Frostbite happens when skin and underlying tissue freeze after exposure to cold, wind, or wet conditions. It most often affects fingers, toes, ears, nose, cheeks, and chin because these areas lose heat quickly. Treating frostbite correctly matters because rough handling or unsafe heating can cause more tissue damage.
The main goal is to warm the area slowly and safely while protecting it from refreezing.
Key Facts
- Move the person to a warm, dry place before treating frostbite.
- Remove wet clothing and tight items such as rings, watches, gloves, or boots.
- Rewarm frostbitten skin in warm water at 37°C to 39°C, about normal body temperature.
- Do not use fire, heating pads, stoves, or hot water because numb skin can burn easily.
- Do not rub or massage frostbitten skin because ice crystals can damage tissue.
- Seek emergency medical help for severe frostbite, blisters, gray or black skin, loss of feeling, or any chance the area may refreeze.
Vocabulary
- Frostbite
- Frostbite is an injury caused when skin and deeper tissues freeze in very cold conditions.
- Rewarming
- Rewarming is the controlled process of gently raising the temperature of frozen tissue.
- Refreezing
- Refreezing happens when a frostbitten area warms and then freezes again, which can greatly worsen tissue damage.
- Hypothermia
- Hypothermia is a dangerous drop in core body temperature that can occur along with frostbite.
- Blister
- A blister is a fluid-filled bubble on the skin that can appear after frostbite as tissue responds to injury.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Rubbing the frostbitten area: this is wrong because frozen tissue is fragile and rubbing can tear cells and blood vessels.
- Using direct heat such as a fire, stove, or heating pad: this is wrong because numb skin may not feel burns until serious injury has occurred.
- Rewarming before the person is safe from the cold: this is wrong because refreezing after rewarming can cause more severe tissue loss.
- Walking on frostbitten feet or toes when rescue is available: this is wrong because pressure can crush damaged tissue and make the injury worse.
Practice Questions
- 1 A student checks a basin and finds the water is 45°C. The safe rewarming range is 37°C to 39°C. By how many degrees Celsius must the water cool before it reaches the top of the safe range?
- 2 A hiker begins safe rewarming at 2:10 p.m. and keeps the frostbitten fingers in warm water for 30 minutes while waiting for help. What time should the rewarming session end?
- 3 A skier has numb, pale fingers and is still several kilometers from shelter in freezing wind. Explain why starting rewarming immediately outdoors could be dangerous.