Frostbite and Hypothermia Tips

Sponsored Links

Exposing yourself out in the cold for any length of time can lead to frost bite. This is a painful reaction when your body stops pumping blood to the affected area to prevent heat loss. You may start off with numb skin which then goes in to a lack of feeling. In the later stages of frost bite you can lose body parts and even die if hypothermia sets in.

If you are in the city it is easy to step in to a warm building to prevent further damage. If you are out in the wilderness or off the beaten track, frost bite and hypothermia pose a real risk to your life. Frost bite becomes rapidly worse as time progresses and understanding the process before it happens can make a huge difference in your well being. Let’s look at some frostbite tips.

A) The first thing you should do is remove the person affected in to a warm location as soon as possible. If it is not possible to get to a warm location, then at the least get out of the wind.

B) If the victim has any wet clothing, remove it immediately and replace it with dry clothing. Wet clothing will such the heat from the body at a much faster rate than dry clothing.

C) You may have heard that body heat is the best type of heat and it is true. If you have access to a sleeping bag, you may get in it with the victim and help raise their body temperature. You may feel cold but soon your bodies will reach the same temperature and they will be feeling much better. If you still have a bit of a chill you can do some pushups or jumping jackets. Just make sure that you don’t put too much of a sweat on or you will end up colder than when you started.

D) If you have access to a humidifier, try to use a heater and the humidifier. Using dry heat on a cold victim can dry them out and cause more damage.

E) Raising their body temperature should be done extremely slowly to avoid putting them in shock. Always have someone stick with the victim around water in case they do go in to shock. While in shock they will have involuntary breathing and may inhale copious amounts of water.

F) Understand the mental state of everyone around you. The cold can play with your mind and making wild decisions could cost your life and the people around you.

G) If you have to work or travel great distances, it is better to do it in small bursts. This will help reserve your energy and prevent you from sweating. Sweating is one of the biggest factors that kill in cold climates.

H) If you are unable to get to a warm place, don’t try and warm the person only to have them re-freeze. This will definitely cause permanent damage and it will be severely painful for them.

I) Our last tip is to always have a friend with you. Having a partner to help you while there is trouble is much more efficient than if you were alone. Not to mention, you will have someone to talk to, to help keep both of you sane.

Frost bite and hypothermia can be avoided in most situations, but the biggest factors are preparing ahead, understanding, and remaining calm.