In late November, there was frequent cold air activity in many parts of the country. According to emergency department data from major hospitals, the number of patients with frostbite and hypothermia has significantly increased recently. What should I do to stay warm during the winter and avoid health hazards caused by low-temperature frostbite? What are the body parts that are prone to frostbite? Lu Yi, Deputy Chief Physician of the Emergency Medicine Department at Beijing Friendship Hospital: If it is mild frostbite, the most susceptible areas to frostbite are actually the distal regions, which are farther away from our hearts, such as our hands, feet, nose tips, ears, and cheeks. These areas have less blood supply and are prone to frostbite. How to scientifically handle frostbite? Experts suggest that for mild frostbite (skin redness, numbness, slight pain, no blisters or skin damage), the principle of "slow and gentle" should be followed for rewarming. For example, if clothing is adhered to frostbitten skin, it should not be forcibly torn. First, soak the adhered area in warm water and then slowly separate to prevent skin damage. Then soak the frostbitten area in warm water at around 40 ℃ for 15 to 30 minutes until the skin color returns to rosy. If blisters or skin damage appear in the frostbite area after rewarming, or if pain or numbness persists, seek medical attention promptly to avoid worsening of the condition. What preventive measures can be taken to avoid frostbite? It is better to take preventive measures in advance rather than treating frostbite after it has occurred. What should we do to effectively prevent frostbite? Wen Bing, Director of the Plastic and Burn Surgery Department at Peking University First Hospital: To prevent frostbite, we adhere to the "three warm" rule, which simply means keeping the head warm, hands and feet warm, and the core area warm. If the core area is not well protected, it may experience hypothermia, which is more harmful than frostbite and can lead to life-threatening situations. In cold and humid environments, we recommend three layers of dressing rules. Pay attention to sweating in the innermost layer. Pay attention to maintaining a certain air content in the middle layer, and then pay attention to windproofing in the outer layer. In addition, experts also suggest that outdoor activities should be moderate in cold environments. It is recommended to engage in simple activities such as rubbing hands, stomping feet, walking, etc. every 30 to 60 minutes to promote peripheral blood circulation. How to identify frostbite and hypothermia? We just learned that hypothermia is more harmful than frostbite. So what is hypothermia? Hypothermia, also known as hypothermia, is a phenomenon in which the core temperature of the human body is below 35.0 ℃, which can lead to life-threatening situations. However, many people easily confuse frostbite and hypothermia. How do we identify frostbite and hypothermia? Chang Yufei, Director of the Emergency Department at Beijing Ditan Hospital affiliated with Capital Medical University, said: Frostbite is generally localized, including exposed organs, especially frozen damage to parts such as fingers or nose tips. Generally speaking, there is no change in core temperature. Once there is a change in core temperature and systemic symptoms appear, it means that the body has entered a state of hypothermia. If the degree of hypothermia is mild, it means that the movements may be slightly slower than before, the speech may be a little unclear, or there may be dizziness, fatigue, nausea, and vomiting. This condition may gradually improve through emergency measures. However, if it is moderate to severe, the consciousness has become blurred, the speech is completely incomprehensible, and even there may be drowsiness and coma, it is necessary to go to the emergency department as soon as possible for further rewarming treatment. Pay attention to avoiding these "warmth traps" in cold weather. Some of the so-called "cold prevention and warmth tips" in daily life are actually wrong. Blindly using them may also bring health risks. Misconception 1: Drinking alcohol in cold weather can warm up the body. Lu Yi, Deputy Chief Physician of the Emergency Medicine Department at Beijing Friendship Hospital: This statement is incorrect. We say that after drinking alcohol, you may feel warm all over your body. This is precisely because drinking alcohol can cause the blood vessels in our skin to dilate. After dilation, it actually increases the exchange of blood flow and external temperature, which may cause our body temperature to drop faster and be less conducive to keeping warm. In colder regions, after drinking alcohol, especially in large quantities, people may lose consciousness and fall into a very cold environment, leading to hypothermia, which is a very dangerous situation. Misconception 2: The area of frostbite should be treated with very hot water bubbles. Wen Bing, Director of the Plastic and Burn Surgery Department at Peking University First Hospital, said: After frostbite, the sensation of our limbs decreases. Using very hot water bubbles can lead to new injuries, and our limbs lack awareness of these injuries due to poor sensation, which can easily cause further damage. (New Society)