How to anoint the skin with frostbite. frostbite

You will find a list of them at the bottom of the page.

Frostbite is damage to the tissues of the body as a result of prolonged exposure low temperatures. The most commonly affected fingers and toes, nose, ears, cheeks, chin. If frostbite is severe, the affected body parts may need to be amputated. The most common is superficial frostbite, in which only the skin is damaged, but more severe frostbite is possible, accompanied by necrosis of tissues located deeper. Therefore, when providing medical care care must be taken to minimize damage and prevent further tissue damage.

Steps

Part 1

How to determine the severity of frostbite

First, determine if you have superficial frostbite. As a rule, it precedes frostbite, affecting deeper tissues. In the case of superficial frostbite, only the skin freezes, and a spasm of blood vessels occurs, due to which the affected area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe skin becomes pale or, on the contrary, turns red. This may be accompanied by a feeling of numbness, pain, tingling or tingling in the affected area. However, the structure of the skin does not change and sensitivity to pressure remains. Symptoms disappear as the affected area warms up.

Determine if you have mild frostbite. While this degree of frostbite may not feel "mild", it is highly treatable. In this condition, the skin loses sensation, becomes white or gray-yellow in color with red spots, hardens or swells, hurts or throbs.

Determine if you have severe frostbite. Severe frostbite is the most dangerous degree frostbite. In this condition, the skin is pale, waxy, and unusually hard, and there is loss of sensation or numbness in the affected area. Sometimes with severe frostbite, blisters filled with bloody contents form on the skin, or signs of gangrene (gray-black dead skin) appear.

Get shelter from the cold and get medical attention as soon as possible. If possible, within two hours, go to the hospital or call ambulance, then you should not try to treat frostbite yourself. If you cannot shelter from the cold and there is a risk of refreezing, then do not try to warm the frostbitten areas. Repeated freezing-thawing several times can lead to more serious tissue damage than a single freezing.

If necessary, take painkillers. If you have severe frostbite, then the process of warming the damaged area may be accompanied by pain. Take an NSAID (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug), such as ibuprofen, to relieve pain. However, you should not take aspirin, as it can interfere with the repair of damaged tissues. Stick to the dosages recommended in the instructions.

Warm the frostbitten area in warm water. Pour water at 40-42 degrees Celsius (preferably 40.5 degrees Celsius) into a basin or bowl and immerse the affected body part. Do not allow the water temperature to be higher than this, as this may cause skin burns and blistering. If possible, add antibacterial soap to the water. This will help prevent infection of the affected area. Immerse the frostbitten area in water for 15-30 minutes.

Do not use heaters, fireplaces or heating pads. When using heating devices, it is difficult to control the process of warming, and for the treatment of frostbite it is important that the affected area is warmed gradually. In addition, there is a risk of getting burned.

Watch for frostbitten areas. As it warms up, a tingling and burning sensation should appear. The skin on the frostbitten areas should first turn pink or red, possibly patchy. Gradually, familiar sensations and normal skin texture should return. If swelling and blisters appear on the skin, then these are signs of deeper tissue damage. In this case, you need to get qualified medical help as soon as possible. If, after warming the skin for several minutes in warm water, its condition has not changed at all, this may indicate severe damage that should be examined and treated by a doctor.

Avoid further tissue damage. Until you receive qualified medical attention, do everything possible not to aggravate the condition of frostbitten tissues. Do not rub or irritate frostbitten skin, try not to make unnecessary movements and do not allow the area to freeze again.

Part 3

Professional medical care

Seek qualified medical attention. The severity of frostbite depends on the type of treatment needed. The most commonly used is hydrotherapy. However, in severe cases, it is necessary surgical intervention. With severe frostbite, the doctor may perform an amputation. Such a decision is made only 1-3 months after frostbite, when it is possible to assess the entire degree of tissue damage.

