Can frostbite be cured completely?

Written by Xie Ming Feng
Dermatology
Updated on September 17, 2024
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Chilblains can recur because, in addition to cold being the primary cause, many other factors such as the skin's moisture, abnormalities in the microvasculature, autonomic dysfunction, malnutrition, anemia, and endocrine disorders might also contribute to the condition. Additionally, lack of exercise, excessive sweating of the hands and feet, overly tight shoes and socks, and prolonged outdoor work can also promote the occurrence of chilblains. Thus, chilblains are a multifactorial disease. The best way to prevent recurrence is through preventive measures. These include: first, strengthening physical exercise to promote peripheral circulation and enhance the body's ability to adapt to the cold; second, early in the early winter season, it is important to prevent cold, frostbite, and dampness, stay warm, and avoid wearing tight shoes and socks; third, once exposed to cold, one should not immediately warm up by a fire or soak in hot water; fourth, irradiating the affected areas with infrared before winter or frequently soaking feet in hot water can also help in preventing chilblains.

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Written by Zhu Zhu
Dermatology
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Frostbite is caused by how?

Chilblains is a condition many people have suffered from, especially prone to occur in winter. The main cause is due to poor cold resistance of the skin, coupled with low temperatures, which causes the peripheral skin blood vessels to constrict or spasm. This leads to local circulatory disturbances and tissue damage. Therefore, after developing chilblains, symptoms such as itching and pain are common, and it is essential to treat them promptly with medication.

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Written by Xie Ming Feng
Dermatology
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Can frostbite be soaked in hot water?

Chilblains occur when cold causes the small blood vessels at the extremities and peripheral ends of the human body to constrict and spasm, resulting in venous congestion and poor local blood circulation. Therefore, soaking the affected area in hot water can dilate blood vessels, improve microcirculation, and increase blood flow, which helps in treating chilblains. Adding some traditional Chinese medicinal herbs like safflower, Angelica sinensis, Salvia miltiorrhiza, dried ginger, and aconite to the hot water, which are known for their properties of warming and invigorating the circulation of blood and dispelling cold, can enhance the effectiveness of the treatment.

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Written by Xie Ming Feng
Dermatology
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Do chilblains hurt?

Frostbite occurs due to cold, causing the small arteries at the distal parts of our body to constrict, become paralyzed and spasm, leading to venous congestion and poor local blood circulation. Therefore, patients generally have symptoms such as itching and pain. Minor cases primarily present with itching which worsens with heat, while severe cases may mainly experience pain, especially when severe blisters, ulcerations, and further increased pain occur. If there is pain due to local frostbite, topical application of traditional Chinese medicine ointments that warm, expel cold, promote blood circulation, and relieve pain, or frostbite creams, capsicum tincture, etc., can be used.

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Written by Zhu Zhu
Dermatology
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How to stop the itching from frostbite?

After suffering from frostbite, itching occurs mainly due to the stimulation of peripheral nerves causing an itchy sensation. Therefore, to relieve itching, one can apply some anti-itch creams such as frostbite cream. Saline, ginger, and soap can also be used to alleviate itching by promoting local skin blood circulation and constricting local blood vessels, thus having an anti-itch effect. After frostbite itches, one must not scratch, press, or touch cold water.

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Written by Xie Ming Feng
Dermatology
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How to quickly form a scab when frostbite festers?

Frostbite, if the freezing duration is long, the local tissues will become more hypoxic and the cells will be severely damaged. At this point, local blisters, ruptures, erosion, and ulcers may occur. To quickly form a scab at this time, we should operate as follows: first, keep the local area as dry as possible; second, use astringent, drying, and anti-inflammatory ointments on the ruptured areas, such as boric acid ointment, boric acid zinc oxide menthol ointment, erythromycin ointment, mupirocin ointment, etc.