Symptoms and treatment for frostbite of hands and fingers. Strong hands Frostbite of the extremities: degrees and signs

There are four types of frostbite according to severity, each of which is characterized by different manifestations:

1. The first, mildest degree of frostbite occurs after a short exposure to cold. Its symptoms are:

• swelling and blanching of the fingers on the hands;
• decreased sensitivity of the affected skin.

After warming the fingers, the swelling increases, the skin becomes purple, there is a burning sensation and dull pain. After such a lesion, an increased susceptibility of the fingers to the action of low temperatures may persist for a long time.

2. With a longer stay in the cold, frostbite of the fingers of the second degree may occur. Affected fingers become pale, lose sensitivity, and after warming, the skin on them becomes bluish-purple, severe swelling and pain appear. A characteristic sign of this degree of damage is the appearance on the fingers in the first days after frostbite of blisters filled with a clear liquid.

3. Frostbite of the third degree is also characterized by the appearance of blisters on the affected fingers, but their contents are not transparent, but bloody, dark brown. In these areas, the skin temporarily loses pain sensitivity. Subsequently, the rejection of dead tissues occurs with the formation of rough scars. Affected and descended nails, as a rule, no longer grow back.

4. The most severe form of frostbite is characterized by complete necrosis of the soft tissues of the fingers, sometimes even joints and bone tissue are damaged. The affected areas acquire a bluish-marble hue, after warming they become swollen, do not warm up and remain insensitive to any influences.

First aid for frostbite hands

In case of frostbite of the fingers, as an emergency, it is recommended to move to a warm room as soon as possible, carefully free your hands from damp clothes and remove rings, drink a warm drink. What to do with frostbite of hands further depends on the degree of damage:

1. With a mild degree, you can slightly rub your fingers, warm them with your breath and wrap them with a woolen cloth; you can also make a warm hand bath (initially, the water temperature should be no more than 30 ° C, then it can be increased gradually to 50 ° C).
2. In case of frostbite of the second, third and fourth degree, it is forbidden to rub your fingers, it is only recommended to wrap them with a sterile bandage and wrap them with woolen cloth or any heat-insulating materials, after which you should immediately consult a doctor.

It is impossible with frostbite of fingers:

1. Warm with intense rubbing, rub with snow, oil or alcohol.
2. Immediately put your fingers in hot water or warm over an open fire.
3. Strongly move your fingers (preferably not move at all).
4. Drink alcohol to keep warm.
5. Break open bubbles.

In the case of a mild degree of damage, special treatment is not necessary. For a speedy recovery from frostbite of the hands, it is recommended to use ointments with reparative properties (for example, Bepanten). You can also use balms Rescuer, Guardian.

In the second and third degrees of frostbite on an outpatient basis, the blisters are opened, the damage is treated with antiseptic preparations. In the future, dressings with antibacterial and regenerating agents are applied. Physiotherapy may be recommended for better healing. Frostbite of the fourth degree is an indication for surgical treatment.

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Frostbite of the fingers and first aid to the victim

Frostbite of the fingers is an injury that occurs under the influence of cold. It occurs quite often. People living in countries with a warm climate are especially prone to frostbite, while the indigenous people of the far north receive such injuries in very rare cases.

Depending on the degree of tissue damage, the process can be reversible and irreversible. In the article, we will consider the symptoms and degrees of frostbite of the fingers, as well as what to do to help the victim and how the affected area is treated.

The main causes and conditions of frostbite of the fingers

Frostbite of the fingers occurs under the influence of cold. Factors that influence the occurrence of injury:

• High humidity and strong wind. "Dry" frost in calm weather is much better tolerated by the human body, while high humidity and active air movement can cause frostbite even at positive temperatures. Often the cause of frostbite of the fingers is wearing wet gloves or mittens.
• Use of alcohol or drugs. These substances dilate skin vessels, provoke heat loss.
• Prolonged relaxation of the muscles in a forced position;
• Physical fatigue;
• Circulatory disorders, diseases of the heart and blood vessels;
• Adaptive abilities of the organism;
• Prolonged spasm of peripheral vessels.

The first signs of frostbite of the fingers

The following signs indicate that frostbite is developing:

• The skin becomes cold to the touch;
• Depending on the degree of damage, the fingers lose their sensitivity for a while or become insensitive;
• The skin becomes pale, occasionally it can acquire a bluish, purple hue or marble color;
• Sometimes a person may feel a burning sensation in the affected area.
• The person may experience fatigue and drowsiness.

When the first signs of frostbite are detected, you should immediately begin to warm your fingers.

Degrees and symptoms of frostbite of fingers

There are 2 periods of frostbite:

• Pre-reactive (before warming starts);
• Reactive (after the start of warming).

There are also several degrees of frostbite of the fingers:

1. In the 1st degree of frostbite, exposure to cold is not too long and intense, so tissue damage is minimal. Initially, the skin turns pale, and their sensitivity decreases. After the start of warming, the skin turns red, blue may appear. Pain and tactile sensitivity are preserved. Depending on the individual sensitivity of the patient, he may experience itching, burning or pain in the affected fingers. In some cases, the temperature of the skin in this area is increased.
2. The 2nd degree of frostbite appears with a longer exposure to cold on the affected limbs. The skin on the fingers becomes pale and cold. In the first hours there is a burning sensation, which is later replaced by numbness of the fingers. The main sign of frostbite of the 2nd degree is the formation of blisters on the skin filled with a clear liquid. They can appear both in the pre-reactive period and 2-3 days after warming. The patient experiences pain, while tactile sensitivity is preserved. Swelling of the skin extends beyond the boundaries of the frostbitten area. The blisters shrink and disappear after 7 to 8 days. Hemorrhages may appear under the nails. In some cases, the nail plates fall off and grow back undamaged.
3. With the 3rd degree of frostbite, the cold affects the fingers for a long time. Initially, the skin is pale with a bluish or purple tint. In this case, blisters filled with bloody fluid are formed. There is necrosis of all layers of the skin passing to the subcutaneous tissue. In this case, the fingers remain cold and tactile sensitivity is impaired. Dead tissue is torn off after 2-3 weeks, fallen nails do not grow back. In the event that the nail plates are preserved, then they grow clumsy.
4. The 4th degree of frostbite develops with prolonged exposure to low temperatures. It is characterized by the necrosis of all tissues, and in some cases even bones. The affected area is initially cold, the skin is blue. Then, within 2 hours, edema appears, increasing towards the proximal arm. Bubbles filled with bloody contents appear on the affected areas, later within a week they are replaced by new ones with putrefactive filling. By the end of the first week, a demarcation furrow appears separating living tissues from dead ones, during the next week it becomes brighter. Frostbitten fingers become mummified or purulent gangrene develops.

First aid for frostbite of fingers

If there is a suspicion of frostbite of the fingers, you must immediately begin to provide first aid:

• If the fingers on the hands begin to freeze, it is necessary to start active movements with them, squeezing and unclenching are considered the most effective;
• Then it is necessary to eliminate the provoking factor, go into a warm room, get rid of wet mittens or gloves;
• The skin should be rubbed with a dry woolen cloth or hand until it turns red (do not use snow for this purpose). In order to eliminate frostbite, alcohol can be used for rubbing (it cannot be used inside). Frostbitten fingers can be smeared with hygienic lipstick, this will help to avoid cracks;
• If it is not possible to warm the hands in a warm room, injured fingers should be hidden under the armpits until they warm up. If it was possible to do this, a bandage is applied to the damaged limbs in order to avoid repeated frostbite;
• You can also use water to warm your frozen hands. Initially, its temperature should be about 18 degrees, then gradually over the course of an hour it is raised to 36 degrees. Do not use warm water for these purposes, as it contributes to more severe tissue damage;
• The person with frostbite should then be given warm tea to drink and put to bed;

Treatment of frostbite of fingers

The main goal of treatment is to restore blood circulation in the area of ​​damage. For this, both drugs (anticoagulants, vasodilators, angioprotectors, plasma substitutes) and physiotherapeutic methods are used. At 3 - 4 degrees of frostbite, drugs are administered intravenously, drip.

For frostbite of 1-2 degrees, I use external agents based on panthenol. In case of damage to the skin, antiseptic ointments are used (Levomekol, Bornaya, Streptocid).

In order to save a person from pain, I use painkillers. With frostbite 3-4 degrees and severe pain, narcotic analgesics (Tramadol, Nalbuphine) can be used. Novocaine blockades can also be carried out.

Folk remedies for frostbite include:

• Sea buckthorn oil. It is applied to the damaged area up to 5 times a day. The product enhances skin regeneration and prevents the development of inflammatory processes. In order to prepare the medicine at home, you need to grind 100 g of fresh sea buckthorn berries and pour the same amount of refined sunflower or olive oil. The product is placed for a week in a dry and dark place, then filtered and stored in the refrigerator for no more than a year;
• Also in the reactive period, after warming the fingers, baths based on medicinal plants can be used. For their preparation, you can take chamomile flowers, calendula, string grass, oak bark. They have a positive effect on the condition of the skin, improve tissue regeneration, prevent inflammation and promote rapid healing of injuries. To prepare a bath, a tablespoon of raw materials (can be collected) is poured with a liter of water and cooled under a lid to a comfortable temperature. Filter and immerse the affected fingers in a warm infusion. The procedure is carried out twice a day, until the signs of frostbite completely disappear;
• In order to quickly eliminate the consequences of frostbite, ointments prepared at home are also used. 100 ml of olive oil are heated in a water bath and mixed with 10 g of beeswax. Then half the yolk of a pre-boiled chicken egg is gradually added to the boiling liquid. The product is filtered using nylon, and stored in the refrigerator for up to a year. Apply to frostbitten fingers 3 times a day until the symptoms of injury disappear.

Only a doctor can correctly determine the degree of frostbite of the fingers and prescribe treatment after an in-person consultation. Therefore, at the first sign of injury, you should seek medical help.

First aid for frostbite

With the onset of severe cold weather, people with symptoms of severe frostbite are increasingly entering the emergency departments of hospitals. During the New Year holidays, both lost tourists and city dwellers can become their victims, but for everyone the ending can be very sad. We will talk about what happens to a person with frostbite, and how you can help him.

If a person is left alone with the cold, the body is able to resist for some time. The fight always follows the same scenario: first we get goosebumps. This is a reflex inherited from furry ancestors: in order to increase the heat-insulating layer, it is necessary to raise the wool on end. Of course, now another method of a body that does not want to freeze is much more effective: to do everything in order to maintain a working temperature for internal, vital organs. The vessels of the skin narrow so that the heat accumulated in the blood does not evaporate, blood delivery to the extremities comes to naught.

The next stage is chilling. This is when "shaking from the cold." Due to involuntary muscle contraction, additional heat is generated. At a body temperature of 35°, shivering reaches its maximum. At 32 ° it stops and the body begins to "freeze", the skin turns blue, hallucinations often occur. When cooled by another 2 degrees, as a rule, a person loses consciousness, as if falling asleep. All body functions are barely smoldering to keep the remaining heat. There is almost no pulse, blood pressure drops, but even in this state it can still be saved.

