Tissue damage caused by extreme cold. Although frostbite is most likely to occur in extremeties (toes, fingers, noses, etc.) because they tend to receive less blood in cold conditions, frostbite can harm any part of the body that is left exposed. A good way to prevent frosbite in exposed areas like the face is to keep the skin and muscles constantly moving, thereby increasing blood flow and warmth. The colder it is, the faster frostbite takes effect.

Symptoms: The very first symptom is a pins and needles sensation, much like the feeling that your foot is falling asleep. Numbness soon sets in. The skin appears white, cold, and hard to the touch, and then becomes red and swollen. If the frostbite is severe enough to actually kill the skin's underlying blood vessels, gangrene can set in. After thawing, the areas where the tissue is dead will become black, indicating that the damage is permanent. Amputation may be necesssary.

Treatment: Thawing can be attempted only if there is no risk of further freezing. The damaged parts should be warmed as quickly as possible by immersing them in water of about 40 degrees Celsius (hot but not burning). Movement and massage are not helpful. If warm water is not available, cover the area with warm hands or clothing, but never use direct heat.

With information from The Canadian Medical Association Home Medical Encyclopedia


I used to blame my bad luck on the snow (everytime it snowed it seemed as though something bad always happened to me) until I met the boy nick-named Frost. My whole life changed that day.

I should start from the very beginning. The day of the field trip it snowed, and my dislike for the snow having put me in a bad mood, I was in no way about to tell the teacher I didn't want to go on a stupid trip to some stupid college that wasn't mandatory. Thank God I went on that trip. Frost had the same class the following semester, so he was also on this trip. I met him right away on the bus by one of our mutual friends. We just clicked. We stayed together the whole trip and ate lunch together. We had a lot in common and knew we would stay friends for along time.

Upon returning to school, we promised each other that we would hang out everyday. So in the next week when the new semester started and classes got shuffled around, I found that Frost and I had the same 10th period class. He moved to sit behind me (eventually getting yelled at by the teacher to return to his original seat). Within a few days, Frost asked me out. I don't think I was never happier at than at that moment. But there was a problem-my parents are very strong believers in the "no dating until you are ready to marry" idea. And so long as I am living in their house, I have to follow the house rule of no dating until I am 21. So I told Frost I could only go out with him so long as my parents never found out. He understood and I had my first boyfriend.

We were so happy together and it felt so natural to have him by my side. He even gave me my first kiss. Neither him nor I could stand keeping our relationship away from my parents, so Frost and I broke up. I thought my world was coming to an devastation.

We stayed friends and, even though he did date someone else while we were apart, we got back together because neither of us could stand being apart. It was so sweet, we got back together on his birthday in March. Everything was great.

Then his manager (who grew up around my family) found out Frost and I were dating and threatened to tell my father. It was still eating both of us up inside hiding our going out from my parents, so we deciding that we should break up. It happened on the first day before spring break...the day it snowed.

I freaked out and said Fate must hate me. I also told him bad things always happen to me when it snows. He simply said, "You know, FROST isn't always a bad thing." I instantly knew that what I said had hurt him. I never intended any of it to do that. I was miserable all of spring break and probably cried myself to sleep every night.

The break gave me time to think about me and Frost. And when I thought about it, Frost made snow take on a opened my eyes for me. I mean, it snowed the day I met him, it was snowing when he gave me my first kiss, and it snowed the day I found out someone really did care for me the way I cared about them.

Now I'm out of school and I graduated this past Saturday. I haven't seen Frost in about a week. I finally realized that even though he said he still wanted to be friends, that it was just a way to let me go without completely ripping my heart to shreds.

Frost"bite (?), n.




© Webster 1913.

Frost`bite", v. t.

To expose to the effect of frost, or a frosty air; to blight or nip with frost.

My wife up and with Mrs. Pen to walk in the fields to frostbite themselves. Pepys.


© Webster 1913.

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