Discuss with your doctor what follow-up care will be needed. This is important because the healing process can worsen damage to frostbitten skin. In addition, inflammation may develop and may persist for some time. pain. You will need good rest. Also discuss with your doctor:

1. Protect frostbitten areas from the cold. In order to avoid further tissue damage and speed up the healing process, it is necessary to protect the damaged area from exposure to cold for 6-12 months.

   • To prevent frostbite in the future, try to spend as little time outside as possible in cold weather. Especially with high humidity and strong winds.

• If there is a general hypothermia of the body, then first of all it is necessary to treat it. Hypothermia is a general decrease in body temperature to a dangerous level. low level. Hypothermia can be fatal, therefore, when providing first aid, it is necessary to deal primarily with general hypothermia of the body.

Adults and children, being outside in severe frosts, often forget about the time and overcool different parts of the body. In such situations, you need to know what to do with frostbite in order to help the victim as soon as possible.

Frostbite - what is it

Frostbite is a severe injury in which the skin and underlying tissues are damaged by exposure to low temperatures. Most often, open and protruding areas of the body are frostbitten. These are cheeks, nose, ears, fingers and toes.

Hypothermia of the body develops due to many reasons:

• severe frosts, cold wind;
• improperly selected clothes and shoes;
• wet clothes;
• weakness or fatigue of a person;
• direct contact with cold objects.

Frostbite develops quickly and often people do not notice it. Being on the street, you need to listen to your body in order to notice the first signs of frostbite and prevent the development of complications.

Frostbite severity

In case of frostbite of limbs or other parts of the body, it is necessary to determine the severity of frostbite. According to the depth of injury, injuries are divided into 4 degrees of severity:

• 1st is the easiest. With such frostbite, only the upper layers of the skin are damaged. The damaged area becomes pale, hypothermia develops at the site of the lesion. There may be a burning sensation and tingling in the frostbitten limb or elsewhere on the body. After warming, frostbite areas become bright red;
• 2nd. With such lesions, all the symptoms of the 1st degree are preserved, but others appear. For example, blisters during frostbite of the second stage are a typical picture. They contain a clear liquid, as in burns;
• Grade 3 is characterized by necrosis of the entire thickness of the skin. Blisters fill with bloody contents, an injured leg or arm may swell.
• 4th degree is the most difficult. Not only the skin is affected, but also the underlying tissues. Frostbite areas become black, irreversible processes develop that can only be treated surgically.

Treatment for frostbite depends on the severity. And the more serious it is, the harder treatment. It is necessary to begin to act at the first sign of hypothermia in order to avoid undesirable consequences.

What to do with mild frostbite

Light frostbite is called hypothermia of the 1st or 2nd degree of severity. Such injuries do not cause serious harm to human health, but require mandatory treatment. With mild frostbite, it is necessary to provide first aid to the victim as soon as possible in order to prevent the development of more severe conditions. Remember, your actions can either help or harm a person.

Procedure for mild frostbite:

• take the patient to a warm room as soon as possible;
• remove all wet and cold clothing;
• cover the patient with a blanket;
• give a warm drink: tea or milk (coffee and alcohol are not allowed);
• if the limbs are frostbitten, you can place them in a warm bath at a temperature of 19-20º C. Increase the temperature in the bath gradually by 1-2º C, bringing it up to 37º C;
• if a person has frostbite on his face, you can treat it with a special cream, such as Bepanten;
• make a light rubbing massage of a frostbitten area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe skin, but only where there are no blisters;
• Apply a clean bandage to the blisters.

After providing first aid, you need to start treating frostbite. With mild degrees, it will be enough local therapy: drawing special ointments or creams. With mild hypothermia, recovery usually occurs in 1-2 weeks. Blisters heal without scarring with proper treatment.

Important! If frostbite does not go away within 1-2 weeks, consult a doctor. This may indicate more serious problems

How to help someone with severe frostbite

Severe frostbite includes cold injuries of the 3rd-4th degree of severity. These are dangerous injuries in which irreversible processes develop in the human body. The skin and underlying tissues die. They must be removed surgically. There is also a high risk of wound infection. Such injuries are treated only in a hospital. A person with similar frostbite should be given first aid. first aid and call an ambulance.