First aid

In severe cases (loss of consciousness, swelling, blisters, hardening of the skin, changing its color to waxy, bluish-purple), call an ambulance. Before her arrival, the victim should be placed in a warm place, carefully remove wet clothes, wrap in blankets. The optimal, but not always acceptable way to warm a person with your body, preferably two. In case of severe hypothermia, it is best to recover in a warm bath (about 38 degrees, you can check the water with your elbow, as when bathing a child), but do not immerse the victim entirely, but start from frostbitten places - warming in water until normal skin color appears, 20-30 minutes ). (In no case, not a hot bath! It will not bring benefits for frostbite, but can only seriously harm.) A warm drink (broth, cocoa, tea) is also useful. Apply insulating gauze bandages to the affected areas of the skin.

What Not to Do

Do not rub with snow! This only aggravates hypothermia, and also damages tissues, you can easily bring an infection.

You can not warm yourself with dry heat (near the fire, stove, putting your hands and feet on the battery)! Risk of irreversible tissue damage.

Do not give alcohol, coffee! A sharp blow to the narrowed vessels can lead to their rupture, internal hemorrhages, disruption of the heart.

Open blisters on frostbitten places!

To keep warm

It is possible to overcool, and seriously, even at temperatures above zero - with high humidity and strong winds. Overwork, malnutrition (for example, fasting dieters), alcohol intoxication, tight - albeit warm - clothes and shoes also contribute to this. And some diseases - circulatory disorders in the vessels, nervous and endocrine disorders. Also, resistance to cold decreases with age in heavy smokers.

• In the cold, go out in multi-layered clothing: two sweaters under a coat or jacket, double mittens, cotton, and woolen socks on top.
• Take off your metal jewelry: rings, chains, bracelets.
• In no case do not lubricate the face with a cream, especially a moisturizer! Greatly increases the risk of frostbite. In light and medium frosts, use oily cosmetics, in severe frosts - do not apply to the face and it.
• Don't go outside on an empty stomach.
• If you feel that your legs and arms are starting to freeze, immediately start moving, later doing this will already hurt.
• Do not rub your face with a mitten, only with a dry palm, but rather practice grimacing: smile, wrinkle your nose.
• After you get very cold, be careful when you finally get to a warm place: try to sit down in transport, as often the process of warming is accompanied by severe pain and dizziness up to fainting.

Degrees of defeat

Frostbite I degree (most mild)

Usually occurs with short exposure to cold. The affected area of ​​the skin is pale, reddened after warming, in some cases it has a purple-red tint; edema develops. Skin necrosis does not occur. By the end of the week after frostbite, slight peeling of the skin is sometimes observed. Full recovery occurs by 5-7 days after frostbite. The first signs of such frostbite are a burning sensation, tingling, followed by numbness of the affected area. Then there is skin itching and pain, which can be both minor and pronounced.

Occurs with prolonged exposure to cold. In the initial period, there is blanching, cooling, loss of sensitivity, but these phenomena are observed at all degrees of frostbite. Therefore, the most characteristic sign is the formation of blisters filled with transparent contents in the first days after the injury. Complete restoration of the integrity of the skin occurs within 1-2 weeks, granulation and scarring are not formed. With frostbite of the II degree after warming, the pain is more intense and longer than with frostbite of the I degree, skin itching, burning are disturbing.

The duration of the period of cold exposure and decrease in temperature in the tissues increases. The blisters formed in the initial period are filled with bloody contents, their bottom is blue-purple, insensitive to irritations. There is a death of all elements of the skin with the development of granulations and scars as a result of frostbite. Descended nails do not grow back or grow deformed. Rejection of dead tissues ends at 2-3 weeks, after which scarring occurs, which lasts up to 1 month. The intensity and duration of pain is more pronounced than with frostbite II degree.

Occurs with prolonged exposure to cold, the decrease in temperature in the tissues with it is the greatest. It is often combined with frostbite III and even II degree. All layers of soft tissues become dead, bones and joints are often affected.

The damaged area of ​​the limb is sharply cyanotic, sometimes with a marble color. Edema develops immediately after warming and increases rapidly. The temperature of the skin is much lower than that of the tissues surrounding the area of ​​frostbite. Blisters develop in less frostbitten areas where there is frostbite III-II degree. The absence of blisters with significantly developed edema, loss of sensitivity indicate frostbite of the IV degree.

General cooling of the body

Under conditions of a long stay at low air temperature, not only local lesions are possible, but also a general cooling of the body. Under the general cooling of the body, one should understand the state that occurs when the body temperature drops below 34 o C.

The onset of general cooling is facilitated by the same factors as with frostbite: high humidity, damp clothes, strong winds, physical overwork, mental trauma, past illnesses and injuries.

There are mild, moderate and severe degrees of general cooling.

Mild degree: body temperatureo C. The skin is pale or moderately cyanotic, goosebumps, chills, speech difficulties appear. The pulse drops for up to a minute. Blood pressure is normal or slightly elevated. Breathing is not disturbed. Frostbite of I-II degree is possible.

Medium degree: body temperatureo C, characterized by severe drowsiness, depression of consciousness, a meaningless look. The skin is pale, cyanotic, sometimes marbled, cold to the touch. Pulse - dov minute, weak filling. Arterial pressure is reduced slightly. Breathing rare - up to 8-12 per minute, superficial. Frostbite of the face and extremities of I-IV degree is possible.

Severe degree: body temperature is below 31 o C. Consciousness is absent, convulsions, vomiting are observed. The skin is pale, cyanotic, cold to the touch. The pulse is reduced to 36 per minute, weak filling, there is a pronounced decrease in blood pressure. Breathing is rare, superficial - up to 3-4 per minute. There are severe and widespread frostbite up to glaciation.

In preparing the article, materials from the Paramedic.ru portal were used.

Frostbite of fingers: symptoms, first aid and treatment

Frostbite of the fingers is an injury of varying degrees, received under the influence of cold. The lesion is diagnosed quite often. The risk group includes people living in the southern regions. The process that occurs during frostbite can be irreversible and reversible, depending on the degree of damage.

Main reasons

Frostbite always occurs when exposed to cold air or liquid. The main provoking factors include:

1. High humidity or strong wind. The human body tolerates dry cold air more easily. But high humidity on the street and gusts of wind can cause damage to the skin even at a slight positive temperature.
2. Wet mittens or gloves worn in the cold season.
3. Alcohol or drugs. They affect the state of blood vessels, expanding them, which provokes a rapid loss of heat.
4. Adaptive ability of the body to sudden changes in temperature.
5. Prolonged spasm of peripheral vessels.
6. Severe physical fatigue.

Frostbite of the hands also occurs in cases of pathologies of the heart muscle or blood vessels, as well as with impaired blood circulation.

Symptoms

The symptoms of frostbite depend on the extent of the injury. You can establish the beginning of the development of the lesion by the following signs:

1. Extremities become cold.
2. Fingers lose sensation for a while.
3. The skin turns pale. In some cases, it may have a bluish or purple color.
4. Burning in frostbite.

A decrease in the temperature of the upper layer of the epidermis may be accompanied by the onset of general fatigue and drowsiness. When these signs appear, it is urgent to start warming the fingers.

First aid

First aid for frostbite should be started immediately, as the process can provoke irreversible changes. This leads to loss of fingers. If hypothermia is suspected, you should:

1. Start active finger movements. Physical activity will help speed up blood circulation. The most effective are clenching into fists and unclenching fingers.
2. Eliminate the impact of the negative factor. To do this, go to a warm room or remove wet gloves or mittens.
3. Rub the fingers with a woolen cloth or hand until the skin turns red. But it is strictly forbidden to use snow for rubbing. To eliminate frostbite, you can use alcohol, applied it to the surface of the skin, and rub it in with massaging movements. Fingers can be lubricated with hygienic lipstick. This will help prevent cracking of the leather.
4. If it is impossible to go into the heat, hands should be hidden under the armpits. After some time, when the hands are warm, it is necessary to apply a bandage in order to prevent a re-injury.
5. You can use water to warm your hands. Its temperature should not exceed 18 degrees. Within an hour, it can gradually be raised to 36 degrees. Warm or hot water is strictly prohibited.

After the victim's fingers have warmed up, he should be given warm herbal tea and put to bed.

Frostbite degrees

The clinical picture, method of treatment and further prognosis depend on the degree of frostbite. In the initial stages, reversible changes in the skin begin to occur. In the case of prolonged exposure to cold air or liquid, they become irreversible, and there is a risk of loss of fingers. In medicine, four degrees are distinguished, each of which has its own distinctive features and signs.

First degree

Comes with a slight hypothermia. The first symptoms are mild tingling, burning and numbness. Then pain occurs. External manifestations include:

• pallor of the skin;
• goosebumps;
• chills;
• the appearance of a bluish tint.

When warmed, the signs gradually disappear, and the skin acquires a natural color. There are no consequences for the first degree of frostbite.

Second degree

The main symptoms are numbness and blistering. If first aid was provided in a timely and correct manner, they pass on their own in 7-10 days. At the same time, no traces remain on the skin.

The second stage is also characterized by reversible changes. After warming the fingers, pain and burning disappear after a while, and the skin takes on its original appearance.

Third degree

The third degree is characterized by the appearance of fatigue and weakness. The person begins to fall asleep. Also, the ability to adequately think and assess the situation is lost. Eyes roll back, look becomes empty. The capillaries located closer to the upper layer of the epidermis narrow, and the blood goes deeper. Breathing is almost inaudible, it becomes superficial and rare.

The blisters that arose during the second degree of frostbite begin to fill with blood contents. Their base acquires a blue or crimson color. Loss of sensation in the fingers. Bubbles are already dead tissue, after healing of which, scars remain on the skin. When the nail plate is damaged, the nails come off and no longer grow back. Rejection of dead tissue continues for 2-3 weeks. This process is accompanied by painful sensations. All changes in the body are irreversible.

fourth degree

It is the most terrible, as it is characterized by a fatal outcome with untimely or poor-quality first aid. Not only the upper layers of the epidermis begin to die. Cold reaches the joints and bones, which under its influence also begin to collapse.

The skin acquires a marble color. When you try to warm your fingers, severe swelling appears. This stage is the last and occurs after a person has lost consciousness or does not respond to external stimuli. There are convulsions and vomiting. Breathing is rare and shallow. The number of breaths is not more than 34 per minute.

At the fourth degree, it is almost impossible to return a person who has frostbitten not only limbs to life. All processes are irreversible. The limbs first turn pale, then begin to blacken. This indicates the complete death of the fingers. In this case, their amputation is required.

