Frost is a relative concept.Everyone knows this from their own experience. Minus five and quiet is one thing, but minus five and strong wind is another. A ski trip in light thermal underwear and a sports jacket is one story, but in a down jacket and a fur hat it is a completely different story. Ahead is a long, beautiful winter, and how cold it can be, we learned in November. So knowledge of the rules of first aid for frostbite is a useful thing.Altayturcentercollected advice from practicing doctors.

THREE FIRST AID RULES FOR FROSTBITE

The first. Cannot be warmed up sharply and with high temperatures... This means that the frozen part of the body is first immersed in cool water, then in warm and never hot. First you need to warm up slightly - in the dressing room, corridor, and only then in the bathhouse or near the stove. Under no circumstances expose the victim to high temperatures!

Second. They warm the core, not the periphery(core - internal organs, especially heart, lungs and brain, periphery - skin and muscle tissue). What does this mean in practice? With strong cooling, not the arms, legs, nose, but the whole body are heated. Place additional heat sources on the large arteries of the body - on the neck, in the armpits, in the groin (these can be special chemical heating pads, plastic bottles filled with warm water, heated stones, compresses (must be wrapped in cloth to avoid burns)). Wrap the person in a warm blanket like a cocoon. Give warm sweet tea.

Third. If you are cold, then freeze further... This rule is relevant for those who are on the road, who cannot "here and now" be in a warm room. What does this mean in practice? Do not completely reheat a frozen body part if it then has to become very cold again. Climbers often walk on frostbitten feet without loss, warming them up after returning from the route. As soon as the fabric freezes, the major damage has already been done.

PROVIDE HELP, DO NOT PUT DIAGNOSIS

If something goes wrong - in front of you is a person in the snow, in a snowdrift, frozen into the ice, with no signs of life, never diagnose "everything, nothing to help." Help. Doctors have a concept of a "metabolic refrigerator". This is when a person looks dead but is still alive. This means that you need to deliver such a person to the hospital as soon as possible, and the final diagnosis will be made there. And there is a high probability that the person will be saved.

And the main rule at all times is that after first aid, the help of professionals, that is, doctors, is important..

Information prepared by Zhanna Mikhienko

Photo: Roman Zaikovsky