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Symptoms Of Frostbite When Outdoors |
Frostbite is a freezing of the skin and
deeper body tissues. There are varying degrees, but the
treatment is similar for all of them. In any case, the real
degree of the frostbite usually won't be known until after it is
treated and the damage can be determined.
The first sign of frostbite may be a loss of feeling in the affected
area. White patches on the skin are the next obvious symptom.
Watch for a white tip of the nose. The skin will appear pale and
waxy. The fingers may even clack together like pieces of wood in
serious cases.
Frostbite Treatment
Quick re warming of the affected areas is the usual treatment.
This can be as simple as putting your frostbitten fingers under
your arms in mild cases. In more serious cases, the treatment of
choice is hot water. Frostbitten toes can be effectively warmed
against the bare stomach of a good friend.
Refreezing of thawed body parts can cause substantial tissue
loss. Therefore it is important to not only treat the affected
areas, but to have a plan for protecting them from the cold
thereafter. For this reason, there are times when it may be best
to leave the affected parts frozen.
One such instance is when a foot is seriously frozen, but is
needed to walk to safety. Thawing it out before you can easily
keep it thawed not only might result in more damage, but a
thawed foot may be impossible to walk on due to the pain. More
than one person has had to leave a foot frozen in order hike out
to safety - even when this has meant the loss of the foot.
Superficial frostbite, on the other hand, such as when you see white
patches on your nose or fingers, should be treated quickly. This
may prevent deep tissue damage.
The hot water treatment for more serious frostbite is a
generally done with a water temperature of 110 degrees (43
Celsius). Thawing continues until color returns to all of the
affected parts (about 20 to 30 minutes), but not much longer. It
is extremely painful, so strong pain relievers are normally
required.
Blisters will form, and generally shouldn't be popped. They can
last several weeks, and should receive attention from a doctor.
Dead skin should generally not be cut away, and digits should be
allowed to self-amputate themselves over the following three
months.
Okay, with that in mind, let's look at prevention.
Stay warm - that is the essence of preventing frostbite. Know
what kind of weather you'll be hiking in and be prepared for
worse than what is expected. Think ahead and plan for how you
will stay warm and get warm again if you do get too cold.
Stop to check for frostbite if you are not sure that you can feel some
part of your toes, nose or fingers. Treat possible beginnings of
frostbite quickly, and then watch for any repeat problems in
that area. Put warmer socks on, cover your nose and do whatever
else you can to keep your extremities warm.
Putting on a hat can help prevent frostbite in your toes. How?
Any general conservation of body heat can make it easier for
your body to keep the heat going to the extremities. A lot of
heat can be lost through your head if you don't keep it covered.
Cayenne pepper sprinkled in your socks can keep the blood
flowing to your toes, thus preventing them from freezing. It is
said that rubbing vinegar on your hands and feet will do the
same thing. DMSO, a pain-relieving solvent sold in some health
food stores, also seems to work.
Immersion Foot
Immersion foot, unlike frostbite, can happen at temperatures up
to 66 degrees (19 Celsius). It is a result of constant exposure
to cold and water. First, the foot is swollen, cold, waxy, and
with blue and purple blotches. The skin is wet and soft. Walking
can become difficult due to a loss of feeling. Over the coming
days, this progresses to swollen, red and hot feet. Blisters
form and infection is common, as is gangrene.
Common treatments include aspirin and alcohol (small doses
throughout the day), to keep the blood flowing in the smallest
capillaries. Keeping the feet dry is important too. Prevention
is a better plan. Foe this, change into dry socks frequently.
Also elevate, dry and massage the feet several times daily to
promote circulation
Key Points
1. Watch for symptoms of frostbite, like loss of feeling or
white patches on the skin.
2. Early treatment of frostbite can prevent serious damage.
3. There are simple steps you can take to prevent frostbite.
4. Immersion foot is also a serious problem when temperatures
are above freezing.
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To conserve energy on steep terrain, especially at high
altitude, try the mountaineer's "rest-step." Before pushing up
into the next step, rest a few seconds on your rear leg, with
you knee locked, and take a deep breath or two.
Wild onions are one of the safer emergency foods, because
their distinctive odor makes identification almost certain. If
it smells and tastes like an onion or chive or garlic, it almost
certainly is. Cook the bulbs if you eat large quantities, to
make digestion easier.
To avoid excess condensation in your tent, open the rain fly's
on any screened windows or doors any time you can. Good airflow
will prevent most condensation. You can always close them again
if it starts to rain. |
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