What Not to Do

In case of frostbite of the fingers of any degree, it is strictly forbidden to heat the affected area by the fire, the battery or with hot water. Also you can't:

1. Apply oily ointments. They are used before going outside as protection.
2. Break open bubbles. On the area of ​​​​the skin where they appeared, you just need to apply a sterile bandage and consult a doctor.
3. Use for grinding snow. The interaction of the frostbitten area and cold snow leads to even greater damage to the vessels, their narrowing and blockage.
4. Drinking alcohol. When alcohol enters the body, the vessels begin to expand, which provokes an acceleration of the process of freezing the limbs.

It is also not recommended to rub the injured area of ​​​​the fingers with alcohol in the cold. When applied to the skin, the heat evaporates along with the alcohol fumes. As a result, the vessels become fragile and more prone to damage. Rubbing alcohol is used only after the victim has been in a warm room and received the first necessary aid.

When to see a doctor

The first degree of frostbite does not require a visit to a specialist. But there are times when a person does not know what to do with frostbite or large areas of the skin have been damaged. In this case, immediate medical attention is required. Going to the doctor should not be postponed if:

1. Affected child or elderly person.
2. The victim is unconscious.
3. Weak breathing.
4. Rapid or infrequent heartbeat.
5. The victim is delirious.
6. High or low body temperature.
7. Vomiting, nausea and convulsions are observed.
8. The affected area of ​​skin is larger than the person's own palm.

Immediate medical attention is also required in cases where, after warming, the fingers become cold, have lost sensitivity, and blood-filled blisters have begun to form.

Medications

With the first degree of frostbite, the use of drugs is not necessary. In order to restore tissues, it is recommended to use a frostbite cream, such as Bepanten or balms, for example, Rescuer or Guardian.

The second and third degrees require opening the blisters and removing the fluid. The procedure is carried out only by an experienced specialist. Then sterile dressings are applied and regenerative agents are prescribed. Frostbite of the fingers of the fourth degree requires surgical intervention.

Alternative treatment

All recipes of traditional medicine should be used only after consulting a doctor with 1,2 and 3 degrees of frostbite. The most effective folk remedies include:

1. Rose oil. It is rubbed on the affected areas.
2. Tincture of calendula. Pour 1 teaspoon of the plant into 500 ml of hot water and insist for an hour. Then moisten the bandage in tincture and apply to the injured surface for 30 minutes.
3. Lemon juice. Rubbed twice a day.
4. Potato juice. Used for lotions. Soak a cotton pad with potato juice and fix it on the affected area with a bandage for 2 hours.

For internal use, you can make an infusion of chamomile flowers. 1 tablespoon should be poured with 500 ml of boiling water and infused for an hour. Then strain and take one spoon three times a day.

Frostbite of the fingers is a rather dangerous condition that can lead to the loss of limbs. First of all, you should know how to provide first aid to the victim. What to do in the future with frostbite of the fingers, the attending physician will tell you after establishing the degree of damage.

What to do with frostbite of fingers and toes: first aid

Winter is not only holidays, but also cold. Frosty, windy and sometimes dank weather brings a large number of inconveniences and health problems. According to the observations of medical workers, the most common complaints during this period are: colds, falls on ice and frostbite. Today's article is devoted to the latter.

Frostbite of the limbs: degrees and signs

Frostbite is soft tissue injury due to exposure to cold temperatures. Ninety percent of cases of frostbite occur in the winter, but episodes of frostbite in the spring and autumn are not uncommon as a result of long exposure to open spaces in windy and humid weather.

In winter, the main cause of frostbite is severe alcohol intoxication. A person in this state does not feel cold and cannot respond in time to hypothermia of the body.

Reactive: occurs after warming, the signs appear gradually, some of the signs appear after 4-6 hours, the rest - for 2-3 days.

According to the scale of tissue damage, physicians distinguish 4 degrees.

1. Slightly disturbed blood circulation.
2. The skin at the site of frostbite turns pale.
3. There is a slight tingling sensation.
4. Frostbitten limb loses sensation.
5. After warming, the skin becomes red or purple.
6. There is a slight swelling.
7. Pain is hardly noticeable.
8. On the 4-5th day after frostbite, the affected area of ​​​​the skin may begin to peel off.

1. Circulation disorders are significant, but reversible.
2. The skin takes on a bluish tint.
3. For 2-3 days, blisters appear at the site of frostbite with a clear or bloody liquid inside.
4. The pain is obvious.
5. Relieve burning and itching.
6. An infection occurs.
7. The body reacts with general poor health: the temperature rises, the number of leukocytes in the blood increases.

1. The affected limb has a blue, purple-bluish color.
2. Blisters filled with bloody contents appear.
3. The skin under the blister is purple or blue.
4. Sensitivity disappears not only in the place of frostbite, but also in the nearest areas of the skin.
5. By the end of 3 weeks after frostbite, dead tissue leaves, scars appear in their place.

1. The skin acquires a pronounced bluish tint.
2. Edema forms immediately after warming and spreads to the nearest areas of the skin.
3. Blisters form on areas of skin adjacent to frostbite.
4. After 3-4 days, the skin changes color to dark blue or black.
5. Violations in the blood vessels are irreversible.
6. Dystrophic changes concern deep tissues: muscles, joints, bones.
7. General intoxication of the body develops.

First aid if frostbitten fingers, toes

1. Take the victim to a warm place. It is impossible to do rubbing and massage in the cold. It is recommended to remove outer clothing, gloves, shoes and socks from the victim.
2. Close with a dry sterile dressing. To reduce the rate of warming and prevent infection. The bandage is applied as follows: a layer of bandage, then a thick layer of cotton wool, another layer of bandage. Some experts recommend covering the top with polyethylene.
3. Adhere to the principle of slow warming. After the victim has spent 30 minutes in a warm room, you can begin to gradually warm the frostbitten limbs. To do this, you can gently rub them with your hands or with a soft woolen cloth.
4. It is recommended to place the affected limb in warm water. Starting with a temperature of degrees, gradually bringing it up to 40 degrees. But it is recommended to do this only with a mild form of frostbite.
5. Do not massage too intensely, as this injures the skin and promotes infection. With frostbite II, III, and IV degrees, massage should never be done.
6. Give plenty of warm and sweet drink. It is necessary to warm up from the inside. Freshly brewed sweet tea is best. Alcoholic beverages should not be drunk, as this only enhances the body's heat transfer, reduces overall sensitivity.
7. Call a doctor. Since the pre-reactive period is almost asymptomatic, it is difficult to determine the extent of the lesion. As a rule, if frostbite is suspected, the victim is sent to the hospital.

Unprofessional assistance can be provided only with the initial, mildest degree of tissue damage. In all other cases, only additional harm is done.

Video how to behave with frostbite

Possible complications after frostbite of fingers and toes

1. General hypothermia of the body and related problems: pneumonia, sepsis.
2. Introduction and development of infections: suppuration of blisters, lymphadenitis and abscesses.
3. At a later date: neuralgia, death of deep tissue layers, gangrene and trophic ulcers.
4. Fatal outcome. With frostbite IV, there are cases when doctors could not localize the development of the infection. The victim died even after the amputation of a frostbitten limb.

Prevention of frostbite of extremities

Like a disease, frostbite is easier to prevent than to deal with the consequences.

1. Dress for the weather.
2. Control the condition of your clothes and shoes: in wet boots, frostbite is much easier and faster. Gloves and mittens made of fabrics that do not get wet should be worn on hands.
3. Follow the weather forecast and at temperatures below -30 degrees you should not go out unnecessarily.
4. Increase your calorie intake if you plan to spend extended periods in the cold.
5. Bring extra warm socks, gloves, and a thermos of tea.
6. Do not drink alcohol in the cold.

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Frostbite on toes

Doctors consider frostbite to be an injury. But, unlike other injuries, frostbite may not be painful or not immediately visible.

Frostbite of the toes usually occurs in winter, and the frost can be very insidious with your feet.

With frostbite, a person may not feel pain at all. After all, the cold is an excellent pain reliever!

Therefore, if you walk down the street in the cold, and at the same time in narrow and not very warm shoes, be careful not to let your fingers get frostbite.

Signs of frostbite

1. With the first, mildest degree of frostbite, itching, tingling, numbness, or burning is felt in the toes. The skin in the affected areas is pale, dry. After getting into the heat, the fingers warm up, the skin color changes to red or purple, swelling of the tissues is visible. Then the legs begin to peel off, recovery occurs within a week.

Treating frostbite toes

Treatment depends on the stage of frostbite.

First stage of frostbite

The first stage does not require treatment, the skin recovers itself.

Second stage

It is necessary to open the blisters correctly, treating the surface to prevent infection. Next, an antibacterial ointment is applied to the wound surface, most often Levomekol. Top cover loosely with a sterile napkin.

Intramuscular injections of antibiotics are prescribed. A week later, you can start physiotherapy - ultraviolet irradiation, UHF therapy, darsonvalization.

Third stage

First, the blisters are removed and the boundaries to which the skin has become dead are determined. Then apply bandages with hypertonic sodium chloride solution. During the first week of treatment, dead tissue is removed. After healing, physiotherapy is also used.

Fourth stage

Everyone should know what to do in a situation where someone is very cold. After all, trouble can happen to your friends or relatives, you need to be able to help them.

See how it's done:

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comments 103

Hello. After a long stay in the cold (-30, about 2 hours), my husband got frostbite on his feet - toes and lateral part, partially on the sole near the toes and fingers. Didn't go to the hospital. Treated at home. The next day after frostbite, dense blisters appeared with a clear liquid, and even with blood on the arm, the legs were swollen, the joints crunched. We carefully opened the blisters, did not remove the skin, treated with depantol ointment - applied loose wipes, treated edema with gel 911 with badyaga and leech extract, drank antibiotics - ciprolet, painkillers - nimesulide, vitamin aevit and calcium glucanate. After 10 days, the rejection of dead tissues began, the healing went well, the edema subsided. A month has passed - a new thin skin has grown, we lubricate it with a fat cream so that it does not crack, but in general the arm is already in good condition, the legs too. The concern is that the pain does not go away in the joints, the mobility of the joints is preserved. Soon to go to work after the holidays, tell me how to speed up the recovery of the joints. Thanks in advance.

Olga, a trip to the hospital would give at least a sick leave. Your case is not the easiest, although you did everything right. How to speed up? Do you know how to speed up the birth of a child? This is from the same series - nature cannot be deceived.

Hello, my husband got blisters on his legs from frostbite on the second day, and the blue skin of one finger was swollen to the hospital, he doesn’t want to go, what should I do?

You need to take him to the clinic by force if you don't want to lose your fingers.

I live in America, the Rescuer ointment is not here. Skied and got frostbite on the tips of the big toe on both feet, there are no blisters, but there is a darkened area the size of a small pea near the nail. A slight numbness of the fingertips is also present, do you know American drugs, ointments that can help?

Unfortunately, the American pharmacy market is not familiar to me.

