Frostbite: signs and first aid, stages, classification, prevention of frostbite

Frostbite: classification, signs, first aid, prevention - that's what excites many people with the onset of the cold season. Warm scarves and hats, multi-layered clothing is not always protected from the piercing cold wind, and no one has canceled the general hypothermia. And if you add here also the cold burns, which can happen, for example, in production, then the problem becomes really large-scale.

The fact is that many of us know only the foundations of the foundations, backed up by yet different people's beliefs, which are not always correct and sometimes can only harm the already injured patient. So first let's see what is frostbite in general, and then we'll think how to fight it.

A bit of theory

According to the definition, frostbite is damage to tissues caused by exposure to cold. The most common are hands, ears, lips, cheeks - those parts of the body that we do not always protect clothing from all weather surprises. Frostbite cheeks, signs and first aid in which we are familiar to everyone, is manifested, for example, in redness of the skin, tingling (this is the easiest case), with which people try to fight by rubbing, believing that the influx of blood will help restore heat exchange. In addition, frostbite can be caused by the so-called cold burn - this is when a person touches an object whose temperature is significantly lower than the surrounding environment, to liquid nitrogen for example. It occurs much less often, but it still has a place, so you should have at least the slightest idea of cold burns.

Causes

Starting a conversation follows from the reasons, is not it? In principle, the first signs of frostbite and first aid with them are known to everyone, but at the same time we do not always believe that from a long stay even in the wind can have serious consequences. Doctors say that the general hypothermia, one of the parts of which is frostbite, can be caused by a number of reasons.

Has anyone thought about the fact that excessive sweating can also become the root cause of frostbite? With the allocation of liquid, we freeze much faster, remember the sensations when you go out in the summer out of the water after bathing. The same can be said about wet clothes - that's why it is not recommended to allow children to play for a long time in the street in winter - kids with their snowball-slides get wet very quickly. Nobody canceled the factors that weaken the body, such as hunger, general weakness, blood loss (here it concerns not only injuries, but also menstrual bleeding). About violations of blood circulation, because of which heat exchange suffers, even to mention it is not necessary - this is an obvious fact. Even an uncomfortable position can cause hypothermia and frostbite. Signs, first aid, prevention worry many people. We recommend to remember: any prolonged exposure to cold can lead to injury, so be careful even when it seems that nothing threatens you.

Symptoms

What are the first signs of frostbite and first aid with them?

It should be noted that with any hypothermia the body goes through several stages. Of course, everything depends on the degree of exposure to the cold and the time of this exposure - for example, it can not be said that frostbite may already occur during the five to ten minutes of being in the cold. Signs and first aid briefly is an assessment of the condition of the damaged area of the body and a number of measures taken to minimize the consequences of frostbite.

First degree

There are several degrees. The first - the easiest - is characterized by redness of the skin, tingling, but it all passes after the person warms up. The consequences of such contact with the cold are skin peeling, but nothing more. In principle, many faced with this, so in this situation, despite the sonorous word "frostbite", signs and first aid in which are generally known, there is no need to panic - everything will pass by itself.

Second degree

We pass to the second degree, much less pleasant. Naturally, this is not a one-stage process. After passing the first stage, the skin first pale, and then it can acquire a bluish tinge. The sensitivity disappears, and the affected parts of the body seem to be colder to the touch than the surrounding skin. After a while, bubbles appear, very similar to those that arise from burns - in principle, this is a burn, only the cold, which was mentioned above. It is impossible to puncture them in any case - you will have to wait a week, or even two, until the skin is restored on its own. No grinding - it will damage the bubbles, which greatly complicates the healing process.

Third degree

Then comes the third degree. Here the bubbles are filled with bloody fluid, and the skin beneath them is blue-brown, which indicates its necrosis. Here you can not do without consequences - on the place of bubbles, scars and scars are guaranteed, moreover, if frostbite has been exposed, for example, hands, then the damaged nails will be restored already deformed. From dead tissues the body gets rid of within two to three weeks, then everything, of course, depends on the degree. After about another month goes to complete healing and recovery. So frostbite (stages, signs, first aid, we will necessarily consider), can be much more dangerous than a banal tingling with redness.

