Medical Info: Frostbite
Frostbite is the freezing of skin and damage to underlying blood vessels upon exposure to extreme cold.
Blood flow halts in frostbitten skin, and the area must be thawed and rewarmed swiftly to prevent tissue death (gangrene) and infection. The ears, nose, hands, and feet are particularly susceptible.
Frostbite is sometimes accompanied by a life-threatening drop in internal body temperature, known as hypothermia, which must be treated first.
Frostbite is not a common problem, but can be a big problem for people who do not regularly experience severe cold weather, as well as for people who do winter camping, high-altitude climbing, hunting, and snowmobiling.
Frostnip, a superficial freezing of the outer layer of the skin - also can occur if you are exposed to cold weather. The skin turns white as blood circulation decreases, then stings, and becomes quite painful.
Frostnip can occur during vigorous outdoor activity and you may not be aware of it until you stop exercising.
Medical info:
Causes:
Exposure to extremely cold temperatures (32 degrees or below) for prolonged periods of time causes frostbite. The risk becomes greater as the temperature drops and the wind increases.
The risk of frostbite increases with impaired circulation. Those with peripheral vascular disease or diabetes mellitus and those taking beta-blocker drugs are more vulnerable.
Symptoms
Common warning signs include a progressive numbness and a loss of sensitivity to touch. The affected area will also tingle or feel as if it is burning. As the condition worsens, the pain begins to fade or eventually disappear.
The skin also changes color when exposed to extreme cold. It blanches, then may appear red, and finally white-purple if allowed to freeze.
Most people say the affected part of the body feels "wooden," and it may appear to have a wooden texture.
Frostbite can affect any part of the body, but the tip of the nose, ear lobes and rim, fingertips, and toes are the most likely areas.
In mild cases, full recovery can be expected with early treatment. Severe cases of frostbite can result in infection, or gangrene - the death of some body tissue due to the lack of blood supply.
Treatment
When you first notice signs of frostbite, come out of the cold immediately and rewarm the affected area as rapidly as possible.
Do not rub the skin in an effort to get blood flowing back to the area. This causes friction and will destroy the already damaged skin and underlying tissue, as well as increase the risk of infection.
To thaw frostbitten skin, immerse the affected part in a bath kept at a constant temperature of 104 to 105 degrees F for an hour or more. This will cause the blood vessels to dilate and circulation to return to the area.
Rapid rewarming is an intensely painful procedure. Take two ibuprofen, aspirin, or acetaminophen to dull the pain.
Do not smoke or chew tobacco. Nicotine constricts the blood vessels, reduces blood flow to chilled areas, and delays the healing process. If you do not have access to warm water, stick the frozen body part under an armpit or between the thighs.
When the skin has thawed and rewarming is complete, cover the damaged skin with bandages and warm clothing. Contact your doctor or go to an emergency room.
If there is any chance of refreezing a thawed body part, do not rewarm it in the first place. Freezing, rewarming and freezing the skin again causes much more tissue damage than being frozen once. As it rethaws, the skin turns red, swelling develops, and the area becomes quite painful. Dark blisters appear on the skin and continue to form over the ensuing week(s) as new skin develops.
Blood flow halts in frostbitten skin, and the area must be thawed and rewarmed swiftly to prevent tissue death (gangrene) and infection. The ears, nose, hands, and feet are particularly susceptible.
Frostbite is sometimes accompanied by a life-threatening drop in internal body temperature, known as hypothermia, which must be treated first.
Frostbite is not a common problem, but can be a big problem for people who do not regularly experience severe cold weather, as well as for people who do winter camping, high-altitude climbing, hunting, and snowmobiling.
Frostnip, a superficial freezing of the outer layer of the skin - also can occur if you are exposed to cold weather. The skin turns white as blood circulation decreases, then stings, and becomes quite painful.
Frostnip can occur during vigorous outdoor activity and you may not be aware of it until you stop exercising.
Medical info:
Causes:
Exposure to extremely cold temperatures (32 degrees or below) for prolonged periods of time causes frostbite. The risk becomes greater as the temperature drops and the wind increases.
The risk of frostbite increases with impaired circulation. Those with peripheral vascular disease or diabetes mellitus and those taking beta-blocker drugs are more vulnerable.
Symptoms
Common warning signs include a progressive numbness and a loss of sensitivity to touch. The affected area will also tingle or feel as if it is burning. As the condition worsens, the pain begins to fade or eventually disappear.
The skin also changes color when exposed to extreme cold. It blanches, then may appear red, and finally white-purple if allowed to freeze.
Most people say the affected part of the body feels "wooden," and it may appear to have a wooden texture.
Frostbite can affect any part of the body, but the tip of the nose, ear lobes and rim, fingertips, and toes are the most likely areas.
In mild cases, full recovery can be expected with early treatment. Severe cases of frostbite can result in infection, or gangrene - the death of some body tissue due to the lack of blood supply.
Treatment
When you first notice signs of frostbite, come out of the cold immediately and rewarm the affected area as rapidly as possible.
Do not rub the skin in an effort to get blood flowing back to the area. This causes friction and will destroy the already damaged skin and underlying tissue, as well as increase the risk of infection.
To thaw frostbitten skin, immerse the affected part in a bath kept at a constant temperature of 104 to 105 degrees F for an hour or more. This will cause the blood vessels to dilate and circulation to return to the area.
Rapid rewarming is an intensely painful procedure. Take two ibuprofen, aspirin, or acetaminophen to dull the pain.
Do not smoke or chew tobacco. Nicotine constricts the blood vessels, reduces blood flow to chilled areas, and delays the healing process. If you do not have access to warm water, stick the frozen body part under an armpit or between the thighs.
When the skin has thawed and rewarming is complete, cover the damaged skin with bandages and warm clothing. Contact your doctor or go to an emergency room.
If there is any chance of refreezing a thawed body part, do not rewarm it in the first place. Freezing, rewarming and freezing the skin again causes much more tissue damage than being frozen once. As it rethaws, the skin turns red, swelling develops, and the area becomes quite painful. Dark blisters appear on the skin and continue to form over the ensuing week(s) as new skin develops.
posted by Jul at
9:07 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home