According to the forecast of the Central Meteorological Observatory, the temperature in most parts of the mainland will continue to be low recently. Affected by a new strong cold air, the temperature in the central and eastern regions dropped by 4~8 °C, and many places experienced "the coldest day this winter".
In the cold winter, there is a unique injury called "frostbite". Frostbite skin is not only red and swollen, but also painful and even scarring.
"Life Times" invited experts to teach you the correct prevention of frostbite.
Experts interviewed
Jia Dacheng, senior first aid expert of Beijing Emergency Center
Yang Shuxia, Chief Physician of the Department of Dermatology, Peking University First Hospital
To what extent is frostbite considered "frostbite"?
The human body regulates heat production and heat dissipation through the nervous and endocrine systems, and maintains a relatively stable body temperature.
There is a limit to this conditioning of the body. When the ambient temperature is too low and lasts for a long time, the blood vessels undergo continuous, spasmodic constriction and blood flow is reduced under the stimulus of cold. Areas with poor blood circulation in the distal limbs will enter a "damaged" state and frostbite will appear.
In general, frostbite is divided into the following four degrees:
Frostbite at one degree
That is, the common "chilblains", superficial frostbite of the skin, injuring the superficial skin, and the skin of the frozen area is red, swollen and congested.
Chilblains tend to occur on the dorsum of the hands and feet, heels, fingers, pinna and the tip of the nose, etc., mainly manifested as dark purple-red edematous plaques or nodules, itching and burning pain after heat, and will heal on their own after the climate warms.
Second-degree frostbite
Injury to the superficial dermis, red and swollen skin, blisters of different sizes, bloody fluid in the blister, edema, severe pain, and dull skin sensation in the deep part.
Third-degree frostbite
Frostbite occurs under the skin, and the color of the skin changes from pale to black-brown or purple-brown. Injuries do not heal easily, and in addition to scarring, they may also cause long-term hypersensitivity or pain.
Fourth-degree frostbite
More severe frostbite may freeze muscles, bones, and even make limbs necrosis, and there may be generalized frostbite, which in severe cases will cause sudden cardiac arrest and sudden death.
3 parts of the body are more susceptible to frostbite
Frostbite is common in winter and often occurs in the "periphery" of the body's blood circulation. These 3 parts of the body in particular need to be prevented:
1 ear
In addition to the earlobe, which has adipose tissue to keep warm, the rest of the auricle only has a very thin skin wrapped around the cartilage, and the blood vessels inside are very fine, and the heat preservation ability is extremely poor.
In the cold outdoors, you can wear soft ear packs and hats to avoid exposing your ears. If your ears are sweaty due to wearing a hat or ear bag, take care to wipe them off promptly.
Two-hand part
When wearing clothes in winter, if the cuffs are too tight, it is easy to cause poor blood circulation, resulting in poor peripheral circulation.
In winter, wear clothes that are not too tight, and the wrist should not be strangled with red marks so that one finger can be inserted, if you are afraid of cold, you can choose clothing with knitted cuffs, and when you are outdoors for a long time, you can apply hand cream to protect your hands.
3 feet
Shoes are not necessarily tighter and warmer. Shoes that are too tight tend to make peripheral blood circulation poor, and feet are more likely to feel cold.
Shoes, socks, and insoles should fit properly and keep them dry. The size of shoes and socks should be appropriate and the breathability should be good. It is best to choose loose shoes and take care not to tie the laces too tightly.
These things can't be done after frostbite
To prevent frostbite, the first step is to avoid prolonged exposure to cold environments. In addition to cold protection, it is also necessary to protect against moisture and wind.
Water conducts 20 times more heat than air, and when the air humidity is high, it is easy to cause frostbite, and the wind will accelerate the flow of air, destroy the insulation, and accelerate heat loss.
After frostbite, do not bake the fire or rub it with snow
After the cold stimulation, if the fire is immediately baked or the frostbitten area is directly close to the heating equipment, the blood vessels will dilate rapidly, which is undoubtedly another blow to the skin that has formed local stasis and swelling.
Rubbing with snow or ice water can also aggravate tissue damage. If you have frostbite, you can do the following:
- Move to a warm place as soon as possible, the temperature should be 20~25 °C, and quickly remove cold and wet clothes;
- Immerse the frostbitten area in warm water at 38°C~40°C to rewarm to avoid pressure, and the skin color will return to normal in about half an hour.
- Calories can be appropriately supplemented, and oral hot milk, hot soy milk and other beverages can be taken.
Do not use fire or water with very high temperature when rewarming, because the skin is numb and cannot feel hot or cold, and it is easy to burn.
When the skin rewarms, it may become red and tingling. If the pain is worse or the skin is blue, etc., you should be transferred to the hospital for treatment in time.
Frostbite is more likely in cold and wet areas
Frostbite does not occur only in the cold northeastern region, but is more common in the Jiangnan region than in the north.
In winter, the humidity in the Jiangnan region is high, which is often referred to as "wet and cold", and the thermal conductivity of water is better than that of air, and the body dissipates heat faster.
In addition, there is generally no heating and other equipment in the Yangtze River Basin, and the skin is more prone to frostbite if it is exposed to a clammy and cold environment for a long time.
Drinking alcohol does not prevent frostbite
Some people say "drink alcohol to keep warm", but a large amount of alcohol will cause rapid hypothermia, blood circulation is too fast, resulting in faster heat dissipation, and at the same time, people are easily confused after being drunk, which increases the possibility of accidents.
Those who work in an open-air environment for a long time can wear gloves, masks, hats, scarves, etc. Exercise should also be strengthened to promote blood circulation.
Severe frostbite needs to go to the hospital in time, and to treat frostbite, you need to go to the "burn department" for treatment. ▲
Editor of this issue: Yang Meng
Copyright Notice: This article is the original of "Life Times" and is not reproduced without authorization.