TWIN FALLS, Idaho (KMVT/KSVT) — If Monday’s weather was not evident enough, colder weather has reached the Magic Valley, which means an increased risk of frostbite.
Cold temperatures, wind chill and moisture can create conditions leading to frostbite, according to Martha Taylor, the System Medical Director for St. Luke’s Urgent Care in Twin Falls. Frostbite can occur in 30 minutes in temperatures of 15 degrees below zero.
The early stages of frostbite include symptoms such as a burning sensation and red skin, Taylor said. Mild frostbite can lead to a tingling sensation and pale skin.
“The body’s skin contains about 60% water,” Taylor said. “In frostbite damage, the water freezes and forms ice crystals which will then damage the tissue. It can form something very superficial, just a little pain to the fingers, to tissue death.”
Tissue death, also known as necrosis, causes tissue to turn black and causes skin and even extremities to fall off.
“You can get secondary infections; you can lose fingers and toes. It’s real important to cut that off before it gets that far.”
If you think you have frostbite, Taylor said the best thing to do is immediately get inside and run your skin under lukewarm water. She advised against using hot water, which can lead to more tissue damage.
“Stay dry, if it’s cold out, you don’t want cold plus wet,” Taylor said. “Little kids, you want to check on them every 10 to 15 minutes as the kids get older every 30 minutes. Again, prevention is key for this.”
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