The sequence of the first actions for severe frostbite:

• move the patient to a warm, draft-free room as soon as possible;
• remove all clothing and shoes;
• cover the victim with a blanket;
• give a warm drink, an anesthetic;
• apply a sterile dressing to the wound.

Try to do everything carefully and quickly. The most important thing on initial stage treatment is to normalize the body temperature of a person. Recovery usually occurs in 3-4 weeks, depending on the area of ​​the lesion. Scars remain at the site of the wounds.

Remember, you can't deal with severe frostbite on your own. It is necessary to seek help from specialists. And the sooner the better.

What is strictly forbidden to do when helping a person with frostbite

Some actions during hypothermia can only worsen the patient's condition. Due to incorrect actions, you or the victim may increase the area or depth of the lesion, join an infection or other diseases. Therefore, you need to know what absolutely can not be done with frostbite:

• do not remove clothes or shoes from the victim right on the street. Because of this, the area of ​​​​the lesion will increase significantly, and the patient will freeze even faster;
• do not rub the damaged areas with snow - mild frostbite will develop into severe frostbite;
• do not rub frostbitten skin with alcohol or alcohol solutions;
• do not apply frostbitten parts of the body to batteries, a heating pad or place them immediately in hot bath. A sudden change in temperature can lead to the development of burns in addition to frostbite;
• do not try to cure frostbite of the 3rd-4th degree of severity on your own.

Such actions lead to undesirable consequences for Your health. Remember, any wrong action can lead to amputation of a frostbitten limb. Therefore, before helping, think about whether it will harm the victim even more.

Doctor's advice. Do not pierce the blisters yourself, as this may cause infection of the wound. In such cases, it will be necessary to be treated in a hospital with the use of antibiotics.

When is it necessary to see a doctor

Of course, it is best to consult a doctor in any case of frostbite in order to select the correct treatment. But this is not always possible. Deal with yourself mild degrees frostbite is possible if you study this issue well. But sometimes there are situations in which one cannot do without the advice of a specialist. Be sure to go to the doctor in such cases:

• with 3-4th degree of frostbite. Such injuries are treated only in a hospital;
• if the child has received a cold injury. Children do not have the same thermoregulation as adults, so they freeze much faster. Light degree Frostbite can quickly develop into severe frostbite. In such cases, it is best to go to the doctor right away so that your child can be helped as quickly as possible;
• suppuration of the wound. This means that an infection has joined the frostbite and you will not be able to cope on your own;
• large affected area, intense pain.

If the situation is difficult, do not try to cope on your own, but immediately go to the doctor. The longer you hope for self-healing, the worse the consequences can be. Quick problem detection and proper treatment- the guarantee of recovery in the shortest possible time.

How to avoid frostbite

In order for the winter weather to bring only joy, you need to properly prepare for it. enough to follow simple rules to walk outside for a long time and without fear in snowy cold weather.

The most important thing is to choose the right clothes and shoes for winter. Outerwear should be tight to protect from rain and wind. Choose shoes with a sole thickness of at least a centimeter. When going outside with children, try to cover as many areas of the child's body as possible. Use gloves, scarves and hats. When outside, try to breathe through your nose, not your mouth.

Do not go outside with a wet head, right after a shower, tired or hungry. This leads to rapid hypothermia. If you feel very tired - do not sit down to rest on the street, but immediately look for a room where you can warm up.

Do not wear metal jewelry. The metal cools down quickly and leads to frostbite of the 2nd or 3rd degree of severity. Do not touch cold objects with your bare hands outside, this can cause severe cold injury.

By following simple rules, you can really protect yourself and your loved ones from hypothermia and frostbite. Remember, your health is only in your hands.

