Frostbite can set in in minutes: 5 things you need to know
The joke is that hardy Minnesotans can wear shorts all year, but emergency medicine experts urge you to cover up.
Exposure to cold weather, snow, and wind can start out as “frostnip,” which includes symptoms like discolored skin and trouble moving fingers or toes. That's your sign to go inside or add some warm layers. Frostbite can advance to more serious stages that can cause lasting damage, with symptoms including blisters and, eventually, blackened skin.
We asked emergency medicine physicians Jeff Louie, MD, and Billy Wyatt, MD, about the different stages of frostbite, how to prevent it and treat minor cases at home, and when you should seek medical care. Here are five things to know:
Get inside as soon as possible if you notice numbness or change in skin color.
Frostbite most often affects your extremities — think fingers, toes, nose, and ears — and it can happen anytime temperatures dip below freezing.
Early warning signs include pale skin and trouble moving the affected area (for example, inability to make a fist or grab onto something as well as usual). When this numbness is due to frostbite, it’s caused by ice crystals that form in your skin, shrinking blood vessels and making it harder for blood to flow to the affected area.
“Children and adults can experience frostbite within 30 minutes of being outside or less, depending on the temperature and wind chill,” said Louie, a pediatric emergency medicine physician at M Health Fairview Masonic Children’s Hospital and associate professor in the Department of Pediatrics at University of Minnesota Medical School. “It’s important to know what the weather is like before heading out or sending kids outside to play. The colder and windier it is, the more quickly you can develop frostbite.”
Rewarm the affected area slowly.
If you’re experiencing symptoms of frostnip, get inside as soon as possible and begin to warm the affected area. It’s important to go slow. If you have frostnip on fingers or toes, run them under warm — not hot — water. If your nose, ears, or another body part has frostnip, Louie recommends using a warm compress made by soaking a towel in warm water. You can take ibuprofen to help reduce swelling and pain. Rewarm until the skin is soft and has regained its color and flexibility.
“When you do rewarm, don’t squeeze the skin; be gentle with it,” he said. “You don’t want to push the ice crystals deeper into the tissue.”
Blisters are a sign you need medical attention.
Blisters are a sign of “stage 2” frostbite. They can be white or red in color and can form up to 12 hours after you initially experience frostbite.
“If you do the initial rewarming steps at home and you’re still having trouble moving the affected area, or if you start seeing blisters of any color, you should definitely seek care,” said Wyatt, an emergency medicine physician at M Health Fairview Northland Medical Center. “If you have blisters, I’d recommend going to your nearest emergency department. We can rewarm you if you haven’t already started that process. We’ll also assess your situation and try to determine if we need increase blood flow to your extremity, which can be done through a variety of medications.”
Frostbite is also treated like a burn because it comes with some of the same risks of infection due to damaged skin. The emergency department team will assess how severe the frostbite is and, if needed, transfer you to the nearest hospital that specializes in the treatment of burns.
Your local emergency department can also provide antibiotics and other treatments to help prevent infection from frostbite. Get a list of our emergency department locations that are open 24/7.
Certain medical conditions increase your risk for frostbite.
Frostbite cuts off circulation to the affected body part. If you have a pre-existing condition that’s already affecting your circulation, you’re at higher risk of getting frostbite, so take extra care when going outside in cold weather.
“The main risk factors we see are cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and smoking,” said Wyatt. “These are all conditions that reduce blood flow to your extremities, and when blood flow is decreased, it’s easier for the tissues in your extremities to get damaged.”
Older adults are at higher risk for frostbite because many people develop conditions like cardiovascular disease as they age.
Dehydration and hunger also affect circulation, Wyatt added. This can affect everyone, from people experiencing food insecurity to people doing physical labor outside in cold conditions.
“Another big factor is alcohol use. It not only physically dehydrates you, which puts you at higher risk for frostbite, it also impairs your judgment,” said Wyatt. “We’ve had people who’ve passed out outside after drinking, and it can lead to serious cases of frostbite.”
Prevention is key.
It's important to look out for each other during the winter months, from checking on neighbors after a power outage to checking on your children every 20-30 minutes when playing outside on cold days.
Cold and dry is better than cold and wet, added Wyatt, so make sure to swap out any wet clothing as soon as possible, whether you’re heading back outside or coming inside to warm up. Layering also helps, said Louie. Consider wearing two pairs of gloves, two pairs of socks, two hats, or a gaiter and a scarf to cover your nose.
You can also find warming centers in Hennepin County and Ramsey County.
