Good Monday morning on this very chilly day Beloit. We hope that everyone had a safe and happy holiday season. It looks like we have some snow heading our way along with continued cold temps for the rest of the week. If you have to be outside bundle up and try to limit the amount of skin exposed to the elements. It may only take a few minutes for frostbite to set in. Here are some signs and symptoms of frostbite. - 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 also occurs in several stages; Frostnip. The first stage of frostbite is frostnip. With this mild form of frostbite, your skin pales or turns red and feels very cold. Continued exposure leads to prickling and numbness in the affected area. As your skin warms, you may feel pain and tingling. Frostnip doesnt permanently damage the skin. Superficial frostbite. The second stage of frostbite appears as reddened skin that turns white or pale. The skin may remain soft, but some ice crystals may form in the tissue. 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, blue or purple. And you may notice stinging, burning and swelling. A fluid-filled blister may appear 24 to 36 hours after rewarming the skin. Severe (deep) frostbite. As frostbite progresses, it affects all layers of the skin, including the tissues that lie below. 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. Seek medical attention for frostbite when; - Signs and symptoms of superficial or deep frostbite — such as white or pale skin, numbness, or blisters - Increased pain, swelling, redness or discharge in the area that was frostbitten - Fever - New, unexplained symptoms Hypothermia is also major concern in the winter. Seek emergency care if you think you have hypothermia. Some signs and symptoms of hypothermia are; - Intense shivering or complete loss of shivering - Slurred speech - Drowsiness and loss of coordination Also remember your pets. They are just as susceptible to cold weather injuries as humans are. Be safe Beloit!
Posted on: Mon, 05 Jan 2015 14:10:09 +0000
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