Why does frostbite recur in winter? How to prevent it? Here is everything you want to know...

Expert of this article: Li Tian, ​​Chief Physician, Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University

A few days ago

The cold wave is coming

Strong winds, cooling temperatures, rain and snow all come

Many places

All experienced the "winter in one second" drop in temperature

It's like falling into an ice hole.

Although these days

Temperatures have risen

But it still feels cold in the morning and evening

Every winter

For those who have frostbite on their hands and feet

This is a tough season.

At this time

Repeated itching and pain in hands and feet

So

How is frostbite caused?

How to prevent it?

Let’s watch together

…

How is frostbite caused?

Chilblain, also known as non-freezing cold injury, is a common skin disease in winter. It is mainly caused by factors such as cold and low temperatures and humid environment, causing inflammatory damage to local skin.

When the skin is in a cold (0-10℃), temperature-changing or humid environment, it causes strong contraction of local arterioles. Over time, the arteries become paralyzed and then dilate, causing obstruction of venous return and congestion, resulting in poor local blood circulation and frostbite.

Chilblains are common in early winter and early spring, and are more common in children, women, people with anemia, obesity, diabetes, sweaty hands and feet, and people who work outdoors in low temperatures for a long time. Chilblains are prone to occur on fingers, backs of hands, toes, heels, auricles, noses, etc., with local manifestations of redness, swelling, itching, pain, etc. In severe cases, blisters, ulcers, and secondary infections may occur.

What are the consequences if frostbite is not treated promptly?

The damage caused by low temperature to the human body is collectively called cold injury. The damage caused by low temperature of 0~10℃ to the local or whole body of the human body is chilblain. The acute cold injury caused by low temperature below 0℃ to the local or whole body of the human body is frostbite.

Therefore, chilblain and frostbite are different in concept, and frostbite is more serious than chilblain.

According to the severity of local freezing frostbite, it is divided into four degrees:

First-degree frostbite damages the superficial layer of the skin, causing red or blue-purple spots without blisters, which heal in about 7 days without leaving scars.

Second degree frostbite affects the superficial layer and dermis of the skin, forming transparent blisters on the surface, accompanied by erythema, edema, itching, pain, etc.

Third degree frostbite involves the superficial layer of the skin, the dermis and subcutaneous tissue. There is obvious redness, swelling and pain, bloody blisters, dullness or loss of sensation, and granulation tissue can be seen after the necrotic tissue falls off.

Fourth degree frostbite involves the entire layer of skin, subcutaneous tissue, and other tendons, muscles, and bones below. Gangrene occurs in deep tissues, which are prone to secondary infection, complete loss of sensation and function, and may even lead to amputation.

If the whole body is frostbitten, the person may start to have symptoms such as chills, pale face, yawning, and then fall into a coma, slow breathing, slow heartbeat, limb stiffness, low blood pressure, incontinence, etc. In severe cases, respiratory depression, cardiac and respiratory arrest, and even death may occur.

How to deal with frostbite correctly?

If frostbite occurs, do not use "traditional remedies" such as rubbing with snow or soaking in hot water to treat it. These methods will increase tissue swelling, the risk of infection, and pain, causing recurrence of the disease.

The correct approach should be:

1. Treatment for mild local frostbite:

Apply frostbite cream externally;

If there is an ulcer, you need to go to the hospital to change the dressing and bandage;

If frostbite causes ulcer infection, take antibiotics orally and apply ointment containing antibiotics and corticosteroids, or frostbite ointment, to the affected area. Keep the frostbitten area warm and dry to avoid recurrence.

2. Treatment of severe frostbite:

Provide prompt and active treatment and escape from the environment that caused frostbite as soon as possible.

For patients with systemic frostbite, measures should be taken to keep the whole body and local areas warm, and warm water should be used for rapid local rewarming. Warm water at 40℃~42℃ is best. After 10 minutes of body temperature returning to normal, dry the body, continue to keep warm with thick and warm blankets, and go to the hospital for treatment in time.

How to prevent frostbite?

Although frostbite is a common minor illness in winter, it is not easy to get rid of it. This is because the vasoconstriction and relaxation functions of the blood vessels in the area where frostbite has occurred are impaired, and it is very easy to relapse at the slightest "disturbance".

Therefore, be sure to take precautions:

1. In the cold winter season, you should wear masks, gloves, scarves, earmuffs, etc. when going out to keep warm.

2. You should strengthen physical exercise on a daily basis to enhance your physical fitness and promote blood circulation.

3. Wash your face and hands with cold water more often and dry them in time to improve the body's cold resistance;

4. People with underlying diseases such as diabetes and systemic lupus erythematosus should actively receive treatment;

5. For those who suffer from recurrent frostbite, in addition to medication, physical treatments such as infrared rays and helium-neon lasers can also play a certain preventive role and help get rid of the "entanglement" of frostbite as much as possible.

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