Frostbite is the damage to the tissues of the body under the influence of low temperatures. Treatment of frostbite is made depending on the degree of its severity. In total, four degrees of frostbite are distinguished, the symptoms of which are discussed below.
Frostbite of 1 degree
This is the easiest degree of damage, which is characterized by a feeling of numbness, burning, or tingling of the affected part of the body. The skin at the same time looks pale, and after warming becomes swollen and acquires a reddish-purple hue. In the process of warming, there is a pain in the area of frostbite. After 5 - 7 days, the skin regains itself.
Frostbite of the 2nd degree
For this degree, the same symptoms are characteristic as for the first, but more pronounced. In addition, blisters with transparent contents appear on the skin (in the first, rarely - the second or third day), and the swelling of the tissues goes beyond the affected tissue. It takes at least 1 to 2 weeks to restore the skin.
Frostbite of the 3rd degree
The third degree of frostbite occurs after prolonged exposure to cold, which affects all layers of the skin. With such frostbite, the surface of the affected areas of the body is cyanotic, bubbles with hemorrhagic contents may appear. Skin loses sensitivity, puffiness spreads to healthy areas and persists for a long time. It takes about a month to heal, and scars remain on the site of the lesion.
Frostbite of the 4th degree
This is a severe degree of frostbite, in which all soft tissues are affected, and joints and bones can also be affected. Frostbite of the fourth degree in the first week after the lesion has practically the same manifestations as in the third degree. But then, after the swelling subsides, the demarcation line separating the necrotic tissue from the healthy one becomes noticeable. After 2 - 3 months, scarring is formed.