I went to the dacha in January, I got very cold there, especially my legs, plus my legs got wet. Got sick. When I returned home, my legs warmed up, but the feeling of numbness persisted for two weeks. Then it passed. But yesterday (March) on the subway there was a feeling of numbness and tingling in both legs from the toes to the middle of the calf. It took 2-3 hours. Today it reappeared. Both times my feet were warm.

Prompt, please, what it can mean.

Hello, Natalia. It is difficult to answer your question without objective research.

Let him write out a direction for a general blood test and a separate test for sugar (as usual - the first test at 8 in the morning on an empty stomach, the second at 10.00 after breakfast).

These tests, at least, will give an objective picture of what is happening.

Hello. Help me please. My husband works at a construction site and, of course, in winter too ... he got frostbite on his legs. We did hot baths with different herbs, but today I noticed that he had a blister on his thumb. Very hard and cold feet all the time. When we keep in hot water, the toes swell and give a blue-red tint ... please help with the respect of Tahmin ..

Tahmina! With frostbite of the legs, hands, it is absolutely impossible to do HOT baths! The temperature of the herbal infusion should be no more than body temperature, that is, no more than 36.6. Allowed up to 37-38, but no more.

Already below it was written about the balm "Rescuer". Look at the pharmacy. This balm is completely herbal. Its price is quite lifting - in our pharmacy it costs 110 rubles. Its properties just make it possible to normalize the skin with wounds (even open ones) and with frostbite. Tested!

Thank you for your help ... I wanted to ask something else, the tips of his toes are sore, sometimes he complains that he does not feel them and the nails on his thumb begin to crumble, can you advise something, otherwise I read the comment and, to be honest, I terrified…please advise something..

First of all, at a distance it is difficult to see, or rather feel the whole picture. However, imagine that in the soft tissues of the finger there are many thin vessels through which blood flowed. Why in the past tense? Because blood is a liquid, and in the event of frostbite in such thin vessels, the blood simply froze, as a result of which the vessels became unusable and the blood supply to remote areas of the finger was disrupted. Naturally, the nerve endings fix this lack of nutrition and signal with pain sensations (otherwise they cannot, cannot scream, but scream with a sensation of pain). Now you need to take care of your fingers (the "Rescuer" balm or some similar ointments that are in the pharmacy - it is better to make them to order) and wait for new blood vessels to recover and grow, that is, blood supply is restored. This is not a fast process.

Thank you very much .... God bless you and all the best .. you help us and we are grateful to you for this THANK YOU SO MUCH;;;;.

Hello, and I have such a story: I was at the rink for about 3 hours, I went there to warm up, my toes began to go numb (it happened, the sensitivity disappeared, but then everything was “ok”). I came home and noticed that the sensitivity on both big toes of both feet disappeared again, I did not attach any importance to this, but then sensitivity appeared on 1 leg, but not on the other. I noticed that the finger became slightly gray and the sensitivity did not appear, it felt like through a plastic bag. It hurts, as it were, and it burns and tingles .. there are no blisters, there is nothing like that ... only slightly gray and tingling .. I took a bath increasing t, what should I do next? I want to stay with my fingers.. please help..

P.S. I was walking home in very tight shoes!

I will say right away that this is the result of tight shoes, that on boots with skates, that the shoes in which I went home. In cold conditions, shoes should be fitted so that warm socks can be put on. Otherwise, you can expect trouble.

Below is already written about the balm "Rescuer".

Only in this case, this balm should be used as a massage cream. That is, smear your fingers with balm (this herbal balm) and massage with careful movements, dispersing the blood through your fingers. You can massage several times a day - even if possible every hour for five to ten minutes, until a feeling of sustained warmth appears.

After the massage, work with your fingers in a standing position, as if kneading them on the floor (preferably standing on a soft bedding) in a circular motion.

Let's hope everything works out.

Thanks for the quick answer, it's good that everything can be easily done, but here's another question: I live in Alt. Krai, our pharmacies are closed late, there is 911 or Travmalgon ointment at hand, I don’t remember the exact name can you use it? It has a pretty good warming effect!?

In principle, today it is possible. Just massage very gently so as not to damage the skin. But tomorrow in the morning it is very desirable to go to the "Rescuer", which will allow you to eliminate possible damage during the massage with another ointment. Warming ointment suggests healthy skin. This is the problem.

Thank you so much, I just noticed that there are also tingling on the second leg, but they are not so noticeable .. Because my right leg is colder, there are slight tingling on the left .. Therefore, these are all shoes .. I will definitely take measures .. Thank you for your support!

Good afternoon, tell me, please, my brother is in the hospital, frostbite of 2-3 degrees of fingers. in the hospital, apart from dressings and the system, they don’t really do anything. Does it make sense to contact a burn center to improve the healing process and preserve the affected areas? Thank you.

Rinat, the pharmacy sells a balm called "Rescuer" (we have it for 110 rubles). Perfectly heals fresh wounds, including burns. You can simply add to those procedures that are done in the hospital. This will greatly speed up the process.

Thank you for your prompt reply. Tell me more, please, what can be done to restore blood flow and the consequences of deep frostbite, in order to avoid serious surgical interventions and save fingers. Thank you. .

Rinat, unfortunately only the attending physician can answer this question. In this case, just wait. I can't offer any obvious ways to restore blood flow. It all depends on the strength of the brother's body. Of course, in the burn center, specialized specialists and contacting them would speed up the process. If there is such an opportunity - act.

By the way! I know the case (it was a long time ago). A young girl suffered a severe burn to her face as she leaned over the fire, which puffed from the ingress of combustible materials. Doctors predicted plastic surgery. But .. The local healer used a cool solution of silver. The best option is a device consisting of two Argentum electrodes (silver). Once upon a time, such devices were on sale.

The main thing. The girl was given gauze compresses (medical gauze soaked in a saturated solution of silver - silver water). Three weeks later, the skin was as good as new and there was no talk of any operation.

Good afternoon .. My husband 5 years ago worked at a sunflower oil production enterprise ... In winter, he cleaned the fuse in tanks, (the temperature of the fuse, he spent the whole day knee-deep, in rubber boots he spent in this liquid). Since then, his feet have been very cold .. they are constantly icy and wet .. even in summer ... they twist a lot, regardless of the weather ... Tell me, please, how can I help him? Natalia.

Dear Natalia! Very simple procedures will help relieve aching pain and aches. Add a couple of tablespoons of salt to a bowl of warm (not hot) water and dip your feet in it for 10 minutes. After this, it is necessary to massage the feet, and attention should be paid specifically to the fingers and soles. In these places, many special points are concentrated, the massage of which leads to an improvement in the general condition of the body. These procedures will help if they are done regularly. Otherwise, the effect will consist only in temporary relief of the person's condition. In addition, it is important to prevent repeated hypothermia of the legs, otherwise the pain may become permanent. Your husband may also be advised to undergo an ultrasound examination of the kidneys. Hypothermia of the legs is often the cause of diseases of this organ, which for a long time can be hidden or inconspicuous.

Hello. Well, everything is standard, I got frostbite on my hands, neglecting gloves, I was looking for a lost thing in the snow, at -20 and wind, dug for about 7 minutes, ran home when a strong and very painful tingling began in my fingers, in the process of warming it was very, very painful, on the blisters were just hints, some rudiments in the form of rounds, but they passed without a trace, completely warmed up my hands in a couple of hours without heating pads, rubbing, ointments and other unnecessary actions.

But ... Those fingers with which I dug snow (right hand), after even 5 days, have reduced sensitivity, and now it feels like my fingers lay well, tingling when touched, the second hand was also in the snow as a support (left), but it was at rest, and everything is in order with her, and on the fingers of the “digging” right palm, which worked on the fold-bend, even after almost a week, sensitivity does not appear.

Maybe a nerve has been torn from the cold? Or what it can be and how to treat? Outwardly, everything is fine with the palms and fingers.

Evgeny! With a long stay in the cold, in this case, the hands were in the snow at a low temperature - frostbite is inevitable. It should be borne in mind that this term refers not only to the blackness of the frostbitten skin surface and external manifestations in the form of blisters, scars, etc. Frostbite of the hand has several degrees.

In your case, it may be the first degree. With it, the skin surface in the cold has a pale or cyanotic color and is devoid of sensitivity. When warmed, the skin becomes purple and painful. Subsequently, the color of the hands returns to normal, and sensitivity returns within 7-9 days. You should be prepared for the fact that when you are outside in cold weather, your fingers may again lose sensitivity (it has been observed periodically for several years). Do not allow repeated hypothermia - this is the best advice in this case. It is useful to rub a sick hand with oil (vegetable or creamy) at least once a day.

Frostbitten fingers. The next day there were blisters on one arm. What does this mean?

Valentine, it is very desirable to see a doctor. The fact is that the symptoms of the 2nd and 3rd degrees of frostbite are approximately the same. However, the second degree allows the body to restore tissues with a little help, but in the third degree, the blood supply to frostbitten tissues stops and they simply die. Only a doctor during a PERSONAL examination will be able to draw a conclusion about the degree of frostbite, that is, give effective recommendations. Unfortunately, at home it is not known how the situation can end.

Hello, Anna. Eight days ago, my son, 20 years old, slightly froze his left arm and left leg, feels tingling in his little fingers, ring and middle fingers, says sensitivity as if through a plastic bag. The doctor said it will pass, he didn’t prescribe anything. to be some kind of ointment to smear, advise, otherwise my son is a thousand kilometers away from me, I can’t control))

Hello, Elena! Judging by the description, your son has a mild degree of frostbite. The skin is not damaged, the color is not changed, there are no blisters. Sensitivity will gradually recover. Your doctor is right, there is no cure for such disorders, they go away on their own in a few weeks.

Regards, Anna

Hello! My husband had a fracture of his right ankle. While he was in a cast, hypothermia occurred in his feet. The plaster was removed, but both legs are numb and hurt. The doctor says that there are no signs of frostbite, that it is post-traumatic. The skin color on the feet is either very pale or red-blue and the pain does not stop. doing physio but no improvement. The doctor says it will pass, but there is no improvement and relief.

Hello, Natalia! If the doctor says that there are no signs of frostbite, then the legs hurt and the skin changes color is not from this. Vascular disorders, unfortunately, often accompany fractures, especially during the rehabilitation period, when the cast is removed. This period is difficult, it must be experienced. The fact that there are no improvements yet does not mean that the drugs do not work. Recovery can go at its own pace, because everyone's body is different.

However, if you are not satisfied with the methods that treat your husband, then it makes sense to seek advice from another qualified specialist. Why expose yourself to worry, let another doctor take a look and make his decision. Whom does it make sense to contact - a vascular surgeon, a traumatologist or a combustiologist (a specialist in frostbite and burns). The main thing is that the competence of the doctor does not cause you doubts.