If a person is under the influence of low temperature for a long time, or stays outdoors for a long time, freezing may occur. In the first case, local cooling occurs, in the second - cooling of the whole organism. Frostbite and freezing occur due to the presence of strong winds and high humidity. In addition to the unfavorable climate, shoes and clothing that do not match the weather, alcohol consumption, smoking, and the presence of vascular diseases can contribute to their appearance.

Causes of frostbite

When low temperatures act on the human body, damage to the skin and tissues located under it occurs. Exposure to cold cannot be called a cause of frostbite, as it only contributes to the appearance of such damage. Low temperatures lead to impaired blood circulation, which then becomes the cause of tissue death. The main causes of necrosis are:

• paresis, vasospasm;
• deterioration of the blood circulation process;
• congestion affecting blood cells, and the subsequent formation of blood clots.

Inside the walls of the vessels, there is a gradual increase in the endothelial layer into which plasma enters, areas of dead tissue appear, and connective tissue, overgrows the lumen of the vessels.

The process of development of necrosis during frostbite is gradual, it includes a reactive phase. Vessel obliteration and poor tissue saturation useful substances occur as a result of negative changes in the vascular wall.

Symptoms

Most often, frostbite affects the limbs (95% of all cases). Under the influence of low temperature, it is in these parts of the body that blood circulation worsens in the first place. Defeat human body occurs in two stages, the first of which is the pre-reactive (latent) stage, the second is the reactive stage. The first stage is characterized by a short duration (several hours or a day), it begins with the appearance of the first symptoms and ends with the warming of the body, the restoration of normal blood flow. It is also called the hypothermia period.

The beginning of the next stage is the warming of the parts of the body affected by frostbite, and the restoration of blood circulation in them. This stage consists of early and late periods. Early period lasts 12 hours, is accompanied by a violation of microcirculation, negative processes in the vessels, increased blood clotting, the formation a large number blood clots. On the onset late period areas of dead tissue appear, an infection joins. The period is characterized by such symptoms as a decrease in body temperature and hemoglobin levels in the blood. In addition, toxicity occurs.

There are four degrees of frostbite, which are determined by the depth of tissue damage. In the first two degrees, the upper tissues are damaged, in the third and fourth, deeply located tissues are affected.

First degree

In first-degree frostbite, blood circulation is disturbed, but tissue necrosis does not occur. Recovery occurs 5-7 days after the damage to the body.

Second degree

With such damage, the growth layer of the skin remains intact. Frostbite of the second degree is characterized by changes only in the surface layer. Recovery of destroyed cells usually takes a couple of weeks.

Third degree

Damage to the third degree is evidenced by the death of all layers of the skin. There is no possibility of their recovery. Over time, the scab separates, in its place appears granulation tissue, which subsequently turns into a scar. To prevent this, you need to make a skin graft. The operation must be carried out during the formation of granulation tissue.

fourth degree

A sign of fourth-degree frostbite is necrosis of the skin and deeply located tissues. Pathological process spreads to the joints and bones, resulting in the formation of gangrene of the extremities of the wet or dry type. Most often it is localized on the hands and feet.

In order for the treatment to end successfully, when examining an injured person, it is important not only to pay attention to complaints and determine the presence of specific symptoms, but also to understand the reasons that could cause their appearance. It is necessary to collect an anamnesis, establish the presence of various factors, such as wind, high humidity and low temperature, the length of time spent in adverse conditions, nature and extent of first aid.

In the latent period of the disease, numbness of the damaged area is felt, sensitivity is lost, in some cases pain is present. The frostbitten area is cold, it becomes pale, sometimes turns blue. A person partially or completely loses sensitivity in the damaged area. Complete absence sensitivity is the first symptom that may indicate severe frostbite. But in the latent period, it is impossible to accurately determine the severity of the lesion.

When frostbitten areas are warmed up, blood circulation gradually resumes, then the latent stage is replaced by a reactive one. During this period, there is itching, burning, tingling, the damaged areas become warm. In addition, pain may increase if there was no pain before, at the reactive stage they may appear. With frostbite affecting the deeper layers of the skin, pain does not increase. The skin becomes reddish, and with severe damage, they turn blue. During the reactive period, tissue edema is observed. By its complexity, one can judge the depth of frostbite.

