page_title: Frostbite
section_title: Society and culture
hierarchical_section_title: Frostbite / Society and culture
caption_attribution_description: English: Mountaineer (Nigel Vardy) in hospital with frostbitten face and hands following severe exposure whilst trapped on Mount McKinley in temperatures of minus 30C in 1999. Guardian news story.
context_page_description: Frostbite occurs when exposure to low temperatures causes freezing of the skin or other tissues. The initial symptom is typically numbness. This may be followed by clumsiness with a white or bluish color to the skin. Swelling or blistering may occur following treatment. The hands, feet, and face are most commonly affected. Complications may include hypothermia or compartment syndrome.
  People who are exposed to low temperatures for prolonged periods, such as winter sports enthusiasts, military personnel, and homeless individuals, are at greatest risk. Other risk factors include drinking alcohol, smoking, mental health problems, certain medications, and prior injuries due to cold. The underlying mechanism involves injury from ice crystals and blood clots in small blood vessels following thawing. Diagnosis is based on symptoms. Severity may be divided into superficial or deep. A bone scan or MRI may help in determining the extent of injury.
  Prevention is through wearing proper clothing, maintaining hydration and nutrition, avoiding low temperatures, and staying active without becoming exhausted. Treatment is by rewarming. This should be done only when refreezing is not a concern.
context_section_description: Several notable cases of frostbite include: Captain Lawrence Oates, an English army captain and Antarctic explorer who in 1912 died of complications of frostbite; noted American rock climber Hugh Herr, who in 1982 lost both legs below the knee to frostbite after being stranded on Mount Washington (New Hampshire) in a blizzard; Beck Weathers, a survivor of the 1996 Mount Everest disaster who lost his nose and hands to frostbite; Scottish mountaineer Jamie Andrew, who in 1999 had all four limbs amputated due to sepsis from frostbite sustained after becoming trapped for four nights whilst climbing Les Droites in the Mont Blanc massif.
caption: Mountaineer Nigel Vardy in hospital after suffering frostbite when benighted on Denali in 1999. His nose, fingers and toes were subsequently amputated.
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