Regards, Anna

Frostbite of the feet of 1-3 degrees in the hospital for a week, they feed with analgin and make dressings. They say that I will behave well, nothing will be cut off. Tell me when it will be possible to switch to home dressing treatment only in the clinic. It is not profitable to get sick in our time, sick leave is paid only for the first three weeks, more or less, and then even a penny. Tired of lying down. You can’t get up, the fearless twists his legs, especially at night. I am 26, my immunity has always been good, I rarely got sick. Doctors don't say anything like fish. Thanks in advance!

Hello Sergey! I understand your concern, but the doctors are silent because they cannot say anything definite. They are clearly watching how your legs heal after frostbite, because they do not just dressings, but with a healing substance (I don’t know which one, but in such cases it is usually Levomekol). You just have to be patient and follow the regime, because frostbite is a very serious matter, especially if you suspect a 3rd degree. Unfortunately, I cannot tell you exactly when you will be released for outpatient treatment. I can say one thing for sure - they will not keep anyone in the hospital for too long.

In general, you have to shake the attending physician to say at least something definite.

Regards, Anna

Thanks for the info! Recently there was a detour of the heads, the doctor was told that they think everything will pass by itself. Can you tell me if there are any other medicines that can be taken in order to speed up the healing process? The first five days they did injections, droppers, etc. (BETWEEN OTHER, IT HELPED VERY). And now 2 aspirin tablets and dressing once every 3 days. Or there is an opportunity to move to a good paid hospital. What do you advise?

Hello Sergey. Without seeing the whole picture, it is difficult to give advice. Perhaps you just need time to heal. It is unlikely that something can speed up the process of natural tissue regeneration. Droppers helped at the very beginning, because the healing process was just beginning. Now they won’t help like that anymore, that’s why they were canceled, that’s how they always do it.

But if you are not satisfied with the hospital and doctors, of course, there is always the opportunity to go to a paid clinic or not even go to bed, but get a consultation from a combustiologist (this is a specialist in frostbite and burns). You may also be prescribed vascular drugs and vitamins.

So the choice is yours.

And tell me another moment. If the fingers slowly come to a brown tint, I can move them, it feels like wood, the sensitivity is almost zero, they constantly burn, twist, and colitis (unbearable). Are these good or not so good signs (in terms of amputation)?

Sergey, the signs, frankly, are not very good. Apparently damaged nerves (zero sensitivity), brown skin tone and severe pain are signs that you should definitely pay attention to the attending physician. If gangrene has begun to develop, it is better to amputate the fingers than the entire leg. In no way am I scaring you, just be on the lookout and bother your doctor. Nothing, it's their job, let them get angry, but you still ask questions - this is your health!

Thanks Anna! After your message, I crawled to the head of the department, he assured me that everything that was happening was quite normal. And he is surprised by such a rapid change in the situation for the better. Because Initially, upon admission, they wanted to cut off the floor of the foot on each leg, but now there is a high probability of saving all the fingers (i.e., doing without surgical intervention at all). And the fact that his fingers hurt so much, he said that it was very good (something like there were nerves left to hurt). True, the timing, as I understand it, is not yet entirely clear. until the end of the dead tissue has not yet separated. This is how panic the diagnosis itself and the lack of information from doctors can bring. So I’m behaving well and I hope for an optimistic diagnosis, I really don’t want to lose my fingers (I don’t even care about money). Regarding the paid hospital, they dissuaded. at the Academy of the Ministry of Emergency Situations and where I am, the doctors are the same. And actually, he doesn’t observe any complications, although frostbite is still 3rd degree, as I understand it. Once again, thank you for your advice. In general, ignorance is a bad thing.

Sergei, you are great, you have achieved your goal, you have received the necessary advice. You can calm down) I'm sure that everything will be fine with you!

Hello! I got frostbite on the fingers of both feet. The fingers turned red, swollen, painful sensations appeared and blisters appeared with a clear liquid. I went to the doctor, they diagnosed frostbite of the 1st degree. manganese and vitamin injections. Have I correctly determined the degree of frostbite and prescribed treatment? What should I do?

Hello Ilya. Apparently, you are embarrassed that the doctor put the 1st degree of frostbite, although there were blisters ... But here it's not about the degree, the main thing is how to treat such frostbite. In my opinion, the treatment is prescribed quite correctly and there is nothing to worry about.

Regards, Anna

I played football in the winter on the street in summer shoes, naturally my legs got wet and started to freeze, in the street environment I didn’t feel pain when I came home taking off my shoes I felt pain coming to the big toe of my right foot, the nail became dark blue, pain appeared, when walking and in general, with any impact on the finger (putting on shoes, moving the foot and all kinds of contact). After 8 hours, dark blood began to stand out and the pain became terrible, please tell me what frostbite or a bruise is (a bruise could get in contact with the fact that it could not hit successfully soccer ball, and in the cold at that moment you don’t feel pain).

Hello Danil. It looks like a severe bruise and even a fracture, without an examination and x-ray it is impossible to say for sure. You should not think about it, but show yourself to a traumatologist, otherwise an infection may join (Blood was released, which means that the skin is damaged, bacteria penetrate there). In this situation, you may need to drink antibiotics. In no way am I scaring you, there were just situations when, due to a simple fracture, a person lost a finger and even a foot. And if cold tissue damage has also joined ... Danil, you should definitely see a doctor.

Regards, Anna

Good afternoon! I had frostbite of my toes last year, but there was no opportunity to go to the doctor and now they are dark blue and the skin has become hard around the nails, and the nails have become some kind of yellowish color. It was the same this year, but not as much as last year. I don't know how to treat them and what to do.

Hello Yasmin. You should definitely see a doctor (combustiologist or dermatologist). The yellowish color of the nails may indicate the addition of a fungal infection, this happens after frostbite with damage to the vessels on the toes. You cannot cure this condition on your own, here you need the help of a specialist.

Regards, Anna

Good afternoon! I had frostbite of the toes of my left foot of 2-3 degrees, on 12/21/2012 they were admitted to the hospital and on 01/10/2013 all my fingers were amputated, after removing the sutures they found a Pseudomonas aeruginosa, they removed it after 8 days! but after that the wound does not heal, swelling does not subside! twice a day we do a dressing with levomekol! what to do, tell me? maybe you should go to the hospital again?

Hello Zamir! Be sure to see a doctor because the infection can spread further. You may be prescribed an additional course of antibiotics. And the doctor must examine the wound, determine why this is happening. Urgently go to the doctor!

Regards, Anna

Good afternoon. Please advise: frostbitten fingers of the 3rd degree, there was no amputation. After discharge, I worked on my fingers and now I'm working on it. It took 2 months after frostbite, the volume of movement of the fingers did not increase at all, I can’t clench my fist. What could it be? thanks in advance!

Hello Denis. Unfortunately, after frostbite, joint mobility is restored for a long time and is difficult. When the tendons of the fingers are damaged, mobility suffers. You have to work hard - do exercise therapy (physiotherapy exercises) and physiotherapy. In extreme cases, surgery is done. But for now, you need to consult with an exercise therapy doctor - they are in every sports dispensary. Physiotherapy is prescribed by a physiotherapist (sometimes after a visit to a local therapist). If no measures help, you will have to go to the hand surgery center, do tendon plasty, sometimes this is the only way to restore the mobility of the fingers.

Regards, Anna

Good afternoon. I have a question. And it’s funny and not very much. I went fishing, my legs were frozen, or rather my heels. After the night it hurt to step on them and after two days it hurt to walk. What to do?

If the skin on the legs is not changed - the color is the same, there are no bubbles, then nothing needs to be done. But if you feel a deterioration in the condition, the pain will increase or other unpleasant symptoms will appear - you will have to see a traumatologist or a combustiologist (a specialist in frostbite and burns).

Regards, Anna

Hello! Yesterday, frostbite of the toes probably occurred, but I don’t even know for sure. My legs were very cold, sensation was gone. When I got to the car, I warmed them up for a very long time .. The sensitivity returned about an hour later. Today, my toes hurt (it hurts a little to step on), dry skin peels off in places. What does this mean and is there anything to be done?

Hello Anatoly. It looks like you have mild frostbite. It is necessary to make warm baths and lubricate with Levomekol ointment.

Regards, Anna

Of course, I will not be treated (recovered) via the Internet. I will definitely contact a combustiologist!

Maybe I didn’t quite correctly describe my feelings about sensitivity, but I feel touches, it’s just that my fingers are “inflated” from the inside, they seem hard, although in fact they are soft and warm .... just the fingertips.

Hello! December 23, 2012 I got frostbite on my little toe, It was -30 outside, and I stayed there for more than 3 hours in thin shoes (ski). I went to the doctor (surgeon), he said to make warm baths and rub my finger, lubricate it with troxevasin and levomekol. I did everything, now almost 3 weeks have passed since that day, the finger has acquired a normal color (before it was a little bluish-violet), the sensitivity has returned. But for some reason, it is slightly swollen, just a little more than a similar toe on the other leg. But everything would be fine, I'm embarrassed by the fact that when I put my foot in a bowl of hot water, it turns blue! Although it is worth rubbing it, it becomes normal. In everyday life, he looks like a healthy one, apparently there is still insufficient blood supply inside. The skin by the way new has appeared old has disappeared. So should you be worried? After all, it turns blue only under the action of hot water!

Hello Dmitry! When you dip your foot in hot water, the veins expand and show through thin skin, so you should not be afraid of this if nothing else bothers you.

Regards, Anna

Good afternoon! On 12/16/12, he had frostbite on his fingers, was without gloves + 1st degree circulatory disorder, smoked ... The diagnosis was frostbite of the fingers of the second degree. At the moment, the skin on the fingers has completely changed, the nails seem to grow, there are no scars, but the sensitivity of the fingertips and knuckles of the phalanges is almost completely absent, which is much darker than the rest of the skin (although the new skin on the fingers looks like after a bad tan). The nail on the middle finger of the left hand is blackened. When you try to cut your nails, they just crumble ... He was treated only with ointments and baths, there was no medical treatment. Please advise if there are any "technical" procedures to restore the effects of frostbite. Any ultrasonic or similar procedures. Will the color of the skin on the fingers and their sensitivity be restored?

P.S. the motor skills of the fingers are almost 100% ... I tighten the tendons a little, but there is no particular discomfort.

Hello Maxim! Judging by the description, you have severe frostbite, so I would not advise you to be treated on the Internet. A blackened nail scares (in the sense that dying tissues turn black, and this in some cases threatens with gangrene). Don't joke about things like that, see a traumatologist, a surgeon or, best of all, a combustiologist (a specialist in burns and frostbite). From a distance, no one will tell you how to properly treat in this case, because you need to see the hands from all sides, Palpate (feel) the fingers, determine the level where the sensitivity of the fingers ends. This can only be done face to face.

Regards, Anna

Hello! I had frostbite on my little finger on my left foot on 12/28/12, when I came home, two fingers were blue: the little finger and the one next to it, but they were only partially blue half applied ... I immediately gradually began to warm them up one finger passed immediately, the other (little finger ) pouted, blushed and didn’t feel anything ... I went to the doctor, he said it’s okay, drink trental and smear with troxevasin ... I’m doing just that, now my finger feels bad, the swelling has subsided, but there is some kind of liquid under the skin! Recently I washed and saw that the finger turned blue. Then when I dried it out it went back to normal. What miracles. I understand that I have frostbite between 1 and 2 degrees ... So what should I do?