The degree of damage, as well as the nature of its distribution, can usually be established only after a few days.

If cooling and warming of the extremities alternated, there were special conditions environment(high humidity, air temperature 0-10 ° C), frostbite may develop, which is called "trench foot". Such damage can result from prolonged exposure to low temperatures. Symptoms appear a few days after cooling is stopped.

The first manifestations of frostbite are numbness, burning, It's a dull pain in the legs. Damaged skin swells, it becomes cold and pale, sensitivity is lost in this area. At a later stage, blisters appear, filled with hemorrhagic contents, with dead tissue located at the bottom. Intoxication occurs, manifested by weakness, increased heart rate,. Frostbite "trench foot" often ends with a complication -.

VIDEO

frostbite treatment

When providing first aid, the degree of damage is taken into account, as well as the presence of a general cooling of the body and diseases that could accompany it. First aid consists of the following steps:

• cessation of cooling;
• limb warming;
• restoration of blood flow in damaged parts of the body;
• prevention of infection.

First of all, the victim must be transferred to a warm place, then cold clothes should be removed from the damaged areas, after which it is necessary to call a doctor.

If frostbite is minor (first degree), the frozen parts of the body should be warmed with warm hands. In this case great benefit are able to bring a light massage and rubbing the skin with a woolen cloth. After completion of all procedures, it is necessary to apply a bandage consisting of gauze and cotton wool.

With more severe lesions provide rapid warming of the skin without the use of rubbing, the bandage is made from materials that hold heat well, the limbs are fixed. The injured person is fed, given hot drinks. A small amount of alcohol is allowed. The patient is given 1 tablet of papaverine, no-shpy (80 mg), analgin and acetylsalicylic acid. It is forbidden to rub the affected skin with snow, do not rub fat and oils into it. Also undesirable is the warming of frozen limbs by an open fire. It is not recommended to use alcohol to treat severe injuries.

If degree frostbite mild, the victim can warm up in a bath with water at a temperature of 24 ° C. Gradually, it should be brought to the level of normal temperature for the human body. If the lesion is characterized as moderate or severe frostbite, the victim must be urgently taken to the hospital.

Doctors restore blood flow in damaged areas, carry out local treatment, perform actions aimed at preventing infection or eliminating the infection that has arisen. Used to treat frostbite conservative methods(For example, infusion therapy, antibiotic therapy), in the absence of a result - surgical. At the reactive stage, parenteral nutrition, the use of chemical antiseptics and bacteriophages, the use of drugs that strengthen immune system, blood substitutes and detoxification drugs.

essence surgical treatment is to remove dead skin and transplant tissue from other parts of the body.

At local treatment regular replacement of antiseptic dressings. Severe frostbite is usually treated surgical method, but first, doctors conduct conservative therapy.