Fourth degree

The most terrible - the fourth degree. There is practically no chance of recovery - the cold destroys not only the skin, but also makes its way to the bone itself. The damaged part of the body turns blue, sometimes a kind of marbling appears, that is, not an even color, but with peculiar darker and lighter blotches. On warming, the affected area of the body reacts completely differently, as we are accustomed to: instantly begins the development of edema. Of course, this stage is associated with the second and third, but the blisters at this stage appear only on the less affected parts of the body. Where there is already a fourth stage - the sensitivity is completely absent, in addition, the very temperature of the skin is much lower than the total body temperature. Unfortunately, the consequences are irreversible, it is after the passage of the fourth stage that amputation is most often resorted to. That is why it is important to notice in time frostbite, signs and first aid under which, it seems, are obvious. Timely intervention can save a person not only health, but also life.

First aid

Now that we have taken apart the frostbite, the stages, signs, first aid should also be studied. Perhaps, it's better to start in stages.

At the first stage, it is enough to warm the victim, but in no case can it be done abruptly (many mothers advise their children to place the frozen body under hot water, without thinking that for the body such actions will be a huge stress - such a contrast has a huge impact On the functioning of the circulatory system). The best ways to warm in this situation - careful massage, breathing, easy stroking - you should do everything very carefully, so as not to cause more harm.

First aid for severe frostbite

But with the subsequent degrees everything is not so simple. In no case can you rub, massage, and so on - this will break the integrity of the bubbles that have appeared, and therefore will significantly increase the healing time, as mentioned above. It is necessary to apply a bandage that will gradually warm up the body area (cotton wool, gauze, bandages - anything, but do not wet or lubricate the dressings with alcohol or the like). The victim is wrapped up in a blanket and delivered to a medical facility - self-help in this situation will not work at all.

A universal means is a hot drink - it will help warm up not only from the outside, but also from the inside. With strong pain, analgesics can also be used.

Not at all funny

With the so-called "iron" frostbite - this is when your child thought to lick metal in the frost and stuck to it, in no case should you use force in trying to "tear" them. Hot water is everything that can gradually heat up both the metal and the baby, as a result of which, after a while, the victim will unlock himself. But if there is no choice and you still have to tear off, then after all, treat the wound with hydrogen peroxide and apply bandages to prevent infection.

Basic Errors

Frostbite (signs and first aid) in children is no different from all of the above in adults. Will you give your child alcohol to keep him warm? That's right, no. So do not give it to an adult either, because trauma does not help, and the patient's condition can aggravate, and it's unlikely that doctors will like contact with the person who is drunk - this in fact significantly complicates the treatment.

Another mistake that the Russian person repeats over and over again is rubbing with snow, according to the principle "well, at least something." We forget that the snow consists of the smallest ice crystals that will damage the already damaged skin, destroying the capillaries that have become fragile under the influence of cold. It is very unlikely that this will have a beneficial effect on the recovery.

Frostbite Feet

The most probably, the common - frostbite of the legs, signs and first aid in which not everyone knows. Let's try with an example of the part of the body so necessary for us to figure out what to do in case of such trouble.

The procedure for dealing with frostbite of various degrees is already known to us. Now let's talk about more serious, outpatient treatment. With the first degree are struggling electrolight baths, and at home simply impose antiseptic bandages, if the skin is still damaged. At the second degree, the medical worker (preferably, he was doing it) should open the vials with a muddy liquid, after treating the wounds with an antiseptic and applying an antiseptic bandage, which must be changed every two hours. When the skin is restored, the patient will have to undergo another course of physiotherapy. At the third and fourth degree, there is a need to remove dead tissue, so that an operation, albeit non-scale, can not be avoided. And, of course, antiseptics, without them anywhere.

Finally

In conclusion, I would like to say that frostbite, signs and first aid for this problem is a topic that everyone should be familiar with, at least minimally. No one is immune from the banal supercooling, the consequences of which can be much more serious than a mild cold. Even a temporary loss of sensitivity and slight redness can serve as signals that everything is not as good as it should be. Warm up gradually, do not abuse alcohol, dress warmly and always think that cold is a serious danger. Be careful even when it seems that it is not so cold, and then everything will be fine.