Hello Pavel! These are not miracles, but the body's reaction to frostbite. Liquid under the skin is not a good symptom, I would still advise you to go to a combustiologist or surgeon, because frostbite is an insidious thing. If the finger turns blue, tissue death is possible, and this is very serious and threatens (I don’t scare you, there were real cases) amputation.

Of course, no one likes to go to the doctor, but you do not have the opportunity to hope for a chance.

Regards, Anna

Hello, please tell me: I froze my toe and after a couple of days a blister swelled up and it hurts and my leg was swollen, should I be worried?

Hello Vitaly! If a blister is inflated, this is already a serious degree of frostbite, you should not worry, but go to a doctor (traumatologist, combustiologist, or even just a surgeon). The consequences of such frostbite can be severe - up to blood poisoning and even amputation, so hurry up, the sooner you start treatment, the better!

Regards, Anna

Hello. Please tell me: my father was on a business trip and had frostbite on his leg, but he couldn’t go to the hospital, 2 weeks passed, he came home and his fingers were blue and hurt a lot, but there were no blisters and he felt them. Is it very dangerous? What to do? Is there any way we can help him at home?

Hello, Natalia! Be sure to show it to your doctor. Pain and blue color are not good signs, you need to see a specialist!

Regards, Anna

Good afternoon. Please advise: the legs are very cold after a long stay in the cold, and on the left leg it is stronger. After warming up, there was a strong, straight painful tingling in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe toes. But after 5 hours, the burning sensation in the finger, especially the big one on the left leg, did not stop, but in the late afternoon, on the contrary, it intensified. The finger itself is reddened, slightly swollen.

Is it worth worrying and seeking help from a specialist, or is it temporary and you should not worry in vain?

Hello Ilya! The degree of frostbite can only be determined by a doctor (combustiologist or traumatologist). I can just say that with serious degrees of frostbite, the symptoms are more serious - numbness of the fingers, blisters, blackening of the skin.

If tomorrow will disturb, address all the same to the expert.

Regards, Anna

Hello!! I seem to have frostbite of the 1st stage .. when I came home (I was in the cold for 40-45 minutes), I saw that the little finger on my leg was white. I got really scared and started to panic!! In short, she lowered her leg into hot water, began to rub it, smeared it with creams, adicolone .. In short, after 30 minutes, the finger became red. Relatives say that everything is fine .. but damn it, I'm very worried ... I didn't call the doctor. What should I do.

Hello Stella! It looks like you really got frostbite on your finger. But, apparently, the degree of frostbite is small, otherwise there would be blisters or impaired sensitivity. It is difficult to make a diagnosis from afar, so it would be better if you still see a doctor tomorrow. A specialist in burns and frostbite is called a combustiologist, they work in burn centers and in regional and city hospitals. If this is not the case, contact a traumatologist, they can also determine the degree of frostbite and prescribe the correct treatment.

Regards, Anna

Good afternoon! My husband had severe frostbite in childhood and hands and feet. Now if he freezes a little, everything starts to reduce and freeze, it is very difficult to warm up. Can you tell me if this can be cured?

Hello Isla. After frostbite often remain such consequences as you have described. This is caused by damage to blood vessels and nerves. In order to accurately say whether something can be restored, your husband should contact a specialist. Burns are dealt with by a combustiologist. But the consequences of burns can also be treated by a neurologist. In any case, you need to see a doctor.

To date, there are many methods for diagnosing and treating nerve trunks, neurologists are well aware of this. So you have to try!

Regards, Anna

Hello Anna! My husband had frostbite of the hands of the 3rd degree on February 16, 2012. The fingers were saved. Only on the little finger, a necrectomy of a section of 1 cm * 1.5 cm was performed. It is overgrown with skin. Now 3 fingers on both hands are badly bent. UHF was prescribed for fingers for 7 sessions, then another magnet for 10 sessions. The husband develops his fingers 2 times a day in a warm decoction of string, chamomile, calendula. But flexion movements are almost never restored. I don't see any improvement. I was scared that contracture could occur due to edema (swelling also does not go away). Husband needs to go to work. Is it possible to speed up the recovery process. What other procedures can help. What is the risk of stopping treatment at this stage? Can thromboembolism develop? And what is the maximum course of vazaprostan? They gave us 20 drops in the polyclinic and they didn’t let us anymore, arguing that it was a complicated dropper and you had to go to the hospital to drip it. Please, help. Sincerely, Elena.

Hello, Elena. I'll start from the end - vasoprostan is really better to drip under the supervision of a doctor in a hospital. At the moment, you have already been dripped enough. But about the exercises - it is better to do them for 15 minutes, but 5 times a day. You also need to go to an appointment with a physiotherapist in a regular clinic. The fact is that some medicinal substances can be conveyed to the affected area only with the help of electrophoresis. The physiotherapist will prescribe the necessary procedures (and against edema too).

If you do everything, but the stiffness in the joints remains, it makes sense to think about the operation - you need to see a traumatologist, they often do such operations.

Regards, Anna

Help. please, with advice - a year ago I frostbitten my legs, after a small surgical intervention, all functions were completely restored, except for a small area on the thumb measuring 2.5 * 1 cm. This area acquired the hardness of the growth, practically lost sensitivity, and the wound on it healed within 3 -4 months (the blood stopped quickly, but the growth on the wound fell off for a very long time). Will its functionality be restored or will surgical intervention be required?

Hello Sergey. Unfortunately, this happens - after frostbite, some areas of the skin lose their sensitivity forever. But here everything is individual, you need to consult with a specialist. I already wrote that a burn doctor (he is also a frostbite doctor) is a combustiologist. But, since your sensitivity is impaired, it is better to see a neurologist in order to examine the nerves. Now there are techniques to help determine the degree of damage to the nerves in the leg. Then it will be possible to say whether it is possible to restore this area or whether an operation will still have to be done.

Regards, Anna

Good afternoon. 72 days have passed since the frostbite of the fingers. Frostbite 3 degrees. On the little fingers they made a necrectomy (almost to the bone), all the phalanges were left. The surgeon of the district polyclinic Alexei Yakovlevich - blessed memory - died of a heart attack at the reception. And we are faced with differences in the treatment of different doctors. The fingers are now swollen and almost do not bend. We make baths from a series of calendula and develop a little. The surgeon said lightly. Question: what kind of doctors are involved in the rehabilitation of patients with frostbite. And where. You answered Stepan “You need a face-to-face consultation with a good specialist.” What is the name of such a specialist? Sincerely, Elena.

Hello, Elena. A specialist in burns and frostbite is called a combustiologist. In our city (Novosibirsk) in the regional hospital there is a burn center, there are good specialists in this area. Find a burn center in your city and make an appointment.

Regards, Anna

Thanks for the help! I'll wait another month, I'm developing it. The traumatologist at the hospital somehow doesn’t really worry about me, advises me to work it out and that’s it, I just didn’t expect it to drag on for so long. On the other hand, it is unlikely that after the operation it will be worse.

Of course, develop! Here a lot depends on your perseverance. I wish you success!

Hello. I have frostbite of the hands and left foot of the third degree (February 12, 2012). I have already been discharged from the hospital, I go only to bandage my big toe (I am limping, but quite normal). But the fingers on the hands cause inconvenience. When trying to develop them, the joint, which is closer to the nail, does not bend on its own, and the middle ones, when trying to bend them, cause severe pain. And on the left hand, the fingers are now twisted, and do not straighten. And great sensitivity on the balls of the fingers. Nails start to grow a little. By the way, they can grow into the skin? I wanted to ask: how long will they return to, so to speak, normal functionality? And is it possible that they will not bend like this all their lives and, regarding the left hand, be straight? Perhaps the strong sensitivity of the pads of the fingers, because the nails have not grown yet? Can there be any other means besides an expander, soft toys and massage?

Hello Stepan. The fact that the nails are already growing is good, they should grow back as usual, without growing into the skin. As for sensitivity, unfortunately, with severe frostbite, hypersensitivity of the skin on the pads of the fingers often remains for life.

After such a severe frostbite, surgery is sometimes required so that the fingers can straighten and bend again. But only the attending physician can decide this. Frostbite is dealt with by a combustiologist, traumatologist or surgeon. Internal consultation of the good expert is necessary for you.

Good evening. The surgeons said necrosis, they do not answer questions. Have appointed or nominated a roentgen in 2 projections of 2 fingers. If necrosis - cut or can be treated. What does necrosis mean, then what is gangrene? Temperature 36.9-37.1. Vazaprostan drip. Elena.

Necrosis is the death of tissues. Dead tissue is removed. Cutting can also be done in different ways, sometimes dead skin and part of the muscle tissue are cut off, sometimes a finger or phalanx is amputated.

Gangrene can develop if further tissue necrosis is not stopped in time. It is observed only by your doctor. He looks at your condition, temperature, X-ray and decides the extent of the surgical intervention.

He does not answer questions, you have to fiddle and ask, your leg is yours! Or perhaps he himself has not yet finally decided what to do with you. It won't take long - the situation is serious.

Good afternoon. Thanks for the reply - any reassuring word now pleases. Had an x-ray today. The surgeon says that the joints of the little fingers are affected, the black skin was removed from all fingers except the little fingers. Now the fingers are not purple, but cyanotic and still swollen and cold, if you press on the fingers, there is sensitivity, but it is reduced. The surgeon in the district offers to drip more vazaprostan. He says that the circulation is not restored. There is no ran. Can the recovery period at 3 degrees last longer than they write? Frostbite 16.02.12 Elena.

It all depends on your individual reaction to the injury. For some, everything heals in a month, for others it takes longer. Blood circulation is generally restored slowly, such a feature is at our feet.

Your task is to restore normal blood circulation, drip vazaprostan, shake the surgeon, what else should you do at your stage. Doctors often brush aside questions, they have a lot of patients. And you still need to ask them, because it's your health!

I am 20 years old now.

Well, then you're in luck. A young body recovers better.

What is a demo line?

The demarcation line separates the dead skin from the living, frostbitten tissues do not feel anything at all and have a purple-blue color.

do these tissues regenerate?

Dead tissues are shed by the body (scabs form, which then fall off). Beneath them are living tissues from which new skin grows. But it may be scarred.

Hello. I have frostbite of the 3rd degree. It has already been 6 days. They inject antibiotics, apply bandages with furatsilin ointment and levomecol. In how many days will my legs return to normal.?

Hello, with frostbite of the 3rd degree, the legs do not heal for a long time. You will have to wait a month and a half until everything returns to normal.

Will I walk just as normal as before frostbite?

