With Chicago-area temperatures dropping below zero, bringing dangerous wind chills near -40 degrees, frostbite can happen within minutes, but what are the signs you should be watching for?
"If it’s very below zero when you go outside, it can be a matter of minutes before you get frostbite on your hands," Dr. Trevor Lewis of Cook County Health said.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "frostbite is a type of injury caused by freezing" that leads to a loss of feeling and color in body parts, usually extremities such as the nose, ears, cheeks, chin, fingers, and toes.
Frostbite can lead to permanent damage to the body and in some severe cases can require amputation.
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The CDC said an individual is typically unaware of frostbite as frozen tissue is generally numb.
According to officials, frostbite could set in on exposed skin within 15 minutes with the face, ears, hands and feet most commonly impacted. In the conditions reported in the Chicago area Friday, frostbite could develop on exposed skin in as little as 10 minutes, however.
Frostbitten skin is whitish and stiff, and tends to feel numb, a release said. According to the CDC, exposed skin may also become painful.
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The CDC warned that skin may become grayish or yellow, feeling unusually firm or waxy, if frostbitten.
Lewis added that the body's natural mechanism to warm up is to shiver, a warning sign to those outdoors to get inside as quickly as possible and remove any wet clothing.
People who have poor blood circulation or are not properly dressed for extremely cold temperatures could be at a greater risk of getting frostbite.
In order to treat frostbite, the CDC advised to warm the affected part of the body gradually under layers of blankets and clothing while working to seek medical attention.
Health officials warned to not use a heating pad, electric blanket, fireplace, heat lamp, radiator or stove for warming. Rather, the CDC recommended to place frostbitten areas in "warm-to-touch" water.
"Wrap the frostbitten area in blankets, sweaters, coats, etc. and seek medical attention immediately," a release said.
Any wet clothing should also be removed as soon as possible once inside a warm room or shelter, officials said.
Officials warned to not rub frostbitten areas of the skin because the friction can damage the tissue.
