Frostbite

General description of the disease

Frostbite – damage to the skin and human tissues due to prolonged exposure to low temperatures and cold wind. Most often, protruding parts of the body (nose, ears), skin of the face and limbs (fingers and toes) are damaged.

Frostbite should not be confused with “cold burn”, As it appears upon direct contact with cold, chemical substances (for example, upon contact with liquid nitrogen or dry ice). Frostbite, in turn, occurs in the winter-spring time at a temperature of 10-20 degrees below Celsius or when spending time outdoors with a high degree of humidity, cold wind (at a temperature of about zero).

Causes of frostbite:

  • tight, small or wet shoes, clothing;
  • loss of strength, starvation;
  • a long stay in an uncomfortable posture for the body or prolonged immobility of the body at low temperatures outside;
  • excessive sweating of the feet, palms;
  • diseases of the cardiovascular system and blood vessels of the legs;
  • various kinds of trauma with large blood loss;
  • previous cold injury.

Frostbite symptoms

The first of the signs of frostbite is pale skin on the affected areas of the body. A frozen person begins to shiver, shiver, lips become bluish and pale. Clouding of consciousness, delirium, lethargy, inadequacy in behavior, hallucinations may begin. Then, in the place of hypothermia, tingling and growing painful sensations appear. At first, the pain goes on increasing, but, as the vessels cool and narrow, the pain subsides and numbness of the limb or the affected area of ​​the body sets in. After that, sensitivity is completely lost. If the limbs are damaged, their functioning is impaired. Damaged skin hardens and becomes cold. After all these phases, the skin also acquires a bluish, deathly waxy, white or yellow tint.

Frostbite degrees

Depending on the symptoms, frostbite is divided into 4 degrees.

  1. 1 First degree – easy. It begins with short exposure to cold temperatures. The most obvious sign of this degree is a change in the color of the skin and the presence of a tingling sensation, then numbness. The skin turns blue, and after a person warms up, it becomes red or purple in color. Sometimes there may be swelling in the affected area of ​​the body or limb. Painful sensations of varying strength may also occur. After a week, damaged skin may peel off. By the end of the week after the frostbite has occurred, all symptoms disappear and recovery occurs.
  2. 2 For second degree pale skin, coldness of the affected area and loss of sensitivity on it are characteristic. A striking distinguishing feature of the second degree from the first is the appearance of bubbles in the first 2 days after frostbite, filled with a transparent liquid. After heating, the patient develops severe itching and burning. Recovery and regeneration of the skin occurs within one to two weeks, while no traces or scars remain on the skin.
  3. 3 Third degree frostbite. At this stage, blisters appear already filled with blood. Severe pain is observed (almost during the entire treatment and recovery period). All skin structures are damaged on the skin exposed to low temperatures. If the fingers were frostbitten, then the nail plate comes off and no longer grows at all, or the nail grows damaged and deformed. Within two to three weeks, the dead tissue is rejected, then the scarring period begins and it lasts about a month.
  4. 4 Fourth degree, in most cases, combined with frostbite of the 2nd and 3rd degree. All structures of the skin die off, joints, muscles, bones are affected. The affected area becomes cyanotic, resembles a marble color, and there is no sensitivity at all. When warmed, the skin immediately becomes edematous. The swelling increases rapidly. Here, the consequences can be very different: from scars on the skin, to amputation of a limb or finger with complete necrosis of tissues or the onset of gangrene.

Useful foods for frostbite

A patient who has suffered from frostbite needs to eat well and, above all, increase the intake of protein and vitamins. If a person has lost appetite, then you cannot force food to be pushed. In the first days after injury, the main thing is to give plenty of drink, which will help remove viruses and toxins from the body. It is useful to drink warm, not firmly certified tea, berry fruit drinks (previously diluted with warm boiled water), extracts of wild rose berries, hawthorn, chamomile flowers.

For the first few days, it is best to opt for chicken broth or light soup cooked with it. This dish lowers white blood cell levels, thereby reducing irritation and inflammation.