Yes, at grade 3 everything heals, only cosmetic defects can remain on the skin.

and in the cold, the legs will freeze more. Or the same as before frostbite?

It depends on the characteristics of the organism. No one can tell you exactly how the vessels will behave in the future. If you are young, then most likely everything will recover completely.

Good afternoon. With frostbite of the fingers of the 3rd degree, when should the demarcation line appear? Fingers were frostbitten on 02/16/2012, vazaprostan is dripped, xanthinol nacotinate and almiral are injected. Dressings with betadine ointment. How long does healing take? Tell me please. Elena

Elena, with frostbite of the 3rd degree, the demarcation line appears on the 8-14th day.

Such injuries heal for about a month, and scars form.

If there is no line so far, perhaps the frostbite was not so deep.

Vdad, please! At the first stage, it is not necessary to be treated, if you are sure that the stage is just the initial one, then the body will recover itself.

Thanks, helped a lot! That is, how should it be treated in the first stage?

The cold has come and the days are getting colder and colder. Even if you wear gloves or warm mittens, this does not mean that frostbite on your hands does not threaten you. Therefore, further we will talk about what to do with frostbite of the fingers in order to quickly bring them back to normal.

Saving hands from the effects of cold

Did you have fun with your friends skiing or sledding? Or did you just have to spend a long time in the cold waiting? And now you feel a tingling, a strong burning sensation in your hands or fingers, your hands have become insensitive and turned white. With a severe degree of frostbite, as a rule, there is severe pain.

In such cases, you should not hesitate, but you should know what to do with frostbite of the hands. Since the consequences of severe hypothermia of the hands can be negative: tissue death and even damage to bones and joints can occur.

If you observe the above symptoms in yourself or your loved ones, then first of all you should immediately go to a warm, heated room. First aid largely depends on the degree of frostbite. If you have mild frostbite on your hands, no special treatment is required. In this case, baths with warm water are ideal (the water temperature should first be 30-35 degrees, and then you can increase it to 40-45 degrees).

If you have a more serious frostbite of the fingers (sensitivity has disappeared, blisters have appeared), then it is better to seek medical help, as serious treatment may be needed.

Basic and dangerous mistakes

You already know how to treat frostbite on hands in adults. However, you should definitely read about what you can not do with frostbite of hands, as some erroneous actions can cause significant harm to health.

Absolutely forbidden
Dip frozen limbs sharply in very hot water.
Rubbing your hands with snow or applying cold to them, as spasm of blood vessels may occur and blood circulation will worsen even more.
Apply ointment, rub with oil or alcohol (this is especially dangerous with severe frostbite).

You should not take any therapeutic actions on your own if the child’s hands are frozen. It is important to provide first aid (warm the baby, make warm hand baths) and go to a medical facility.

Here we will briefly describe what needs to be done to prevent hypothermia of the hands. Before going out into the cold, be sure to drink a cup of hot tea. This will improve blood circulation. Also apply frostbite cream on your hands, which will keep your hands from freezing longer.

Take care of your hands and your health. And if suddenly your fingers are still very cold, then be sure to use our tips and share them with your friends. Also, be sure to read about to know how to be treated more economically in winter!

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Frostbite of the hands and fingers of the upper extremities is a common problem in our domestic, sometimes harsh climate.

You can get frostbite of hands and arms not only in winter at very low temperatures, but even in early spring and late autumn, if other weather factors fail to coincide.

How to detect cold damage in time? What first aid can be provided to the victim? Are there complications from frostbite? You will read about this and much more in our article.

The first signs of frostbite of the hands and arms

As you know, the main cause of frostbite of the hands is cold. However, in some cases, cold damage to the upper limbs can occur even at temperatures above zero!

This is facilitated by a strong wind and high humidity (these weather factors increase the heat transfer of the body), clothes that are not suitable for the weather, the absence of gloves or mittens, and a long stay on the street without active movement of the upper limbs.

The state of alcoholic intoxication also contributes - alcoholic beverages, getting first into the stomach and then into the blood, create an imaginary sensation of warmth, but at the same time they dilate blood vessels and heat leaves a person much faster.

Doctors consider the primary signs of frostbite of the hands to be the appearance of a burning sensation on the skin of the upper limbs and fingers. After a short time period (up to 10-15 minutes), the unpleasant sensation is complemented by tingling, mild pain, partial or complete numbness of the affected tissues. The epithelium becomes pale, whitish, sometimes marbled and even cyanotic.

Degrees and symptoms of frostbite of hands and arms

In domestic modern clinical practice, it is customary to subdivide frostbite into, expressed in the depth and vastness of the cold lesion.

1. First degree. It is characterized by a short effect of cold on the hands and arms. Almost every person at least once during the winter season gets this type of frostbite, not attaching importance to the relatively mild symptoms of the problem. Frostbite begins with a burning sensation, tingling, numbness of the skin, and mild or moderate pain may occur. The skin itself becomes pale, whitens. When the arms and hands are warmed, the fingers and the extreme part of the upper limbs turn pink, sometimes turn red, and after the return of the usual shade, it begins to peel off, fully recovering in a few days without harm to the health of the victim;
2. Second degree. The symptoms of the initial stage are identical to the 1st degree of frostbite, however, due to the longer and more intense effect of cold on the affected areas, the skin acquires a pronounced marble tint, and after the start of warming, hemorrhagic-type bubbles (with a clear liquid) form on their surface. With proper and timely first aid, the victim does not experience serious complications;
3. Third degree. This type of frostbite captures large areas on the fingers, hands, palms. Burning, itching, numbness and other primary symptoms are very pronounced, the skin acquires a rich bluish tint, and after the tissues begin to warm up, large blisters filled with bloody fluid form on their surface. The affected tissues can no longer recover on their own without consequences - the epithelium partially dies off at the site of problem localizations, scars, granulations are formed, and recovery itself occurs within 1-1.5 months with high-quality inpatient therapy;
4. fourth degree. The most severe form of frostbite, in which not only the skin and soft tissues are affected by cold, but even cartilage, joints and bones. The appearance of the fingers, hands and hands as a whole is rather depressing - they have a blue-black tint, after warming a huge edema forms, the tissues visually succumb to massive necrosis, and gangrenous foci appear.

You can learn more about frostbite of fingers.

First aid for frostbite of hands and arms

Now let's look at what to do after frostbite of the hands and how to provide first aid. Timely, correct and competent first aid provided to a victim of frostbite of hands significantly reduces the risk of complications and serious consequences of cold injury.

Key actions include:

If the victim has symptoms of the 4th degree of frostbite with partial glaciation of individual localizations, then all the above described methods of first aid cannot be applied.

The patient should be immediately taken to the hospital directly from the scene, while during transportation, doctors recommend applying a reinforced heat-insulating bandage (with layers of gauze, cotton, cotton wool and polyethylene as the upper edging) to the affected upper limbs to prevent freezing of the hands outside the hospital walls .

Hand frostbite treatment

Medicamentous and hardware conservative treatment of frostbite of the hands can only be carried out under the supervision of a doctor in an outpatient clinic or hospital - self-prescription of drugs is fraught with the development of complications.

Specific therapeutic schemes are developed and prescribed by a specialist on the basis of a confirmed diagnosis with an established degree of cold injury and taking into account the individual characteristics of the victim's body.

Similar articles

The classic "set" of drugs includes the infusion-transfusion administration of analgesics, immunocorrectors, broad-spectrum antibiotics, membrane protectors, antiaggregants, anticoagulants, hepatoprotectors, vasodilators, antihypoxants, plasma substitutes, antioxidants, angioprotectors, vitamin C, saline, glucose, etc. ..

Hardware techniques complement conservative therapy and include blood oxygen saturation in a pressure chamber, heat treatment, biogalvanization, electrophoresis, UHF and IR irradiation, laser therapy, magnetotherapy, and more.

Traditional medicine for frostbite is practically not used- its narrow purpose as an addition to the basic treatment is relevant for the 1st, mildest degree of damage and only after prior approval by the attending physician. The main techniques include applications and compresses based on honey, chamomile, celandine, calendula, applied to the affected areas and in most cases giving a slight placebo effect.

Complications and consequences of frostbite of hands

Frostbite of the hands, hands and fingers of the upper limbs, depending on the degree and depth of tissue damage by cold, can cause a variety of negative consequences, especially if the victim was not provided with first aid and qualified hospital treatment in time.

Possible complications include:

• Persistent circulatory disorders in the upper limbs;
• Destructive change in the structure of the epithelium, which can be covered with scars and granulations. In addition, the horny plates on the fingers are also subject to negative effects - nails with frostbite of 2 degrees and above are deformed and grow poorly over a long period of time, constantly delaminate;
• Bacterial infections of the secondary type, brought mainly through a violation of the integrity of the skin in the process of frostbite;
• Exacerbation of chronic diseases caused by a decrease in both local and general immunity;
• Blood sepsis, which is formed due to extensive tissue necrosis after cell decay products enter the bloodstream;
• Gangrenous pathological processes that require mandatory surgical intervention and often lead to partial or complete amputation of a finger, hand or entire upper limb.

How to prevent frostbite on hands

Regardless of the circumstances, it is better not to treat the effects of frostbite on the hands, but to prevent the occurrence of a possible cold injury in advance. This is easy enough to do if you follow a few basic guidelines.

• Dress only for the weather. Whether it is a harsh winter, early spring or late autumn, it is advisable to always dress exclusively for the weather so that the body is warm and comfortable;
• In the cold - gloves or mittens. Many neglect this accessory or do not use it regularly, although a fairly thick coat along with comfortable warm gloves will protect your hands from frostbite even in extreme cold;
• Big move. Movement gives a person energy, makes blood run faster through arteries, veins and vessels, as a result of which the body's natural thermoregulation allows it to more comfortably and safely endure strong temperature changes;
• Protective cream or ointment for hands against frostbite. Often, in early spring or late autumn, at positive temperatures, people do not wear gloves or mittens due to the fact that the hands and palms of the hands begin to get very wet from sweat. In this case, an alternative would be a fatty cream that envelops the skin and protects against external factors, or a similar ointment;
• Balanced diet. For the normal operation of thermoregulatory mechanisms, the body needs good nutrition, rich not only in proteins, but also in complex carbohydrates and polyunsaturated fats. Eat enough, 4-5 times a day, but in small portions, diversify your diet and do not go for a long walk with an empty stomach;

Don't drink alcohol when it's cold. Alcohol dilates blood vessels, as a result of which the heat transfer of the body as a whole and the upper limbs in particular increases significantly, which leads to an acceleration of the process of frostbite.

Every winter, when the air temperature drops below zero, people with frostbite begin to arrive in hospitals. The peripheral parts of the body are always affected first: nose, ears, feet, hands and fingers. It depends on the degree of damage and the speed of first aid whether it will be possible to restore the functionality of the organ. In this article, we will look at how to deal with frostbite on the hands and fingers, one of the most common injuries.

