My feet were frostbite, so I put my feet in hot water when I got home. Ice was forming in my shoe. After I put my feet in the water they puffed up A LOT, they were badly swollen!!! Should I get medical help? I can't bend my feet because they're so badly swollen!
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6Yup. Get medical attention asap.– RicketyshipCommented Dec 29, 2013 at 7:40
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1Questions asking for medical advice are not really good to answer in this Q&A format, especially when related to problems that would require more or less immediate reaction. You surely should get qualified medical advice as soon as possible.– Benedikt BauerCommented Dec 29, 2013 at 22:31
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2@BenediktBauer, couldn't this be useful? Your right, if I had this problem, my first reaction would be to contact the doctor not write a question here! But if a good answer is added here, anyone in the future searching for an answer to this may find this information useful. PS, Get medical attention.– user2766Commented Dec 30, 2013 at 9:36
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@BenediktBauer I agree that when an immediate answer is required, posting a question here doesn't make sense. But as Liam pointed out, answering the question will help others in similar situations. No harm in having the question here. If you still feel unsatisfied, please close the question so that others can air their opinion on the same.– RicketyshipCommented Dec 30, 2013 at 19:01
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@Unsung My comment was not intended as "This question is really really bad, we should close it and definitely not answer it" but more like some educational impulse to raise some sensitivity about the problems around medical questions.– Benedikt BauerCommented Dec 30, 2013 at 19:34
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2 Answers
Yes, you should seek medical expertise.
From healthcentral.com:
When the skin has thawed and rewarming is complete, cover the damaged skin with bandages and warm clothing. Contact your doctor or go to an emergency room.
Just to add to PPL's answer. The UK National Health Service has good practical advice on this also. It's available here. But to summarise some of the relevant points:
Treatment for frostbite depends on how severe your symptoms are. You should always seek medical attention if you suspect you or someone else has frostbite.
If symptoms are severe, go immediately to your nearest accident and emergency department
The affected areas need to be re-warmed. Do not try to do this until you are out of the cold. If the warming process is started and the frozen parts are re-exposed to the cold, it can cause further irreversible damage.
Re-warming should be done under medical supervision because:
- it can be a painful process that requires access to painkillers and expert medical assessment
- the best results are achieved using a whirlpool bath that contains a mild antiseptic
Severe frostbite
In cases of severe frostbite, you will need to be admitted to a specialist unit that has experience in treating these sorts of injuries.
This is often a specialist burns unit, as exposure to very high temperatures can cause the same sort of injury as exposure to very cold temperatures.