The winter cold and snow can be such good excuses for you to go out and participate in lots of activities such as skiing, snowboarding, and sledding. However, staying out for so long in the biting cold can have awful repercussions like frostbite.

When body tissue gets frozen, the condition is called frostbite. This would happen if you stay out in the cold for too long. Other cases such as hypothermia can also accompany this condition. Frostbite occurs in several stages. When the only frozen part is the surface skin, it's called frostnip. The next stage is when the skin continues to freeze and becomes hard. This is already a second degree injury. If this continues on, then a deep frostbite would occur. When this happens, all of the tendons, muscles, nerves, and blood vessels of the affected part are frozen. In cases like these, the productivity of the affected part is temporarily lost, and in severe cases, the loss can even be permanent.

The first symptom of frostbite that you should look out for is a "pins and needles" kind of sensation, which would eventually be followed by a numbness. A throbbing or aching may occur, but the affected part will later become insensate. Skin affected with frostbite is pale, hard, cold, and will have no feeling. If this happens to you or to someone you know, do first aid immediately. Get the person into dry clothing and take him to a hospital. If the feet are affected, then somebody has to carry him. If he cannot be gotten into the hospital immediately, then immerse the affected areas in warm water and have him drink something warm as well. When the skin thaws, wrap the affected areas to prevent them from freezing again.