The use of medicinal herbs Shepherd's bag To prepare the infusion, take a glass of boiled water and 1 tbsp. l. herbs. It is kept in a water bath under a closed lid for 30 minutes. The infusion is cooled and then filtered. Keep it for a short time - a maximum of 2 days. To treat frostbite, you need to moisten a napkin in the decoction and apply it to the affected area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe body. The bandage should be applied 3-4 times a day. prickly tartar You will need boiled water (1.5 l) and tatarnik (6 tablespoons). Grass should be held for 5 minutes on low heat and insist for one hour. The prepared broth must be filtered, its volume should be increased to 3 liters. In the resulting remedy, the limb must be kept for 30 minutes. If necessary, the volume of the broth can be increased by observing the proportions. To prepare a decoction, you need to take 2 cups of water and 5 tbsp. l. spruce needles in crushed form. The product is boiled under a lid over low heat for 10 minutes. It takes one night to insist. The finished broth should be filtered and drunk warm in one day, observing small portions. Calendula officinalis To make a tincture, pour calendula flowers (2 tablespoons) with vodka (2 cups) and place in a dark, cool place for 3 days. Moisten a napkin in the prepared product, apply it to damaged skin every day 2-3 times. In addition to tincture from this plant, you can create good ointment. She treats not only the skin affected by frostbite, but also burned. Mix flowers (1 tsp) with petroleum jelly (25 g), place the container in a warm place for 1 hour. Treat damaged skin 3-4 times every day. Treatment with beeswax For the base, you need to take wax (100 g), as additional components - a handful of spruce sulfur, onion bottoms along with husks (10 pcs.) And sunflower oil(500 ml). Everything except the onion bottoms should be boiled over low heat in an enameled container for an hour. Next, you need to take turns introducing the bottom and boil the mixture for another 30 minutes. After completion of the preparation process, the solution is filtered without waiting for it to cool. The skin is covered with ointment daily 3-4 times. Potato treatment Can be made from potatoes useful compress. Quickly mash a few hot potatoes along with the skins. Apply puree to the damaged area, make sure that its temperature is not too high. Wrap the compress with a rag and hold until it cools completely. After removing it, wipe the skin with a lemon solution (lemon juice + water, 1:5). Treatment with animal fat Goose and rabbit fat will do. Damaged skin should be treated daily with cold fat. It is advisable to use other methods of treatment. In order to increase efficiency, freshly grated turnips are added to goose fat (1 part fat, 2 parts turnips). The tool is used several times a day.

When the temperature drops outside in winter, the risk of frostbite increases. Unfortunately, people often experience its symptoms, but do not always know how to respond correctly in order to alleviate the condition and prevent complications. In harsh winters, it is important to know how to identify the symptoms of frostbite and protect yourself from it.

Frostbite is usually called a specific reaction of tissues to low temperatures. As a rule, it is accompanied by hypothermia of the whole organism. Different parts of the body are exposed to cold, but most often these are the fingers on the upper and lower limbs, ears, nose. Depending on the causes and individual characteristics of the body characteristics Frostbite can occur at -30, -20, -10 degrees. If the protruding parts of the body are not sufficiently protected, they can suffer even at positive temperatures, when there is strong wind and high humidity outside.

Low temperatures in certain cases can be deadly to humans. If mild degrees are accompanied by blue skin, pallor, chills, then in severe cases there is a loss of consciousness, impaired breathing and blood pressure, convulsions. Lack of timely, proper assistance leads to death.

Causes

Various factors can cause frostbite on the skin. Due to wearing tight shoes and insufficiently warm clothes, heat losses increase, blood microcirculation in small vessels of the skin is disturbed, cells do not receive enough oxygen. The main reasons for the occurrence of such a reaction of the body to the cold:

• stay in the cold for a long period;
• uncomfortable position of the body, limitation of its mobility;
• physical exhaustion of the body;
• weakening by stress and depression;
• malnutrition, and as a result, a lack of micronutrients.

These factors provoke a violation of blood supply and nutrition of body tissues. The most dangerous phenomenon is frostbite in a state of extreme intoxication. Due to the use of alcoholic beverages, the peripheral blood vessels expand, the body loses heat more intensively. In addition, a person's ability to adequately respond to what is happening and take any measures is impaired, the sense of danger disappears. Quite often, drunk people fall asleep in the cold, which leads to very severe hypothermia and ends in death.

Symptoms

Due to impact low temperatures in the tissues of the body pass complex pathological changes. If you pay attention to the primary signs of frostbite in time and take action, you can prevent dangerous consequences. Typical symptoms:

Symptoms depend on the degree of frostbite. In severe cases, there is severe hypoxia and tissue necrosis, which is accompanied by loss of consciousness. Frostbite can result in systemic lesion, provoked by the penetration of necrotic cells with the bloodstream into various internal organs.

Note! If primary signs appear, you should help the patient and consult a specialist, since complications can be very dangerous for human health and life. Even with warming, the patient's condition will not improve, but progress, as there is an oxygen debt in the tissues.

