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What
with the blast of arctic air that has made its way south, many parts of the
lower 48 are colder than much of Alaska, today. So I called an audible and scrapped our
planned article, to talk about severe cold and frostbite and what to do to
avoid frostbite, and what it is, exactly anyways.
Three
Stages of Frostbite
Your body responds to
cold temperatures by constricting the blood vessels, this is called
“vasoconstriction”. Blood flow is
shunted away from the extremities to preserve flow to the vital internal organs
in the body’s core. As the blood is sent
away from hands and feet, they get colder and ice crystals may form in and
destroy tissue.
Stage one, or frostnip, only affects the first, outermost layer of
skin and there are usually no lasting effects. Your skin will be red and may swell, you might
notice a painful, “pins and needles” sensation.
Chilblains and immersion
foot ARE NOT frostbite. They are both
a nonfreezing, cold injuries caused by exposure to cold and damp conditions
above 32oF (0oC).
Chilblains are inflamed, painful skin patches, which are red, bluish or
purplish, may feel itchy, tender or painful, and may possibly blister. Immersion foot, once known as “trench foot”,
results in severe numbness, edema (swelling), maceration and possibly
blistering. Both conditions, most of the
time, will heal without any treatment, other than drying and re-warming.
Stage two, your skin has frozen past its first layer into the second
layer. It will begin to lose color,
going from red to white and then to bluish, whitish -gray. At
this stage, the tissues of your skin are freezing and you might notice
swelling. Your skin might feel stiff or
“waxy” when touched. You might also have
the feeling of “heat” in the affected area. After rewarming blisters may form.
Stage three, all three layers of skin have frozen. Your skin may look blue and splotchy, and
circulation affected area is blocked by clotting blood. Victims also commonly experience a loss of
sensation and the malfunction of nearby muscles. Even after rewarming, there will likely be
severe lasting effects, and frozen areas can become necrotic and gangrenous,
with many victims developing dark, blood-filled blisters within the first 24 to
48 hours. Although rewarming is
appropriate, it may not succeed in deep frostbite cases.
“an ounce of prevention is worth a
pound of cure Benjamin
Franklin, 1763”
Although many people don't always know or acknowledge the dangers, the
risks of winter weather can be reduced or prevented with a little common sense.
The first step in preventing frostbite is to know the risks. Stay indoors and limit your time outside when
it is very cold and windy, windchill is not a laughing matter. The National Weather Service has created a
wind chill chart that shows the time it might take to develop frostbite at different
temperatures and wind speed. If the temperature outside is 5oF (-15oC)
with high winds, you can get frostbite within 30 minutes.
The second step in preventing frostbite is knowing whether you're at
increased risk for developing it. People
who have a higher risk of getting
frostbite include:
· Infants or the elderly, who can't control body
temperature as well
· People who are homeless, who work outdoors for
extended periods or who enjoy winter sports
· Those who drink alcohol, or take certain
medications that narrow blood vessels, or who smoke
· People with certain medical conditions that
cause trouble with circulation (such as diabetes)
The third step is to dress for the weather. Layer your clothing, wear multiple thin layers
of warm, loose-fitting clothing as insulation. Keep them dry and remove and replace any wet
clothing as soon as possible. Cover your
head, ears, nose, and face when you’re in windy conditions and freezing
temperatures. Also avoiding poor
circulation, ensure that your clothing is loose enough around your body to keep
good blood flow. Clothing that protects
your extremities and prevents frostbite, are:
· well-insulated, waterproof boots and layered
socks for your feet.
· mittens for your hands; they provide better
protection against very freezing weather than gloves, which are excellent
inside layer for over-mittens
· a warm, weatherproof hat that covers your ears
Don’t forget to come back next week and read “Treating Frostbite at
Home and in the Field”, before returning to “Improvised Tourniquets”.
I
hope that you continue to enjoy The Woodsman’s Journal Online and look for me
on YouTube at BandanaMan Productions for other related videos, HERE. Don’t forget to follow me on both The
Woodsman’s Journal Online, HERE,
and subscribe to BandanaMan Productions on YouTube. If you have questions, as always, feel free
to leave a comment on either site. I
announce new articles on Facebook at Eric Reynolds, on Instagram at
bandanamanaproductions, and on VK at Eric Reynolds, so watch for me.
That
is all for now, and as always, until next time, Happy Trails!
Notes
Sources
Air Ministry, Arctic
Survival PAM (AIR) 226, [The Air Ministry, 1953], pages 52 to 53
Alton,
Joseph, MD.; “All About Hypothermia, Pt. 3: Frostbite/Immersion Foot”, January
4, 2025, [© 2026 Doom and Bloom], https://www.doomandbloom.net/all-about-hypothermia-pt-3-frostbite-immersion-foot/,
accessed January 24, 2026
Coyne
Survival Schools, “Understanding Frostbite”, November 14, 2022, https://www.californiasurvivaltraining.com/blog-news/frostbite,
accessed January 24, 2026
Gatta, Frances;
“Frostbite”, May 24, 2024, [© 2005 - 2026 WebMD LLC], https://www.webmd.com/first-aid/frostbite,
accessed January 24, 2026
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