Treatment For Frostbite And Acute Medical Sickness

Acute Mountain Sickness (ACM)

Air changes when you are in the mountains. The higher you go, the thinner the air gets. Breathing air that has less oxygen in it, can take a toll on your body. If your body does not adjust well to thinner air, you are bound to get sick. This is called acute mountain sickness...and you feel really bad if it happens to you.

You know your sick because you get a headache. You might also feel fatigued, dry mouth and light headed.

High Altitude Pulmonary Edema (HAPE)

When you go high in the mountains, it takes time for your body (especially your lungs) to adjust. Until your body adjusts, you are more than likely to feel sick or have a difficult time breathing. The chemistry in your brain changes as your body adjusts to higher altitudes.

If you are moving to higher altitudes, take your time and let your body adjust. If you don't, you could die. If you push yourself too hard, your brain could swell and your judgement will be impaired. You could feel nausea, dehydrated, have a fever and have impaired reflexes. All bad things if you hanging off the side of a cliff as you climb.

Be Prepared

You can prevent altitude sickness if you prepare yourself. Don't climb faster than your body can adjust to the change in the air. Don't climb more than 1,000 feet a day. Drink plenty of fluids to keep your body hydrated. Carry oxygen. Don't drink alcohol in high altitudes.

What To Do If Symptoms Occur

Once your feeling sick, stop your activity. Take an ibuprofen if you have a headache. Drink some fluids. If you don't feel any better in about 30 minutes, head back down. Descend slowly, taking your time.

Treatment For Frostbite And What It Is

Frostbite is painful. It happens with the tissue in our skin is exposed to the cold for too long of a time. Usually fingers and toes are the first to experience frostbite. When skin tissue gets damaged by cold weather, it is serious. Limbs may have to be removed if they are severely damaged.

You can tell when frostbite is beginning. It feels like someone is poking you with needle. You may feel num. Permanent nerve damage can help if you don't get your body warmed up.

It is very important when climbing, hiking or backpacking to safeguard yourself against frostbite. Conditions in Yosemite's high sierra mountains change dramatically and quickly. It never hurts to be prepared to know the treatment for frostbite.

Dress appropriately for you chosen outdoor activity. Wear the right shoes and socks. Wear clothes that keep your sweat away from your skin. Keep your skin dry.

Good gloves are important. Protect your hands and fingers. Fingers and toes are the first to be affected because the body's natural response to extreme cold is to tighten blood vessels in order to preserve interior body temperature.

We loose our heat first through our heads and then our feet. You can keep your head warm by wearing an appropriate hat or bandana. Wear hiking or climbing socks with a liner. Hypothermia and frostbite have serious consequences and should be avoided at all costs.

Spending time outdoors is a lot of fun. It is good exercise and keeps the mind and body strong. Prevent an adventure from going wrong by being prepared. If something does go wrong, it is important to remain calm.

Treatment For Frostbite:

Get out of the cold. Warm up the affected area as quickly as possible.

Do not rub the skin in order to get the blood flowing again. Friction to the skin will just destroy the already damaged skin and its tissue. This could also make room for an infection to set in.

If possible, pour warm water on the affected area. If your off the mountain, take a warm bath for at least an hour. Warm water will cause the blood vessels to dilate and get the circulation of the blood flowing again. If you are still on the mountain and you do not have access to warm water, put the affected frost bitten limb under your armpit or between your thighs.

Treatment for frostbite requires you to warm your body up. This is painful at best. Take an aspirin for the pain.

Do not smoke or chew tobacco. The nicotine reduces blood flow and will slow the healing process down.

When your skin has thawed out, cover the damaged skin with bandages. Then get yourself to the emergency room of a hospital to see a doctor for treatment of frostbite.

If there is any chance of refreezing a thawed body part, do not rewarm it. Freezing, rewarming and freezing the skin again will cause more tissue damage than being frozen the first time. As it re-thaws, the skin will turn red, swelling will occur and the area will become quite painful. Dark blisters will appear on the skin and continues to form over the next few weeks as old skin dies and new skin grows.