Frostbite: how to prevent and how to help

In the cold primarily small vessels constrict to conserve heat in the whole body, so the blood circulation in the hands and feet slowed. The man strongly feel cold feet and hands, as well as the nose and ears - where the thinnest fat layer.

Chief Combustiology Ministry of Health of Ukraine, Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor George Kozinets This would include & shy; to alert the user that hypothermia can be not only on a frosty day.

"The air temperature may be close to zero, but counts the time spent in the cold, - explains the expert. - Hypothermia occurs faster when on the street the wind and high humidity. If a strong wind is supercooled people three to four times faster than in frosty calm weather. Important and general condition. It is much easier supercooled pregnant women, people with disabilities or chronic diseases, as well as children. "

With a slight hypothermia, in which the body temperature drops to 35 degrees, can be managed without special treatment. Just go to a warm place, and keep warm, drink hot tea. It is more difficult if the thermometer shows a lower body temperature in a frozen man - 33-32 degrees or even lower. His skin becomes pale, it - intermittent, slowing heart rate, worsening blood circulation, impaired motor coordination, "do not listen 'hands. Such victims should be hospitalized as soon as possible to restore the normal functioning of the circulatory, respiratory and digestive systems.

"When we receive a patient with hypothermia, we try to warm it faster: obkladyvayut bottles with warm water, wrapped with blankets, hot tea liberally ASIC, - says head of the therapy department number 2 Kiev City Clinical Hospital ? 4 Lyudmila Rodionova. - To the system restores the activity of the body, put saline drip. "

Critical temperature of the body, life-threatening, - below 28 degrees. A person ceases to operate the respiratory center, the circulation stops, stops the heart.

It will help avoid hypothermia, warm clothing, with hat and gloves are mandatory. It is best to dress like cabbage: a few layers of clothing - shirt, golf sweater and jacket - to protect from the cold more reliable than one thick sweater. Airbag between layers of clothing helps to keep warm. Shoes or boots can warm insoles. Shoes should be chosen with thick soles and free enough to be able to wear warm socks.

In the bitter cold, it is desirable to go out with a thermos of hot tea. Before leaving the house should be good to eat. Useful hearty, flavored with hot spices - ginger, pepper: they raise the body temperature. But from the alcohol in the cold days is better to refuse: alcohol dilates blood vessels on the surface of the body, which increases heat loss. Doctors stress that the majority of people who died due to hypothermia, after drinking alcohol.

In the cold days in the street can not stand still, waiting for transport. Movement improves circulation in the feet and helps This would include & shy; Prev frostbite fingers.

Those who are going on the road, it is advisable to bring your energy food - chocolate, nuts, cookies, and a thermos of warm drink. Do not interfere with a warm blanket, spare socks.

Head of emergency medical care and disaster medicine management of Ministry of Health of Ukraine Tatyana Timoshenko This would include & shy; to alert the user: "The bad weather is better to avoid long journeys. If the circumstances require to go on the road, please be warm dry things, warming drinks that do not contain alcohol. Take care of the means of communication - in advance, charge your mobile phone, if necessary, to contact the relevant services. "

Severe frost dangerous occurrence frostbite. Victims may those who walk in close and wet shoes, is gravity, which compress the blood vessels, as well as smokers. Man often does not notice that he got frostbite. But if the skin is pale, numb and cold becomes the nose, there is a tingling in the fingers associated with spasm of blood vessels and blood circulation, there is a strong pain in the feet and hands, you should immediately consult your doctor. You can not rub the skin with snow, lower limb in hot water or heat on the battery - it can enhance the defeat.

What if a person feels that the frostbitten nose or ears? Head of the Department of Otolaryngology of the Kyiv Regional Clinical Hospital PhD Jaroslav Shkoba says: "Due to the low temperature in humans blunted feelings, and it may not immediately notice that the injured nose, or ears. In no case can not rub numb nose snow: through the skin's micro-cracks can carry infection, further injure the tissue. Also, do not rub your hands over her ears, as do many people wanting to improve blood flow to the ear shells, otherwise you can damage the ear cartilage.

Do not use a heating pad or a hot dryer for warming the frozen parts of the body. Warming should be gradually and slowly enter into a warm room, drinking tea. Warm the liquid will quickly restore normal body temperature and increase blood circulation. "

How to help yourself during supercooling

View a warm room and warm up.

If possible, change into dry and warm clothes or wrap yourself in a blanket to throw over another jacket or coat.

Drink warm tea and continue to slowly drink for a few hours.

Do not warm the frostbitten hands or feet with hot water or to heat them to a battery.

Do not lubricate the affected areas of the body oils or ointments.

The affected hand or foot is better to put a bandage made of cotton and gauze and seek medical advice.