The cold can cause frostbite. On the hands, nose, ears or toes, they are painful. urious. How to treat them? With a cream? Tiger balm?
Frostbite are common winter ailments. They particularly affect the elderly and women. Sometimes painful, it is good to know the solutions that relieve them. Tips.
Frostbite is a inflammatory skin reaction in cold and wet weather. It is characterized by associated painful purplish red lesions. Frostbite is most often located on the fingers, toes, ears and areas of the face exposed to cold (chin, nose, etc.). “They are different from frostbite which is the extreme stage of frostbitewith destruction of the tissues of the extremities, explains Dr. Nina Roos, dermatologist. These are necroses that we still see today in winter among the homeless for example, or among mountaineers in extreme conditions“.
Frostbite mainly occurs in the hands and feet level, but also sometimes ears and nose, in other words the parts of the body that are less well irrigated and exposed to the cold. They are characterized by:
- Skin that looks red or purplish
- A loss of sensitivity to touch
- A burning sensation or numbness when circulation returns
- Intense pain
- Sometimes the appearance of cracks
They are favored by poor peripheral circulation (frequent sensation of cold feet, Reynaud syndrome…), regular intake of vasoconstrictor drugs such as beta-blockers, vitamin A and B3 deficiencies as well as dehydration.
Firstly, it is about gently warm the skin by wrapping it in a hot or warm, damp cloth for about ten minutes. “In all cases, avoid large temperature differencesthe skin being already traumatized“, specifies Dr. Roos. It should not be exposed to a direct heat source. Your pharmacist can then recommend oily ointments with healing vitamin A, to be applied locally. “But if the frostbite is very extensive and painful, consult your doctor or a dermatologist: he will prescribe painkillers or vasodilator drugs. Deep frostbite, when the skin has lost all sensation and turned white, requires hospitalization“, says Dr. Roos.
►Cover well: To protect you from the fatal cocktail of cold and humidity, choose suitable gloves (a woolen pair superimposed on a silk pair in extreme cold) and opt for socks that retain heat, in double thickness if necessary (cotton + wool). Avoid socks that are too tight, which compress the feet and make them more vulnerable to the cold. Finally, equip yourself with shoes with thick rubber soles that insulate the foot well from the cold and the dampness of the ground.
► Massage with warming creams: They are formulated with pepper or capsaicin causing a saving sensation of heat on the surface of the skin. Apply a care nut, then massage. Resting your ankle on the knee of the opposite leg, start by stretching each toe. Then take your foot in both hands, and perform sliding pressures from the heel to the toes. The skin being thicker on the arch of the foot, do not hesitate to press hard. Then proceed to twist, as if you wanted to wring a laundry.
► Stay hydrated: Drink regularly until 1.5 to 2 L of drinks per day: water, herbal tea, coffee, tea… On the other hand, avoid the consumption of alcohol, an aggravating factor.
►Eat oily fish. Regularly invite foods rich in fatty acids on your menus such as oily fish (salmon, mackerel, sardines, etc.) because they have the property of strengthening the hydrolipidic film of the skin and improving its defenses and hydration. Increase your intake of foods that are sources of vitamin A healing (carrot, sweet potato, pumpkin, cabbage, butter, egg, etc.) and B3 (red meat, fish, vegetables).
Thanks to Dr. Nina Roos, dermatologist.