Regions Hospital in St. Paul offers these frostbite tips:
There are three stages of frostbite: First is red skin, along with pain and a stinging sensation. Second is numbness. Third and most dangerous is when the tissue begins to freeze.
If you develop frostbite: Get out of the cold as soon as possible. Drink something hot. Slowly warm the affected areas with warm, not hot, water. Do not rub the frostbitten skin. If blisters form, do not break them but seek medical attention.
To prevent frostbite:
• Dress in layers. Layers of lighter clothing tend to keep you warmer that one heavy layer.
• Cover your head and hands. A large amount of body heat is lost through the head and hands.
• Eat something healthy. Digesting food will create internal body heat.
• Keep moving, but not so much that you become overly tired. Fatigue reduces the body's ability to generate heat.
