Frostbite - NHS

Symptoms of frostbite

You can get frostbite if your skin is exposed to temperatures of 0C (32F) or below.

The parts of the body most often affected are the fingers, toes, nose and ears.

At first, your skin may be:

  • cold and firm
  • numb, or you may feel a stinging or burning sensation
  • painful, throb or ache
  • red or pale (redness may be harder to see on black or brown skin)
A person’s right hand with dark red blisters on their fingers caused by frostbite. Credit:

Danita Delimont / Alamy Stock Photo https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-antarctica-antarctic-peninsula-frostbite-victim-21308117.html?pv=1&stamp=2&imageid=393C255B-E948-427A-9BF0-AE16A341EE4E&p=68301&n=0&orientation=0&pn=1&searchtype=0&IsFromSearch=1&srch=foo%3dbar%26st%3d0%26pn%3d1%26ps%3d100%26sortby%3d2%26resultview%3dsortbyPopular%26npgs%3d0%26qt%3dB6JJM5%26qt_raw%3dB6JJM5%26lic%3d3%26mr%3d0%26pr%3d0%26ot%3d0%26creative%3d%26ag%3d0%26hc%3d0%26pc%3d%26blackwhite%3d%26cutout%3d%26tbar%3d1%26et%3d0x000000000000000000000%26vp%3d0%26loc%3d0%26imgt%3d0%26dtfr%3d%26dtto%3d%26size%3d0xFF%26archive%3d1%26groupid%3d%26pseudoid%3d144292%26a%3d%26cdid%3d%26cdsrt%3d%26name%3d%26qn%3d%26apalib%3d%26apalic%3d%26lightbox%3d%26gname%3d%26gtype%3d%26xstx%3d0%26simid%3d%26saveQry%3d%26editorial%3d1%26nu%3d%26t%3d%26edoptin%3d%26customgeoip%3d%26cap%3d1%26cbstore%3d1%26vd%3d0%26lb%3d%26fi%3d2%26edrf%3d0%26ispremium%3d1%26flip%3d0%26pl%3d

Frostbite gets worse the colder it is and the longer you’re exposed to the cold.

If frostbite gets worse, symptoms can include:

  • hard, frozen skin that can be white, blue or blotchy
  • swelling and loss of feeling in the affected area
  • blisters filled with blood or clear or milky fluid
  • the skin turns black and hard as it starts to die (this may be harder to see on black or brown skin)

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