 2 times daily. The anti-inflammatory properties of helichrysum oil can heal the blisters from frostbites. The oil also relieves pain and redness (2).
b. Cypress Oil
3-4 drops of cypress oil 1 teaspoon of coconut oil (or any other carrier oil)
You must do this 1 to 2 times daily. Reduced blood circulation often causes frostbites, and cypress oil helps here by enhancing the circulation (3).
3. Epsom Salt
1 cup of Epsom salt Water
You must do this once daily for optimum benefits. Epsom salt contains magnesium that helps in fighting inflammation. It relieves blisters, pain, redness, and other symptoms (4).
4. Petroleum Jelly (Vaseline)
Petroleum jelly (as required) Do this 2 to 3 times daily or as required. Petroleum jelly moisturizes your skin and forms a protective outer layer. This accelerates healing and also prevents infections.
5. Vitamin E Oil
Vitamin E oil (as required) You must do this 1 to 2 times daily. Vitamin E oil moisturizes your skin and aids in its repair and regeneration, thereby healing frostbite (5). These remedies work great. But prevention is the key. Following are some tips that can help you prevent frostbites altogether.
Prevention Tips
Limit your time outside when the weather is cold, wet, or windy. Dress in layers of loose and warm clothing. Wear a hat or headband meant for covering your ears to protect yourself from the extreme cold. Opt for mittens instead of gloves. Wear socks/sock liners that provide warmth as well as insulation. Keep a check on your skin to look out for the early signs of frostbite.
What are the medical treatments for frostbite? Medical treatments for frostbite include taking medicines to relieve pain, removing the damaged tissue, and rewarming the affected area. What happens if you leave frostbite untreated? Untreated frostbite can cause growth defects (especially in children) and infection, tetanus, gangrene, or even permanent loss of sensation in the affected area. Prolonged exposure to cold can also lead to hypothermia (a potentially dangerous drop in your body temperature). How long does it take to get frostbite? At 0 degrees, you can get frostbite in less than 30 minutes. Is frostbite like a sunburn? While both frostbite and sunburn are quite different, they do share similar symptoms. Anecdotal evidence suggests that frostbite may lead to skin peeling. This is also seen in the skin that is severely affected by sunburn (6), (7) . Is frostbite worse than a burn? Yes, frostbite is worse than a burn as it can lead to severe damage like numbness, pain, or stiffness in the affected area. Mild burns only affect the epidermal layer (outermost layer) of the skin and can heal after some time.
