What are the symptoms of frostbite?

Symptoms of FROSTBITE are: (1) Skin redness or red bumpy rashes. (2) Skin problem over the back of the hand. (3) Skin Itching. (4) Hands and feet are cold. (5) Blisters. (6) Sores or ulcers of the skin

Frostbite Quiz

Check your symptoms and
find possible causes with AI for free

Reviewed By:

Maxwell J. Nanes, DO (Emergency department)

Yukiko Ueda, MD (Dermatology)

From our team of 50+ doctors

Please choose the symptom you are most concerned about.

It will help us optimise further questions for you.

By starting the symptom checker, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use

Find another symptom

Search for another symptom

How Ubie can help you

With an easy 3-min questionnaire, Ubie's AI-powered system will generate a free report on possible causes.

Your symptoms

Our AI

Your report

Personalized Report

✔︎ When to see a doctor

✔︎ What causes your symptoms

✔︎ Treatment information etc.

Just 3 minutes.
Developed by doctors.

Learn more about Frostbite

Content updated on Sep 20, 2022

What is frostbite?

This is a skin injury that occurs after exposure to low temperature. The skin freezes and blood vessels constrict.

Symptoms of frostbite

Skin redness or red bumpy rashes
Skin problem over the back of the hand
Skin Itching
Hands and feet are cold
Blisters
Sores or ulcers of the skin

Questions your doctor may ask to check for frostbite

Your doctor may ask these questions to diagnose frostbite

Do you have red skin or red spots on the skin?
Do your symptoms on your hand affect the skin past the wrist area?
Do you have itchy skin?
Do you have cold hands and feet?
Do you have blisters on your skin?

Treatment for frostbite

Simple cases can be managed with slow, gentle rewarming at room temperature, and pain medications. More serious cases may require surgery and medications to restore blood flow.

View the symptoms of Frostbite

Diseases related to Frostbite

References

Handford C, Thomas O, Imray CHE. Frostbite. Emerg Med Clin North Am. 2017 May;35(2):281-299. doi: 10.1016/j.emc.2016.12.006. PMID: 28411928.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0733862716301201?via%3Dihub
Joshi K, Goyary D, Mazumder B, Chattopadhyay P, Chakraborty R, Bhutia YD, Karmakar S, Dwivedi SK. Frostbite: Current status and advancements in therapeutics. J Therm Biol. 2020 Oct;93:102716. doi: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2020.102716. Epub 2020 Sep 4. PMID: 33077129.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0306456520304885?via%3Dihub
Regli IB, Strapazzon G, Falla M, Oberhammer R, Brugger H. Long-Term Sequelae of Frostbite-A Scoping Review. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Sep 14;18(18):9655. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18189655. PMID: 34574580; PMCID: PMC8465633.
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/18/9655
Hickey S, Whitson A, Jones L, Wibbenmeyer L, Ryan C, Fey R, Litt J, Fabia R, Cancio L, Mohr W, Twomey J, Wagner A, Cochran A, Bailey JK. Guidelines for Thrombolytic Therapy for Frostbite. J Burn Care Res. 2020 Jan 30;41(1):176-183. doi: 10.1093/jbcr/irz148. PMID: 31899512.
https://academic.oup.com/jbcr/article-abstract/41/1/176/5695870?redirectedFrom=fulltext
Laskowski-Jones L, Jones LJ. Frostbite: Don't be left out in the cold. Nursing. 2018 Feb;48(2):26-33. doi: 10.1097/01.NURSE.0000529802.75665.d7. PMID: 29324622.
https://journals.lww.com/nursing/Fulltext/2018/02000/Frostbite__Don_t_be_left_out_in_the_cold.9.aspx