What is Frostbite
Frostbite happens when the skin and deeper tissues freeze. Frostbite can happen when the skin is not covered well in cold weather. Frostbite often affects the feet, hands, fingers, nose, and ears.
You should get out of the cold right away if you have pain, redness, or loss of feeling (numbness) in part of your body. Frostbite can cause lasting damage.
Follow these instructions at home:
- Follow
instructions from your doctor about how to take care of bandages (dressings)that
cover your blisters. It is important to:
- Wash your hands with soap and water before you change your bandages. If you do not have soap and water, use hand sanitizer.
- Change or remove your bandages as told by your doctor.
- Rest your frozen (frostbitten) body parts. Raise (elevate) them above the level of your heart if possible.
- Try to avoid moving your frozen body parts.
- Take over-the-counter and prescription medicines only as told by your doctor.
- Drink enough fluid to keep your pee (urine) clear or pale yellow.
- Keep all follow-up visits as told by your doctor. This is important.
Contact a doctor if:
- You have a fever.
Get help right away if:
- You have more redness, swelling, or pain where your skin froze.
- You have fluid, blood, or pus coming from where your skin froze.
- You have very bad peeling skin where your skin froze.
- Your frozen skin turns a dark color.
- You see a red line on your skin and it spreads out from where your skin froze.