Classification

The clinical picture and prognosis depend on the degree of frostbite. There are four of them in total. If the first two can be treated at home, then in other cases, emergency medical care is needed.

If a person spends a lot of time in the cold, not only local frostbite can occur, but also general hypothermia. The patient's body temperature is below 34 degrees, the pulse slows down, breathing is disturbed.

First aid

The actions that need to be taken to help the patient depend on the degree of frostbite and the severity of the symptoms. The first thing to do is to break the contact of the body with the cold, to take measures to restore blood circulation in the affected area. You should also limit the spread of infection to nearby tissues. In this case, a non-professional can place the patient in a warm room, remove wet shoes and clothes, warm up, call an ambulance. First aid for frostbite is as follows:

• warming the affected area by rubbing, massage movements, warm breath;
• fixation of frostbitten limbs with improvised means;
• applying a heat-insulating bandage to the surface of the skin;
• it is necessary to give the patient a warm drink and food;
• useful in this case will be tablets "No-shpa", "Aspirin", "Analgin", "Papaverine".

You can not rub the damaged areas of the patient's skin with snow, as this can lead to damage to the blood vessels in the soft tissues limbs. Rubbing with oils and alcohol, as well as rapid warming with heating pads and other heat sources is strictly prohibited.

Another known condition is "iron frostbite." It occurs due to skin contact with cold metal. If a wound has formed, as a rule, it is superficial, it must be washed warm water, treat with hydrogen peroxide. Then you need to take measures to stop the bleeding, apply a bandage from a sterile bandage or gauze.

Treatment

Frostbite of stages 2-4 is dangerous for the health and life of the patient, as it can lead to tissue necrosis, a catastrophic decrease in blood pressure and body temperature, respiratory arrest and heartbeat. To prevent complications, after normalization of the patient's condition, it is advisable to carry out drug therapy using these drugs:

• painkillers ("Analgin");
• drugs with a vasodilating effect ("", "No-shpa");
• sedatives ("Valerian extract").

In the process of warming, the patient has strong painful sensations, because the sensitivity of the skin is restored. In this case, it is recommended to gently rub into the skin alcohol solution. Frostbitten parts of the face are smeared with petroleum jelly to soften the tissues and speed up the restoration of skin integrity.

Treatment with folk remedies

In the arsenal traditional medicine there is a row effective means which also help with frostbite. An infusion of calendula flowers is popular. It is prepared from dried flowers, which are poured with boiling water. This mixture should be left to infuse, then used to prepare compresses. They are applied to the affected areas 2 times a day for two weeks. With frostbite of the first degree, the juice of ginger, lemon or garlic helps well. The funds are simply rubbed into the skin, but only if there are no open wounds.

Soothe the skin and stimulate the restoration of tissue lotion from a decoction of chamomile officinalis. But teas made from this plant, when taken orally, contribute to the normalization of blood circulation. To speed up the healing process, you should take a bath with a decoction of celery twice a week. It is possible to alleviate the patient's well-being with the help of a decoction of the fruits and leaves of viburnum. A pumpkin pulp compress will help relieve inflammation. Potato peels are effective for numbness of the fingers and toes. Pain-relieving and sedative effects have tinctures of motherwort and valerian officinalis.

Traditional medicine only helps in the treatment of frostbite. The basis of therapy should be medical preparations and procedures prescribed by the doctor. You cannot rely entirely on folk recipes, before use, make sure that there is no allergy to one or another component.

On the video - frostbite, its causes, symptoms and consequences. What to do in case of tissue damage by cold? First aid for frostbite.

Prevention

Even if there is a severe frost on the street, it does not mean that you need to stay at home, because everyone has important things to do, study, work. To protect yourself from dangerous signs frostbite, should be observed preventive measures. They are quite simple, but they can save the health or life of a person. Here are some of the main recommendations:

• refusal to drink alcoholic beverages;
• keeping from smoking in the cold;
• the choice of loose, high-quality clothing that does not interfere with normal blood circulation;
• comfortable shoes, insoles, always clean socks;
• do not go out into the cold weakened and hungry, because healthy body much easier to cope with low temperatures;
• If you feel that you are freezing, go to a warm room to warm up.

