Info about Sports
Frostbite
Winter is a time of great beauty and delight. The popularity of winter sports, such as snowmobiling, skiing, and ice fishing, has increased tremendously over the last 15 years—and so have incidents of frostbite.
• What Is Frostbite?
Frostbite occurs when patches of exposed skin literally freeze in severe temperatures and wind-chill. Usually, it strikes parts of your body furthest away from your torso, such as hands, feet, ears, and nose.
In mild cases, frostbite leaves the surface of your skin white and a bit numb. The most severe cases occur when an entire portion of your body. like a hand or foot, freezes right down to the bones and joints. Severe frostbite may lead to the death of body tissue and possible amputation of fingers, toes, or entire limbs.
• Wear Proper Clothing
The best way to avoid trouble with frostbite (besides staying indoors) is to dress warmly. Use multi-layers of clothing, including long underwear, two pairs of socks, two pairs of mittens instead of gloves, sweaters, and a coat with snow pants or snow suit, Also, make sure to have a stocking cap with a face mask that covers your entire head.
If you spend a great deal of time outdoors, make sure you have a well-insulated pair of boots. Some of the best kinds are military bunny or Mickey Mouse boots. They look funny, but they can keep even cold-blooded feet warm. If possible, buy coats, snow pants, mittens, and boots made of newer materials, like Gore-tex. These materials are light, but better for maintaining body heat.
• Listen to Your Body
Another important factor for avoiding frostbite is to pay attention to the weather and to your own body. Listen for temperatures and wind chill factors on the radio or TV, and know that the lower the wind chill, the more chance of rapid frostbite. If any part of your body begins to feel cold, go indoors and warm up. Don’t wait until some area of your body starts to feel painful. By that time, frostbite may already have set in.
Carrying extra clothing and blankets in your car during the winter months may save your life. If you have car trouble or slide into a ditch, wrap yourself in as many layers of blankets as possible to help maintain body heat and ward oft frostbite.
• Mild Frostbite
For milder cases of frostbite, such as on ears, faces, fingers. or toes, go inside and put some warm water (104- 108° F) into a tub or basin. Slowly submerge the exposed part in the warm water (or use a wash rag for your face and ears) and keep it there for about 30 minutes or until the affected area remains pink and warm when you take it out of the water. Continue adding water to keep the temperature constant.
Things to avoid when thawing frostbite—putting snow on the frostbitten area, placing your hands anywhere near a fireplace or other dry heat source, and any kind of rubbing of the affected area. Snow will make the area wet and more vulnerable to cold without letting it thaw out. Dry heat sources like furnaces will warm your flesh up too fast. And any form of rubbing will only further damage vulnerable tissues.
• Severe Frostbite
You know you have a severe case of frostbite when the skin is white and feels as hard as a bar of soap. For severe cases, keep the affected area cold and get to the emergency room as fast as possible. Only a professional should deal with thawing bad cases of frostbite, because he or she knows how to thaw with the least amount of permanent injury.