Know the signs, symptoms of frostbite

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The warning is out. 

Temperatures are being labeled as dangerous. Schools across central Indiana are closed on Wednesday. The threat of frostbite is a serious possibility for those who will be outside during the wind chill warning through Thursday.

IU Health Methodist Hospital will treat a couple of people a week for frostbite during the cold weather. Typically, the patients are homeless. 

Here are some frostbite tips from the Mayo Clinc: 

Signs and symptoms of frostbite include:

• At first, cold skin and a prickling feeling
• Numbness
• Red, white, bluish-white or grayish-yellow skin
• Hard or waxy-looking skin
• Clumsiness due to joint and muscle stiffness
• Blistering after rewarming, in severe cases

Frostbite is most common on the fingers, toes, nose, ears, cheeks and chin. Because of skin numbness, you may not realize you have frostbite until someone else points it out.

Frostbite occurs in several stages:

• Frostnip. Frostnip is a mild form of frostbite. Continued exposure leads to numbness in the affected area. As your skin warms, you may feel pain and tingling. Frostnip doesn’t permanently damage the skin.
• Superficial frostbite. Superficial frostbite appears as reddened skin that turns white or pale. Your skin may begin to feel warm — a sign of serious skin involvement. If you treat frostbite with rewarming at this stage, the surface of your skin may appear mottled. And you may notice stinging, burning and swelling. A fluid-filled blister may appear 12 to 36 hours after rewarming the skin.
• Deep (severe) frostbite. As frostbite progresses, it affects all layers of the skin, including the tissues that lie below. Your skin turns white or bluish gray and you may experience numbness, losing all sensation of cold, pain or discomfort in the affected area. Joints or muscles may no longer work. Large blisters form 24 to 48 hours after rewarming. Afterward, the area turns black and hard as the tissue dies.

When to see a doctor

Seek medical attention for frostbite if you experience:

• Signs and symptoms of superficial or deep frostbite
• Increased pain, swelling, redness or discharge in the area that was frostbitten
• Fever
• New, unexplained symptoms

Get emergency medical help if you suspect hypothermia, a condition in which your body loses heat faster than it can be produced. Signs and symptoms of hypothermia include:

• Intense shivering
• Slurred speech
• Drowsiness and loss of coordination