Shulepin Ivan Vladimirovich, traumatologist-orthopedist, highest qualification category

The total work experience is more than 25 years. In 1994 he graduated from the Moscow Institute of Medical and Social Rehabilitology, in 1997 he completed residency in the specialty "Traumatology and Orthopedics" at the Central Research Institute of Traumatology and Orthopedics named after I.I. N.N. Prifova.

Frostbite is a type of cold injury, its local form. Most often, the lesion develops when exposed to cold air, although there are other options: contact with snow and ice, water, metal.

The effect of the cold is sometimes exacerbated accompanying circumstances:

• Peripheral circulation disorders due to cardiovascular diseases, diabetes mellitus, etc.;
• Vibration disease, osteochondrosis, polyneuropathy, Raynaud's syndrome. These pathologies lead to a violation of the conduction of nerve signals, so the person does not feel that he has already froze his fingers;
• Alcohol consumption. Under its influence, the vessels expand, the body quickly loses heat. In addition, a person inadequately assesses the environment;
• Wearing wet clothes (gloves, mittens), excessive sweating. Water, evaporating, additionally cools the skin;
• The imperfection of the thermoregulation system in young children - they are the easiest to get injured;
• The combination of cooling with blood loss (for example, an accident in winter).

Their anatomical features predispose to frostbite - a thin layer of muscle and adipose tissue, which almost does not prevent heat loss through the skin.

The first signs of frostbite

It is worth being attentive to your own feelings in the cold so as not to miss the onset of hypothermia, and when walking with a baby, a deeply elderly person, more often control the condition of the hands.

The following signs indicate the onset of frostbite of the fingers:

• Paleness, marbling of the skin;
• cold skin;
• Difficulty bending at the joints;
• Feeling of tingling, burning, aching in the fingertips;
• Sensation of partial loss of sensation.

When the first signs of freezing are found, it is necessary to immediately start warming the fingers.

It is better to immediately move to a warm room, after placing the brushes under the clothes closer to the body - partially unfasten the outer clothing and press it to the stomach, armpits. It is recommended to perform squeezing / unclenching with your fingers, to actively move.

Frostbite degrees

The degree (stage) of the lesion depends on the depth of freezing of the fingers. The process is fast paced, so there is no time to waste.

The first stage is the defeat of the stratum corneum and granular layer of the epidermis. After warming, skin recovery occurs quickly and without consequences.

The second stage is the lesion to the papillary layer of the epidermis. In this case, blisters filled with fluid form on the skin. It takes more time to heal, dressings, special treatment will be needed.

The third stage is the defeat of the subcutaneous fat (poorly developed on the hands) to the full depth. This is a serious injury, it cannot be completely cured. The consequences remain for life - scars that impair movement, deformity of the fingers, contractures, impaired tactile sensitivity.

Fourth stage- defeat of all soft tissues to the bone, complete cessation of blood circulation, necrosis. The injury ends with the amputation of dead tissues; they cannot be restored by any conservative methods.

Clinical symptoms of frostbite

The manifestations of frostbite are determined by the degree of tissue damage:

1 degree . Numbness and pallor of the skin, loss of sensation in the fingers. After warming, there is a strong swelling. The hue of the fingers is blue-purple, purple-red, the skin is hot. Feeling tingling, itching, burning. Later, the top layer of the skin is sloughed off. After a person has frostbitten hands, sensitivity to cold remains for life.

2 degree. A person does not feel fingers even when pressed hard, cannot move them. The skin is blue, icy to the touch. Later, it flakes off with the formation of bubbles. Their contents are liquid, sometimes gel-like, yellowish or reddish. When warming up, unbearable pain occurs, requiring the use of painkillers. Sometimes they go away, but then the nails grow back.

3 degree. Darkened areas of necrosis appear on the fingertips - yellowish-blue, grayish. In the blisters, bloody contents are visible due to ruptured capillaries. Legs fall off and don't grow back. Preserved nails grow incorrectly. Bursting blisters become inflamed, a purulent infection often joins.

4 degree . Dry gangrene develops - frostbitten hands mummify, shrink, turn black. In other cases, wet gangrene is possible (due to infection) - the hand swells up badly, becomes blue-greenish-black, emits a putrid odor.

In the process of frostbite, two periods are distinguished: pre-reactive and reactive. The first is characterized by a strong vasospasm, leading to a disruption in the supply of oxygen to tissues (freezing itself).

The second is the period after warming the fingers. It is characterized by inflammation, severe pain, intoxication of the body due to the entry into the bloodstream of toxic products of tissue breakdown, and the risk of infection.

First aid rules

If a person has frostbitten fingers slightly, he can help himself. To do this, you need to go into a warm room, change cold clothes for warm and dry ones, drink a hot drink.

Then warm the brushes in a basin of water at 20 ° C, raising the temperature to 40 ° C for 40 minutes. If this is not possible, gently, with light movements, rub your fingers from the tips to the base with a woolen cloth, then wrap it warmly. If the fingers hurt a lot - take an aspirin / analgin tablet and two no-shpa / papaverine tablets.

The criterion for the success of assistance: the limb became warm, the sensitivity of the skin and the mobility of the fingers returned.

At stages 2-4, you should immediately call an ambulance or take the victim to the hospital as soon as possible.

You can't deal with trauma on your own.

Before the doctors arrive, warm the person by wrapping them up and giving them a hot drink. Put an insulating bandage on your hands: a layer of bandage, a thick layer of cotton, again a layer of bandage, on top - foil, oilcloth, bag. Immobilize the injured limb by wrapping it to plywood, plank, cardboard. Give painkillers.

What Not to Do

With frostbite, it is important not to aggravate the situation by providing assistance incorrectly.

• Rubbing the skin with snow;
• Warm up by the fire (stove, fireplace), lean against hot objects;
• Putting hands directly into hot water;
• Rub with fat (alcohol, essential oils). In general, massaging a limb is allowed only with the first degree of frostbite.
• Drink alcohol to keep warm.

How to act in case of frostbite of hands and fingers

Frostbite treatment methods

At the first-second stage, the treatment is conservative. The following groups of drugs are used:

• Painkillers (ketorolac, nimesulide, naproxen, etc.). Taken orally or injected intramuscularly.
• Antispasmodics (papaverine, drotaverine, etc.). They are also given in tablets or injections. Expand capillaries, improving microcirculation in tissues.
• Antihistamines(chloropyramine, cetirizine, etc.) - relieve inflammation and burning of the skin, reduce swelling.
• Local funds: ointments and creams for skin healing (balm for frostbite Rescuer, Bepanten, D-Panthenol, etc.).
• Antiseptic preparations for the treatment of inflamed blisters (tetracycline ointment, Levomekol, Shostakovsky's balm, etc.).

With frostbite of the first degree, the recovery period is about a week, the treatment takes place at home.

In the second degree, children, pregnant women, the elderly and people with serious chronic diseases are necessarily hospitalized, the rest - according to circumstances.

At grades 3-4, surgical intervention is necessary - excision of necrotized tissue, treatment of an attached infection.

Folk methods of treatment

To cure frostbite of 1-2 degrees, you can additionally use folk remedies:

• Baths with decoctions of herbs (chamomile, calendula, oak bark). Reduce inflammation and itching;
• Baths with a solution of potato starch (1 teaspoon per 200 ml of water). Soften the skin, relieve irritation, peeling.
• Sea buckthorn oil - they smear the skin to speed up regeneration 3-5 times a day, it can be under a bandage;
• Compresses with aloe juice - give a regenerating, anti-inflammatory effect.

Conclusion

Frostbite is no less dangerous than a burn, and is fraught with serious consequences. It is important to follow safety rules while being outside in frosty weather, and if your hands are numb, immediately warm them up. Left without fingers - the main organs of manipulation, a person turns into a helpless invalid, falling out of active life.

What folk remedies are effective for frostbite

Prolonged exposure to low temperatures leads to spasm of arterioles and their thrombosis - this process entails a violation of blood circulation, as a result of which tissue death may occur. With frostbite, all these changes occur unevenly. In this case, the skin almost always acquires a white or marbled hue. At the initial stage, a feeling of cold, tingling and tingling is felt in the frostbitten limbs, then numbness and loss of all sensitivity occur. Such anesthesia makes the process of tissue damage less noticeable and is often the culprit of severe and irreversible consequences.

Only after the affected limb warms up, it will be possible to assess the area of ​​the lesion and the severity of the injury. The process of frostbite can be conditionally divided into two periods: latent and reactive (begins to appear after warming and becomes noticeable within 6-12 hours).

There are different degrees of frostbite. The first degree is characterized by pallor of the skin and numbness of the affected area. After warming, pain appears, the skin acquires a bluish tint, and in some cases swelling may appear on the frostbitten area.

The second degree of frostbite is accompanied by the death of the upper layers of the skin. In addition to the blue color and swelling, blisters with a clear liquid appear on the second day.

If the injured area is cold to the touch, has a white color, and is also characterized by a lack of sensitivity and any pain, then this is the third degree of frostbite. At this stage, not only the upper layer of the skin is affected, but also the fatty layer. On the second day, blisters with a bloody fluid inside form on the frostbitten area, after which the affected tissue begins to be shed.

What not to do with frostbite

Of course, you immediately want to place your fingers stiff from the cold in saving heat (hot water, a battery, a mug of hot tea, etc.), but this should not be done in any case. The frostbitten area continues to remain cold for some time, and a sharp temperature drop can lead to irreversible processes in the tissues. Warming of frozen limbs should occur gradually, because if the cell is not yet ready for a sharp revival, then it will not only die, but also involve neighboring cells in this process.

Under no circumstances should you rub the injured area of ​​the skin with a woolen cloth or snow. The upper layer of the skin in this case receives serious mechanical damage in the form of irritation and deep abrasions, through which the infection can easily penetrate. In addition, snow further cools the skin, only aggravating the situation.

What to do if you have frostbitten fingers

To get started, go to any warm room - it can be a nearby store or entrance. Once warm, start moving vigorously, waving your arms to warm up faster. When blood flow starts to return, place your hands under your armpits. Also make a few sharp movements with your shoulders in the direction from top to bottom, spreading your arms along the body - with this action, you can quickly and effectively disperse the blood flow.

When you get home, take off your cold clothes and free your frozen fingers from jewelry. Take a lukewarm bath (the water should be just warm, not hot). With the advent of sensitivity, gradually increase the temperature of the water. When the pain in the frostbitten limbs recedes a little, start rubbing your fingers with slow and gentle movements.

After a warming bath, apply a dry bandage to the injured area, consisting of gauze, cotton wool and a layer of cellophane, which will keep warm. Have a cup of hot tea.

If, after the procedures, the skin on the affected area turned red and pain appeared, then you did everything right and you are unlikely to need medical assistance. If the frostbitten limb continues to remain white, and the sensitivity has not returned, it means that the blood flow could not be normalized. In the latter case, it is necessary to urgently consult a doctor, since any delay threatens with serious consequences, up to amputation.