“Frostbite is no joke. The effect it has on the skin is similar to a burn, so people with severe frostbite are treated here in our burn centre,” he says.

Here are five tips to avoid frostbite, and what to do if you think you may have it:

1) Layer up

If you know you’ll be outside for an extended period of time, dress for the weather.

“The easiest thing you can do to prevent frostbite is to dress properly, with a warm coat, boots, hat and gloves,” says Dr. Jeschke.

2) Wear gloves at the gas station

Take extra care when fueling up your car in the winter, and wear gloves when doing so.

“Getting gasoline on your hands when it’s very cold out will cause your skin to freeze within seconds, because it conducts the cold extremely well,” he says.

3) Don’t use hot water to thaw out

If you think you have frostbite, get indoors as soon as possible and use lukewarm water to warm the affected area. You can also take ibuprofen to help ease pain and swelling.

“Hot water can actually cause more damage. So can a direct heat source, like a fireplace, because your skin has lost sensation and you won’t realize you’re actually burning yourself,” says Dr. Jeschke.

4) Know the signs of severe frostbite

There are different degrees of frostbite, ranging from superficial (called frostnip) to deep freezing that can destroy bone. The feeling of pins and needles, lack of feeling in a certain area, or skin that is hard and pale may mean you’ve developed frostbite.

“If your skin turns black or some other strange colour, and then blisters, you’re in trouble. Get medical attention immediately,” says Dr. Jeschke.

5) Alcohol and cold temperatures don’t mix

“Drinking alcohol can give you a false sense of warming. It, in fact, widens your blood vessels, increasing heat loss and the risk of frostbite,” says Dr. Jeschke.

Alcohol can also affect your judgment, causing you to make poor decisions like going outside without proper clothes on or passing out in a snow bank.

“You may not feel the cold when you’re intoxicated. Or maybe you feel pain at first, but suddenly don’t feel cold anymore. When the pain goes away, that’s not a good sign,” says Dr. Jeschke. “Using common sense will help you avoid a frostbite injury.”

The post How to protect yourself from frostbite appeared first on Your Health Matters.

You can add another one to the list: the salt and ice challenge, which involves putting salt and water on your skin (usually the arm or hand), then seeing how long you can hold a piece of ice against it. Many people, particularly teens, have been recording themselves taking the challenge and then posting it on social media. Often, the people in the videos look to be in a fair amount of pain, showing off painful-looking red welts on their skin afterward.

So, what’s the problem with this challenge? Is it harmless, or is it actually dangerous?

“All the winner gets is a serious burn and a trip to the hospital,” says Dr. Marc Jeschke, director of the Ross Tilley Burn Centre at Sunnybrook.

You read that right – a burn. The mixture of salt, water, ice and body heat creates a unique chemical reaction that actually drops the temperature of the ice down to -28°C (-18°F). Holding something that cold directly against your skin will result in a full-thickness burn after only two to three minutes.

“A full-thickness burn means that the skin is totally destroyed. The skin becomes leathery and hard, and if the burn covers a large enough area, surgery and a skin graft may need to be performed,” says Dr. Jeschke.

So, why are people getting burn-type injuries from the salt and ice challenge, rather than typical frostbite? A key difference is the salt, which acts as an accelerant.

“In general, frostbite takes some time to develop, as the blood slowly crystalizes and causes damage,” says Dr. Jeschke. The salt and ice challenge causes injuries much more quickly, damaging the skin and nerve endings in the process.

You may be wondering how salt can cause ice to get colder, when we often use salt to quickly melt ice on our driveways and sidewalks. The answer lies in the unique chemical mix that ice, water, salt and body heat create. If you remove one of the ingredients from the equation, the chemical reaction will not happen. There is no source of heat present when you put salt on your icy driveway, meaning a different type of chemical reaction occurs, causing the temperature of the ice to rise rather than dramatically plunge (like it does in the salt and ice challenge).

Much like other challenges that have come before it, taking part in the salt and ice challenge is not a good idea.

“When you hold something cold against your skin and you feel pain, it’s your body’s way of trying to protect itself,” Dr. Jeschke says. “If you overcome the original feeling of pain, that’s not because you’re tougher or stronger, it’s because the nerve endings have been destroyed. Sometimes, that nerve destruction can be permanent, along with scarring on the skin.”

The post Why you shouldn’t take the salt and ice challenge appeared first on Your Health Matters.