At elevated temperatures, spices and spices (coriander, cinnamon, ginger, pepper, cloves, garlic) should be added to food. They will increase sweat production, thereby helping to lower the temperature.

In case of frostbite, such foods and dishes will be useful as: milk, kefir, sour cream, cottage cheese, cheese, vegetables (potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, cauliflower, beets), vegetable broths, lean meat and fish, grated cereals, white bread. From sweets, you can honey, jam, marmalade, a little sugar.

The patient should eat in small portions, the number of meals should be at least 6 times.

First aid for frostbite

After detecting a person with frostbite, it is necessary to provide first aid.

The first step is to place the patient in a warm room, remove shoes, socks, gloves, replace wet clothes with dry ones (depending on the situation). Give warm food and feed with hot food, restore blood circulation.

RџSЂRё first degree frostbite, the victim needs to massage the damaged areas of the body or limbs (you can use woolen products). Apply a cotton-gauze bandage.

At 2, 3, 4 degrees frostbite, in no case, rubbing, warming massage should not be carried out. It is necessary to put a gauze layer on the damaged piece of skin, then a layer of cotton wool, then gauze and wrap it with oilcloth or rubberized cloth.

In case of damage to the limbs (especially fingers), secure them with improvised things (you can use plywood, a ruler, a board).

You can not rub the patient with snow and grease. With frostbite, blood vessels are very fragile and can be damaged, while forming microcracks, into which infection can easily get.

With general hypothermia, it is necessary to take a warming bath (first, the water temperature should not exceed 24 degrees Celsius, then you need to add hot water and gradually bring it to the normal temperature of the human body – 36,6).

After taking the above measures, you should call a doctor to assess all the damage and recommend the correct treatment.

In folk medicine for frostbite:

  • lubricate frostbitten areas of the body with celandine juice three times a day;
  • in case of frostbite of the extremities, boil 1,5 kilograms of celery in a liter of water, let the water cool slightly and dip the affected area, keep it in water until it cools down, then dip it in cold water and wipe it thoroughly, put on thermal underwear (repeat the procedure from 7-10 times at night );
  • alcohol tincture from rowan berries or calendula to lubricate damaged skin;
  • lubricate the frostbitten skin with an ointment made from petroleum jelly and calendula flowers (a teaspoon of crushed flowers is needed for 25 grams of petroleum jelly);
  • make lotions from decoctions prepared from a shepherd’s purse, tartar or ate needles;
  • lubricate damaged skin three times a day with a mixture prepared with 100 grams of wax, half a liter of sunflower oil, a handful of sulfur, spruce needles and 10 onion “pops” (the first three ingredients are put into a toe, boiled for an hour over low heat, add onions, boil another 30 minutes, allow to cool, filtered);
  • make compresses with mashed potatoes, boiled with the peel (mashed potatoes should be warm so as not to burn the skin; it is applied to sore areas and wrapped with a simple cloth or bandage, after the potatoes have cooled down, it is necessary to remove the compress and lubricate the skin with lemon juice after diluting it in warm water in ratio of 1 to 5).

To prevent frostbite, it is necessary to dress warmly in woolen or natural fabrics. Shoes should be loose and not crush. It is better to take a thermos with hot drink with you. It can be tea, herbal teas or compote from fruits or medicinal herbs.

Dangerous and harmful products in case of frostbite

  • muffins, freshly baked bread, crackers;
  • all dry and solid food;
  • nuts;
  • fat meat;
  • smoked meats, sausage;
  • salty fish;
  • borscht;
  • heavy cream;
  • pasta, barley porridge, millet;
  • sweet potatoes, radishes, cabbage (white cabbage), radish;
  • semi-finished products, fast food;
  • alcohol and soda.

These foods should be eliminated while the body is recovering. They slow down the regeneration process.

Attention!

The administration is not responsible for any attempt to use the information provided, and does not guarantee that it will not harm you personally. The materials cannot be used to prescribe treatment and make a diagnosis. Always consult your specialist doctor!

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