Frostbite : Survival Tips : Discovery Channel

Frostbite: Worst-Case Scenario

Charles W. Bryant,

If you're stuck in a cold-weather survival scenario, hypothermia is a threat. But there's also a little something called frostbite that could menace your fingers, toes, hands and feet. Frostbite is a cold-weather condition where your skin falls below the freezing point. This allows ice crystals to form within your skin cells, killing them in short order. If it sounds painful, that's because it is. You've probably experienced the tingling, numb feeling at some point in your life. This is a hint that frostbite is setting in.

Nipping at Your Nose

Frostbite comes in two flavors -- superficial and severe. If you're able to re-warm your skin shortly after the initial freeze, you have the superficial variety and you'll recover. Severe frostbite is when the chill penetrates all the way to your muscles and bones. You'll notice some major tingling in your fingers and toes, and your skin's color and texture will change. If you're stricken with severe frostbite, you'll likely suffer tissue damage, which means that skin has actually died. If it's really severe, you may even need to have your fingers, toes, hands or feet amputated.

Stages of Frostbite

During the initial stages of frostbite, the skin turns red, then pasty white. After that, your skin hardens and blisters begin to form. From there, things get ugly. Your blisters will turn black and blue -- this is the most advanced stage of frostbite. If you're able to reverse the process by warming up soon enough, your skin may just fall off to reveal new skin growth underneath.

Warm Those Digits

It's vital to rewarm your skin gradually. Cover your cold ears and warm your fingers under your armpits. Rubbing the damaged skin or submerging it in hot water will only cause more damage, so resist the temptation. Warm yourself with water between 100 and 106 degrees Fahrenheit (37.7 and 41 degrees Celsius). Get into a warmer area immediately, even if all you have available is a tent or shelter. Take off any tight clothing -- it restricts your blood flow. Your digits may have a tendency to stick together. You can avoid this by putting gauze or some kind of cloth between your fingers and toes to soak up excess moisture. Swelling is your enemy as well, so elevate the affected area to prevent this from happening. Get to a doctor as soon as you can if you have frostbite.

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Frostbite: Worst-Case Scenario

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