Frostbites is deadly and it can make you lose a part of your body. You might have felt your toes numb while taking some steps in cold places. When you take off your foot, you may discover blisters filled with blood on your feet. At this point, you only have few minutes to save yourself from amputation or even death.
Every year, 1,300 Americans die after exposure to cold. Frostbites happens when your skin gets exposed to extremely low temperature. When the Windchill causes the temperature to drop to -26-degree C or (-18 F), it can cause skin freeze in less than 30 minutes. This can lead to gangrene or amputation of the area. In the worst case, frostbite can kill you.
So, if you are visiting a cold area either as a tourist or not, you should know more about frostbites before you travel.
So, which part of the body are the most important to protect?
Why is drinking water so important in cold weather?
And why is it dangerous to heat up too fast?
Here are some tips to help you survive frost bites
- Keep your shoes on: Make sure to cover up and dress warmly. Pay extra attention to your hands, feet and nose. Since the nose is more vulnerable to frostbites, keep your nose safe.
Courtesy of prevention -
Put the drink Down: Dehydration doesn’t only affect you in warmer temperatures. As your body pulls heat to your core to keep you warm, your kidney starts to work extra hard and expel fluids from your body. This could make you dehydrated and more susceptible to frostbites.
So, if you get exposed to freezing cold, you must stay hydrated. Drink enough water even if you aren’t tasty and avoid drinking alcohol, since that will make your body lose heat faster
Drinking water during cold - Beware of shiny skin: One of the early signs of frostbites is shinny skin. If you detect it early, you can avoid permanent damage. There are three stages of frostbites. First, you will feel itching or a burning sensation in your extremities.
Frostbites ( Courtesy of Encyclopedia Britannica) - Get warm but not too fast: Once you see signs of frostbites, it essential to get the area warmed up but do it gradually. Even if getting near a bonfire seems like a great idea, you should avoid any direct heat since you have lost sensitivity of your skin. If you risk getting so close to the fire, you could get a nasty burn. Instead, apply warm water to the affected area. Once it is warmed, make sure to dry it thoroughly and place a loose sterile dressing on top.
warming hands (Courtesy of The Guardian) - Don’t rub: You are probably used to rubbing your hands when you are cold to increase blood flow and warm them but with frostbites, you should never warm or message the affected area. Rubbing can increase the damage to your soft tissue and probably make things worse.
Rubbing hands during cold. Courtesy of Dreamtime
If you have managed to survive frostbites, you could share your stories and tips in the comment.
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