Why is frostbite bad

My daughter came back. She was fine after a whole day of skiing, and then she got into the bathtub and she started screaming because she said her feet were really painful and then the tips of her toes were dark red, almost bluish. At that point in time you can imagine I just panicked and tried to look online. I thought, here you are, the expert, let me ask you, what was happening with her?

How could I have prevented that? Amalia Cochran: It honestly sounds to me like she probably had a case of frost nip. When you're out skiing you've got a prolonged exposure, as does anyone who's outdoors during this weather. The fact that prior to that exposure to the warm water bath she hadn't really had any significant complaints and you hadn't really noticed anything different.

Interviewer: No, and is that because you have numbness so you don't even realize what's happening? Amalia Cochran: Precisely. There is numbness with frost nip and you see very few changes in the skin if someone has a case of frost nip. Amalia Cochran: Frost nip is the extremely mild form of frost bite. The way that we tend to differentiate between them is that frost bite involves tissue changes where the skin will actually blister up versus frost nip where there is some of that damage to the skin and the soft tissue but not to the level where it blisters.

Interviewer: Is it blistering because the tissue is actually freezing? What's actually happening there in the skin? Amalia Cochran: There are really two different things that occur in the skin with a frost bite or a frost nip injury.

One of those is the direct cold injury from the temperature. That impacts the tissues. They do freeze. Little crystals form in them. The other phenomenon that occurs in association with that is ischemia where there is poor blood flow to the cold effected areas. Initially, when the outdoor temperature drops or when we're exposed to lower temperatures somewhere in the neighborhood of 50 degrees fahrenheit, there's a cold induced phase of dilation that occurs.

Interviewer: Blood vessels expand. All of a sudden this blood rushes back in, and then what happens? Amalia Cochran: Right. But then after that they constrict. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission. Any use of this site constitutes your agreement to the Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy linked below. Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization and proceeds from Web advertising help support our mission.

Mayo Clinic does not endorse any of the third party products and services advertised. A single copy of these materials may be reprinted for noncommercial personal use only. This content does not have an English version. This content does not have an Arabic version. See more conditions. Stages of frostbite. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Walls RM, et al. Frostbite and nonfreezing cold injuries. Philadelphia, Pa. McIntosh SE, et al. Wilderness Medical Society practice guidelines for the prevention and treatment of frostbite. Bergeron MF, et al. International Olympic Committee consensus statement on thermoregulatory and altitude challenges for high-level athletes. British Journal of Sports Medicine. Miller T. Preparing for cold weather exercise.

Performance Training Journal. Briggs JK. In: Triage Protocols for Aging Adults. Wolters Kluwer; Thompson DA. American Academy of Pediatrics; Kelly AP, et al. It protects you and also allows you to perceive sensations from your environment through your sense of touch. Blood vessels can be found throughout your body, including in your skin.

They work to carry blood to the various tissues of your body in order to keep them healthy. This helps to maintain your core body temperature. Over time, the lack of blood flow to these areas can cause damage to your skin and nearby tissues.

Frostnip is the first stage of frostbite. When you have frostnip, your skin will turn red and feel cold to the touch. If you stay in the cold, it may begin to feel numb or have a prickling sensation.

Frostnip can be treated with simple first aid measures that include preventing further exposure to cold and rewarming. Rewarming can be accomplished by soaking the affected area in warm not hot water for 15 to 30 minutes. Rewarming using heat sources such as stoves or heating pads should be avoided, as these can lead to burns. As your skin begins to warm up, you may feel some pain or tingling. You can take an over-the-counter pain medication such as ibuprofen to ease any discomfort.

During this stage of frostbite, your skin will begin to turn from a reddish color to a paler color. In some cases, it may appear blue. Ice crystals may begin to form in your skin. As such, the affected area of your skin may have a hard or frozen feeling when you touch it.

Your skin may also begin to feel warm at this stage and you may observe some swelling. This is a sign that damage to your skin tissue is beginning to occur. The tissues below your skin are still intact, but prompt medical treatment is required to prevent further damage. Rewarming should occur as soon as possible.