Blog# 83 Frostbite – What to Do in Addition to Seeking Medical Care
Recently, an acquaintance emailed me about treatment
of what he called frostbite. He related
the following: after standing outside in
very cold weather at night for at least 20 – 30 minutes, his feet began to hurt
and feel numb. He had eaten a large
dinner and was not paying attention to his feet because of an interesting
conversation with a friend. He hobbled
to his car and then soaked his feet in warm water at home. Pain still prevented sleep and he prepared
what he called a “healing tonic” drink, consisting of the following:
Fresh Ginger root
Fresh whole Lemon
Cayenne pepper powder
Sage powder
Chamomile tea bag
Peppermint tea bag
Rosehip and hibiscus tea
bag
He also scooped out fresh
aloe vera gel from leaves, mixed it with the inner part of banana peels, placed
that paste between his toes, and even ate some food that he hoped might
accelerate the healing process. This
included oranges, kiwi, fresh spinach, and banana.
He sent me photographs
of his toes, which appeared to be of a normal color, and asked me for further
treatment suggestions as well as about how much longer he would have to suffer
with the pain and disturbed sleep.
Of course, I did not
respond to this type of request with a diagnosis or prescription. There is no
way I could tell if this was frostbite for sure, and I also could not predict
how long the pain would continue in his case.
A patient has to come to my office for an examination. What I did tell him was to go to a hospital
Emergency Room, or at least urgent care and see his primary care physician,
since moderate or severe frost bite can result in permanent damage to skin,
muscles, blood vessels, nerves, and even bones.
Fortunately, this man
recovered fully in about 24 hours. He
later informed me that since he did not have health insurance, he did not want
to go to the hospital or urgent care.
There is much to discuss
and learn regarding frostbite. First, in
cold weather, like what we are currently facing, it is best to stay inside as
much as possible. When that is not an
option, it is essential to dress warmly, with layers of relatively
loose-fitting clothing, especially on the extremities. Tight gloves, socks or boots can cut off
circulation and make frostbite more likely.
Secondly, when outside, it is best to move rather than to be stationary,
since that way, the blood circulates better and injury from cold is less
likely. Third, daily, during cold weather, it may be helpful to eat foods,
teas, etc that will help prevent or delay frostbite. Some examples are rosehips tea, sage tea,
fresh ginger tea, and cayenne pepper added to food or drink. These all will
tend to warm the body, improve circulation and possibly prevent infection if
frostbite occurs. Fourth, take care of
your health in order to prevent diabetes, arthritis, and poor circulation, among
other problems, all of which can lead more quickly than usual to frostbite. I realize that some people already have these
illnesses. In that case, it is best to
take extra good care of your health. Fifth,
do not smoke cigarettes, drink alcohol or use recreational drugs within several
hours of being outside in the cold, since they will tend to slow blood
circulation. And the list can extend
indefinitely…
This month’s offer: Feel free to contact me with any questions
about preventing frostbite. But,
of course, if you are suffering from an injury from the cold, I would suggest
you visit your primary care physician or even the ER, if the symptoms are very
severe, such as hard, stiff fingers or toes, or blisters after some thawing has
taken place.