Frostbite - damage to the skin and soft tissues under the influence of low temperatures. Unfortunately, there are often fatal cases. Be attentive to yourself and your loved ones, especially during severe frosts, pay attention to any changes in behavior or appearance others, perhaps this will save their health or even life.

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Since the face remains exposed in all weathers, frostbite is a fairly common injury.

Frostbite of the face occurs under the influence of cold. It is much easier to get injured in damp windy weather.

Most often exposed to frostbite and. Frostbite is more prone to people living in countries with a warm climate, while the indigenous people of the north very rarely get such injuries.

Symptoms and degrees of frostbite on the face

Depending on the duration of exposure to cold and related factors, they are distinguished.

1st degree

With frostbite of the face of the first degree, the following symptoms occur:

• The skin turns pale;
• On the affected area there is a burning sensation, tingling, and later numbness occurs;
• After warming, the affected area turns red and edema develops;
• Appear pain, the severity of which depends on the individual sensitivity of the person;
• Within 6 - 7 days, redness and pain disappear, there is a slight peeling.

Forecast: With frostbite of the face of the first degree, the skin is completely restored, while scars and hyperpigmentation in the affected areas are absent.

2nd degree

With the 2nd degree of frostbite of the face, the following symptoms appear:

• As with frostbite of the face of the 1st degree, the skin turns pale, initially there is a burning sensation, and later numbness and loss of sensitivity;
• After warming, in the first days after the injury, blisters filled with transparent contents form on the skin;
• Severe pain, burning and itching occur in the affected area;
• Within 7-14 days, the blisters disappear and the skin is restored.

Forecast: The prognosis is favorable, scars and scars are not formed, hyperpigmentation is absent.

3rd degree

With frostbite of the face of the 3rd degree, the patient develops symptoms such as:

• The color of the skin becomes purplish or bluish. She is very cold to the touch;
• When warming, blisters filled with bloody fluid appear in the affected area;
• The tactile function is impaired, the frostbitten area of ​​the skin loses its sensitivity;
• Later, necrosis of the skin and subcutaneous tissue occurs, and after 14-21 days, the dead tissue is torn off.
• In some cases, at the site of frostbite of the face of the 3rd degree, phlegmon may develop, body temperature rises, and pus appears.

Forecast: The skin does not recover on its own, scars and scars appear that require transplantation.

4th degree

Frostbite of the face of the 4th degree is the most severe injury that can be combined with frostbite of the 2nd and 3rd degree. She is characterized by:

• The defeat of not only the skin and subcutaneous tissue, but also deep tissues. The skin becomes bluish almost to black;
• Within 2-3 hours, tissue edema develops, blisters filled with bloody fluid appear. Unlike the 2nd and 3rd degree of frostbite, they can occur within 7 days, and their contents become putrid;
• Within 2 weeks, dead tissue mummifies or purulent gangrene develops.

Forecast: The skin is not restored, the patient has scars, scars, it is necessary Plastic surgery for nose reconstruction.

First aid for frostbite of the face and what not to do

In the event that the first persons are found, it is necessary:

• Rub the affected area with a dry hand or glove. In no case should you use snow for this, it can aggravate the symptoms;
• If possible, you need to hide from the cold. Rubbing alcohol can be used to rub the skin. But alcohol should not be taken orally;
• In the event that a person is already in the room, you can wash yourself with water, the temperature of which should not exceed 20 degrees. Do not use warm water for washing, as a sharp temperature drop will negatively affect damaged tissues;
• If you need to go outside again, the affected area should be covered with a bandage;
• The bubbles that have appeared should not be opened, as this can cause infection.

In case of frostbite of the face of the 3rd and 4th degree, you should immediately seek medical help.

You can learn more about first aid for frostbite.