Symptoms and Treatment

Exposure to extreme cold can result in injuries such as frostnip, frostbite, or hypothermia. Frostnip is a relatively minor reaction to cold that is easily treated. Frostbite and hypothermia are more serious conditions.

Signs of Cold Injury

Mild Cold Injury
Shivering or numbness in face, hands, feet or ears

Frostnip [more]
Skin appears yellowish or white, but feels soft to the touch

Frostbite [more]
Skin may look whitish or greyish yellow, feel hard or waxy and be numb

Severe Hypothermia [more]
Fatigue, confusion or slurring of speech – call 911, this is an emergency

Treatment of Cold Injuries

Move the person out of cold as soon as possible, then:

• Remove wet clothing
• Warm the affected area slowly. Use warm – not hot water. Use warm hands/body heat (do not rub)
• Give warm drinks

If you cannot move the person out of the cold:

• Cover them with something dry such as clothing or blankets while waiting for help
• Do not attempt to warm the affected area because warming and refreezing will cause greater damage to the area
• Give warm drinks

Avoid Additional Injury

Tissue suffering from cold injury is fragile and can be easily damaged.

• DO NOT RUB the area
• The affected area is numb and easily burned. DO NOT HEAT QUICKLY by using:
  • Hot water
  • Hot water bottles
  • Heating pads
  • Electric blankets

Frostnip

Symptoms:

• a mild form of frostbite, where only the skin freezes
• skin appears yellowish or white, but feels soft to the touch
• painful tingling or burning sensation

Treatment:

• Get out of the cold.
• Do not rub or massage the area.
• Warm the affected area slowly with body heat. Try blowing warm breath onto the affected area or tucking your hands into your armpits.
• Once the affected area is warm, do not re-expose it to the cold.

Frostbite

Symptoms:

• A more severe condition, where both the skin and the underlying tissue (fat, muscle, bone) are frozen.
• Symptoms include swelling and redness in the early stages, tingling and burning sensation in the extremities and numbness.
• As frostbite progresses, skin becomes white and waxy/greyish yellow, and is hard to the touch.

Treatment:

• Get medical help. Frostbite can be serious, and can result in amputation.
• If possible, move the victim to a warm area.
• Gently loosen or remove tight clothing or jewellery that may restrict circulation.
• Warm the affected area slowly using body heat. Blow warm breath onto the affected area or tuck your hands into your armpits. CAUTION: If the affected area might be refrozen before medical help arrives, do not warm, this greatly increases the risk of tissue damage.
• DO NOT rub area or apply dry heat.
• DO NOT allow the victim to drink alcohol or smoke.

Hypothermia - the most severe type of cold injury

Symptoms:

• Feeling cold over a prolonged period of time can cause a drop in body temperature (below the normal 37 degrees Celsius).
• Symptoms include drowsiness, shivering, irritability, confusion, stiff muscles, slurred speech, fatigue, discolouration of lips, cold skin and apathy.
• Can progress to a life-threatening condition where shivering stops, the person loses consciousness and cardiac arrest may occur.

Treatment:

• This is an emergency. Get medical help immediately.
• Move the person indoors and remove wet clothing.
• Place the victim between blankets so the body temperature can rise gradually. Body-to-body contact can help warm the person's temperature slowly.
• DO NOT use hot water bottles or electric blankets.
• DO NOT rub area or apply dry heat.
• DO NOT allow the victim to drink alcohol or smoke.
• If the person appears unconscious, call 911 and start CPR if necessary.