Suggestions for treating frost bite ? I got bit...

[DougPaul]

Try it [vasoline] under your balaclava. You don'T need a thick layer. Just enough so that your skin feels greasy. And for those who care about their looks, it does keep the skin in better condition by preventing it from drying out.

Yep--that helps too.

That reminds me of a piece of advice from my winter school days--Don't wash your face before going out or during a multi-day trip. Natural oils (as well as petroleum-based oils) protect your face.

There had been a trip where 2 people had gotten facial frostbite. In retrospect they realized that these two had been carefully washing their faces every day...

Can't speak for anyone else, but I'd much rather risk a zit or two than have frostbite. (So far, so good...)

As a side note, I always wear a balaclava when sleeping to minimize the amount of face and hair oil that gets into the sleeping bag. (The additional insulation helps doesn't hurt either.)

Doug

 

[Gris]

Apparently Dr. McDade has passed on, but it appears Liitleton is continuing his legacy of world class care for frostbite and other cold weather health issues.

 

[skimom]

update on my spot ...

I saw my dermatologist today. Apparently there is enough damage to the underlying layers of skin that he feels I will have a spot on my face where the skin pigment is damaged and will result in a lighter color. There is nothing to be done about preventing it. Sounds like this is what happened to Michele's arm.

He did say that it's healing well and told me to be optimistic about the resulting light spot. I'm hoping that it'll turn into one of these things where I can notice it, but not necessarily every one else.

Also, he was adamant that I stay out of the sun, which will cause further pigment damage and do not expose the area to cold/freezing conditions.

The treatment for frostnip is to cleanse the area with q-tips dipped in hydrogen peroxide. Pat or air dry and apply a thin layer of ointment such as polysporin, bacitracin or aquaphor. Try to keep any blisters that develop intact. Wounds should heal in 3-4 weeks.

 

[Gris]

Lo siento, doesn't sound particularly encouraging. I would still contact Duffy at LRH. I'm a big, make that HUGE, believer in second opinions. Bona suerte chica.

 

[SAR-EMT40]

The treatment for frostnip is to cleanse the area with q-tips dipped in hydrogen peroxide.

Skimom,

I just want to make sure I understood correctly. The doctor said to use hydrogen peroxide???

Keith

 

[Gris]

Peroxide sounds like a recipe for a scar, while Neosporin or other such ointment sounds OK. But I'm NOT a Dr. and have no medical training!

 

[DougPaul]

I saw my dermatologist today. Apparently there is enough damage to the underlying layers of skin that he feels I will have a spot on my face where the skin pigment is damaged and will result in a lighter color.

Also, he was adamant that I stay out of the sun, which will cause further pigment damage and do not expose the area to cold/freezing conditions..

Good advice. Refreezing will make the damage far worse.

As much as I hate to suggest it, your winter may be over.

The treatment for frostnip is to cleanse the area with q-tips dipped in hydrogen peroxide. Pat or air dry and apply a thin layer of ointment such as polysporin, bacitracin or aquaphor. Try to keep any blisters that develop intact. Wounds should heal in 3-4 weeks.

A comment on terminology--your description fits what Washburn calls superficial frostbite: "involves only the skin or the tissue immediately beneath it". Frost-nip is very surface only, can be treated with immediate rewarming, and has no lasting effects or effects lasting at most a few days (similar to a non-severe sunburn). The blisters indicate you have some tissue damage. (Washburn distinguishes three degrees: frost-nip, superficial frostbite, and deep frostbite.)

Ref: Washburn, Bradford, "Frostbite, What it is--How to Prevent it--Emergency Treatment", Museum of Science, Boston, 1975. (Versions were also published in The American Alpine Journal, June 1962 and The New England Journal of Medicine, 266:974-989 (May 10, 1962).

Dr. Murray Hamlet (formerly of the U.S. Army's Research Institute of Environmental Medicine, Natick, MA) gives lectures on frostbite and other cold injuries to outdoors groups (AMC, MIT Outing Club, and others). (The lectures are fantastic--I recommend them highly.) IIRC he suggested that we call him if we had a problem and he could refer us to local experts. You might be able to call the Army Research Institute in Natick and get a local reference.

Good luck and good healing,

Doug

 

[Mad Townie]

Ouch! Sorry to hear that, Skimom.

You be real careful about skiing, or watching skiing, OK?

 

[Gris]

Yes, Dr. Duffy at LRH ER hosted Dr. Hamlet at a conference at LRH this past October (link previously provided in this thread). That's why I suggested you contact him directly.

 

[skimom]

Yes, hydrogen peroxide is recommended. I've got it in black and white. Although, between us friends, I haven't used any yet.

I really don't think it's as bad as it may sound. I'm going to wait it out and see what happens under cover of night of course.

It really is healing well as far as I can tell. In fact, I almost didn't keep my appt today, but I figured I'd hear what he had to say. After all the great info I got from everybody here, I really wasn't surprised by anything he told me.

If there is a resulting light spot, I'm pretty confident that it will be faint and only I will notice it. I think he was giving me the worst case scenario so I would be prepared if it turns out to be really apparent.

 

[DougPaul]

I really don't think it's as bad as it may sound. I'm going to wait it out and see what happens under cover of night of course.

It really is healing well as far as I can tell. In fact, I almost didn't keep my appt today, but I figured I'd hear what he had to say.

Glad to hear it appears to be healing well.

One of the possible long-term effects of frostbite is reduced circulation to the affected tissue. I'm certainly not qualified to judge whether this will be a problen in your case, but if it is, you will have to be particularly careful in protecting it in the future.

Doug