Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
Frostbite can seriously damage the body, and left untreated can result in gangrene, infection,
and death. Great efforts should be taken to avoid frostbite. The seductive danger of frostbite is
that once a part of the body is frozen, it doesn't hurt any more, whereas warming a numbed part
of the body up, either prior to reaching the frostbite stage, or after it has already frozen, can be
intensely painful.
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On a solo trans-Sierra backcountry ski trip, while I was setting up my camp for the night, I made the mistake of not
bothering to stop what I was doing in order to swing my feet and regain the circulation in my toes. My route had taken
me to lower elevations in the warmth of the midday, and the snow had been quite wet, soaking through my old leather
ski mountaineering boots. It was a clear night as I was pitching my tent, and the temperature had dropped to well below
zero. Figuring I would soon be inside my sleeping bag, boiling a hot pot of tea on my camp stove, I did not pay attention
to my numb toes. Turns out I froze the last half inch of my big toe. It blistered up, became quite sore, and turned black.
I eventually lost my toenail and a large chunk of blackened flesh peeled off the tip of my big toe, but I did not need
any surgery or have to deal with infection problems or gangrene, so I consider myself lucky, having learned a valuable
lesson that could have been a lot worse.
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Here is some information and tips pertaining to frostbite:
• Frostbite occurs when the flesh stars freezing and frost crystals start forming on the
skin.
• Frostnip is the first stage of frostbite where just the surface is frozen. It can be quite
painful, but there is no permanent damage, though the surface layers of skin may peel
off a few days later, and the affected areas may be more sensitive to cold for many
subsequent years.
• Second-stage frostbite is similar in treatment and scope to a second-degree burn. It
causes blistering and oozing wounds that tend to look more serious that they really
are, usually healing within a few weeks' time.
• Serious frostbite is where deep tissues are frozen, usually resulting in permanent
damage to nerves and other tissues. Frozen areas often turn black, and gangrene in-
fection of frostbitten tissues may occur, which can result in amputation or death.
• The best treatment for frostbite is prevention. When the body cools, in order to pre-
serve core temperature and keep the brain functioning reasonably well, the body will
reduce blood flow to the extremities, so hands and feet tend to start freezing first. Pay
attention to feelings of numbness in hands and feet. As recommended above, swing
the hands and feet in wide rapid arcs to help drive blood into the extremities to re-
store circulation and feeling to numb fingers and toes. If you have a partner, visually
check ears, nose, and cheeks for the telltale white blotchy signs of frostbite. If you do
