Bundle up: frigid winter temperatures increase frostbite risk
As frigid temperatures set in across the United States, concerns of frostbite start to rise.
A person’s risk of suffering frostbite depends on several variables including the air temperature, wind, time outside and the person’s general condition. Children and seniors are more susceptible to frostbite, as are people with diseases that affect blood circulation. Getting wet or drinking alcohol will make things worse. Be prepared when going outside in the cold; dress in layers to trap heat; protect exposed areas such as the hands, feet, face and ears; and limit your time outside.
If you’re out in the cold and notice the following symptoms, seek shelter immediately:
- Pain
- Numbness
- Red, white or grayish-yellow skin
- Firm or waxy skin
- Joint or muscle stiffness
- Blistering
If you notice significant discoloration of a cold-affected area or blistering, get medical attention quickly.
When a patient comes to the emergency room with frostbite symptoms, we check for a pulse in affected fingers and toes, followed by an imaging study to check blood flow. If there’s no blood flow, we may use thrombolytic treatment, a technique to break up clots in the capillaries and get the blood flowing again. It’s similar to the clot busting drugs used for stroke. This has been shown to decrease the likelihood of amputation.
Time is of the essence. Treatment needs to start within 24 hours of the injury, otherwise you’ll get irreversible tissue damage. It works if we get the right patient at the right time.
If you’re concerned you may have frostbite, go to the emergency room.
Nicole Bernal is the director of the Burn Center and clinical professor of surgery at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.
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