Frostbite

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• Frostbite Overview
• Frostbite Causes
• Frostbite Symptoms
• When to Seek Medical Care
• Exams and Tests
• Frostbite Treatment
• Self-Care at Home
• Medical Treatment
• Next Steps
• Follow-up
• Prevention
• Outlook
• Synonyms and Keywords
• Authors and Editors
• Related frostbite articles:
  Frostbite - on WebMD
  Frostbite - on MedicineNet

Frostbite Overview

Frostbite occurs when tissues freeze. This condition happens when you are exposed to temperatures below the freezing point of skin.

The condition has long been recognized. A 5000-year-old pre-Columbian mummy discovered in the Chilean mountains offers the earliest documented evidence of frostbite. More recently, Napoleon’s surgeon general, Baron Dominique Larrey, provided the first description of the mechanisms of frostbite in 1812, during his army’s retreat from Moscow. He also noted the harmful effects of the freeze-thaw-freeze cycle endured by soldiers who would warm their frozen hands and feet over the campfire at night only to refreeze those same parts by the next morning.

Although frostbite used to be a military problem, it is now a civilian one as well. Most people who get frostbite are males aged 30-49 years. The nose, cheeks, ears, fingers, and toes (your extremities) are most commonly affected. Everyone is susceptible, even people who have been living in cold climates for most of their lives.