What are signs of frostbite? How long does it last? Symptoms, stages

Dangerous freezing weather has settled over Kentucky this week, with wind chills dipping as low as 10 degrees below zero Tuesday into Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service.
When it gets that cold, frostbite can damage exposed skin in as little as 30 minutes and cause lifelong, permanent damage to your body.
Meteorologists with NWS issued a cold weather advisory until 10 a.m. Wednesday, urging Kentucky residents to limit their time outdoors and to take necessary steps to avoid frostbite and hypothermia.
Here’s what you should know about frostbite, its symptoms, stages, and how to treat it, during Kentucky’s freezing weather.
What is frostbite? What causes frostbite and how does it feel?
Frostbite is a skin injury caused by extreme cold. It can happen when your body loses more heat than it can produce. Without protection, prolonged exposure to intense cold can freeze the water in your body’s cells, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine.
Frostbite can leave your skin feeling cold and numb, so numb you might not even know you have it until someone points it out. The affected skin could feel abnormally firm or waxy, changing color from red to white or grayish-yellow, and eventually to black as your skin tissue dies.
Gloves don’t always protect you. What parts of your body are most at risk to frostbite?
Even if you’re wearing gloves, intense cold can freeze your fingers and cause frostbite. The most common places to get frostbite include your cheeks, chin, ears, nose, fingers, toes, and in some rare cases for men, their penis, according to the Mayo Clinic.
What happens if frostbite isn’t treated?
If left untreated, frostbite can damage tendons, muscles, nerves and bone. Victims can lose fingers, limbs and other frostbitten parts of the body.
How easy is it to get frostbite?
Frostbite can happen in minutes, or hours, depending on several factors, such as the temperature and the length of time spent in freezing weather. The risk increases when air temperature falls below 5 degrees, according to Mayo Clinic, even if it’s not windy.
In wind chills of 16.6 degrees below zero, frostbite can damage exposed skin in under 30 minutes.
Alcohol, smoking and some medicines can increase your risk of frostbite
You can also get frostbite more easily if other conditions are present, such as:
- You have a prescription for beta blockers.
- Your health problems include reduced blood circulation, such as peripheral arterial disease (PAD), diabetes, peripheral neuropathy, or Raynaud disease.
- You go outside to smoke or vape.
- You go outside while intoxicated from alcohol or drugs, which can impair your sensitivity to the cold.
- You wear clothing that’s too tight and limits blood flow to your hands or feet.
- You wear clothing that doesn’t protect you from cold weather.
- You’re exposed to windy conditions, which can rapidly cool the skin and body.
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What are symptoms of frostbite?
According to Mayo Clinic, symptoms of frostbite include:
- A cold, prickling feeling in your skin.
- Numbness.
- Patches of skin that appear red, white, blue, gray, yellow, purple, brown or ashen as opposed to their normal color.
- Skin that looks hard or waxy.
- Clumsiness from joint or muscle stiffness.
- Pain.
- Blistering after rewarming.
What are the stages of frostbite?
Frostbite happens in stages, according to the Mayo Clinic, which include:
- Frostnip: This is the early stage of frostbite. Your skin feels cold and numb to the touch, and you might feel pain or a tingling sensation as your skin warms up again.
- Mild, moderate or superficial frostbite: Your skin begins to change its color and might even feel warm, which experts say is a warning sign. When treating frostbite at this stage, a person might feel stinging, burning and swelling in the affected area. Blisters can form 12 to 36 hours after rewarming the skin.
- Deep (severe) frostbite: Your skin turns white or blue-gray as frostbite progresses and harms all layers of the skin and tissue beneath it. A person will often lose sensation in the affected area. Large blisters can appear 24-48 hours after rewarming your skin. Weeks after being injured, your skin might turn hard and black as it dies.
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Does frostbite go away? How do you treat frostbite?
Frostbite requires immediate medical attention, according to the Mayo Clinic. While its first stage, frostnip, doesn’t cause permanent damage and can be treated by rewarming the skin, harsher forms of frostbite should be evaluated by trained healthcare professionals.
According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, you can do the following things to treat frostbite immediately:
- Get to a warm room as soon as possible and remove any wet clothing.
- Wrap yourself or the person affected in warm blankets.
- Warm the affected area using body heat. For example, placing frostbitten fingers in the armpit.
- Soak the areas affected by frostbite in warm (not hot) water until normal skin color returns. Don’t soak the affected area too long (no more than 30 minutes).
- Do not use anything hot, such as a heating pad, stove, or furnace, to warm the affected area. The skin could burn more easily because it’s numb and lacks the ability to sense when things are too hot.
- Do not walk on frostbitten feet or toes.
- Do not rub or massage the affected area, which can cause more damage.
- Gently wash the frostbitten area, dry, wrap in sterile bandages, and keep it clean so it doesn’t get infected.
- Talk with the healthcare provider about using an oral antibiotic or topical ointment.
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How long does frostbite take to heal?
The amount of time it takes for frostbitten skin to feel better depends on which stage of frostbite you had and for how long, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Mild frostnip can heal within a few days to a few weeks. Second-stage frostbite can take up to six months, in which you may experience scabbing and skin discoloration as your skin heals.
The third and most severe stage of frostbite, experts say, can permanently damage your skin. It might require surgery or amputation.
Can you lose fingers or toes from frostbite?
Yes, in serious cases of frostbite, limbs or other parts of the body can fall off or require surgical amputation, writes Eskenazi Health, who urged Hoosiers this month to limit their times outdoors during freezing weather.
“Cold weather and frostbite injuries are easily avoidable for most of us, yet we see too many of these unfortunate cases each year due to tragic carelessness, lack of proper planning and neglect,” said Dr. Brett Hartman, medical director of the Richard M. Fairbanks Burn Center on Eskenazi Health’s official website.
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How to prevent frostbite
There are several steps you can take to help prevent frostbite, which include safety tips from Eskenazi Health:
- Avoid going outside in freezing weather.
- If you do go outside, limit your time spent outdoors as much as possible. Keep trips down to 10-15 minutes then stay indoors for a few hours.
- Heat your home properly and safely, using only certified space heaters and fireplaces when necessary.
- Drink plenty of warm beverages, like tea or hot chocolate.
- Avoid alcoholic and caffeinated drinks, which can cause your body to lose heat at a more rapid rate.
- Going outside? You can still get frostbite through clothing so dress in several layers. Wear a hat, scarf and insulated gloves or mittens to reduce the chance of frostbite or injuries to your extremities.
- Wear waterproof clothing to keep your skin dry.
- Don’t wear clothing that’s too tight and cuts off circulation to your feet or hands.
- Monitor your body temperatures, especially those of infants and older adults who can lose body heat more quickly.
- Cold temperatures put an extra strain on your body. Don’t overexert yourself doing outdoor chores or activities. They can increase the risk of heart attack or chills due to sweating.
Previously:Louisville libraries opened to the homeless in winter storm. Staff say they weren’t prepared
Marina Pitofsky with USA TODAY contributed to this article.
John Tufts covers trending news for IndyStar and Midwest Connect. Send him a news tip at [email protected]. Find him on BlueSky at JohnWritesStuff.
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