Protecting and Maintaining Graceful Beautiful Summertime Feet

Top Toe Tips To Prevent Frostbite This Ski Season

13 February 2015

Wallace Howell

As the days of summer come to a close, it is time to turn your thoughts to your next favourite season of the year, and that is ski season! Whether you plan to hit the Mt Buller slopes in Victoria or Mount Mawson in Southern Tasmania, it is important you take every step possible to protect your most important piece of ski equipment, which are your feet! By using these tips to tend to your toes, you can avoid exposing them to frostbite while you are having fun up on the mountain.

What Is Frostbite?

When your body is outside enjoying the ski slopes, it has to work a little harder to protect you from the cold. The most important parts of your body, such as the lungs and the heart, need extra blood to keep working. This means that there is less blood available to keep other parts of your body warm. The losers in this blood flow battle are your fingers and toes. If they are exposed to severe cold for too long, frostbite occurs.

Frostbite can lead to damage of the skin in the affected areas, and in severe frostbite cases it can even be necessary to remove fingers or toes that have been affected.

How To Avoid Frostbite

There are a number of things that you can do before you head outside skiing to keep the chances of frostbite happening to a minimum:

• Make sure your hands and feet are well covered before you head outside. A double layer of socks will trap thermal heat between the layers and keep your feet warm. Hands should be encased in mittens rather than gloves, as mittens keep your hands warmer.
• Choose clothing that is made of a water repelling fabric so that your clothes are not soaking in moisture that ends up sitting on the skin.
• Do a finger and toe check every 30 minutes that you are outside. Give them a wiggle test, and if you notice any signs of numbness then it is time to head inside as soon as you can.
• If you do stack out while skiing and your clothes become wet as a result, you must return indoors to change into dry clothing.

By keeping these points in mind before you head outside, you can reduce your chances of frostbite occurring. However, if you think your feet have been exposed, then you need to seek medical attention from your podiatrist.

What Can Your Podiatrist Do If Frostbite Occurs?

It is important that until you get to see your podiatrist that you do not rub the frostbitten area in a mistaken attempt that you can improve circulation here. The skin affected by frostbite is very fragile, and rubbing it could cause permanent damage. You should also never try to pop any blisters that have appeared in the frostbitten area. Instead, cover the area with a clean, dry cloth, and head to the podiatrist's office.

After your feet have been thawed and returned to a normal temperature, there are a number of medical problems that can occur. Chilblains, for example, can damage the blood vessels that are in your feet, and the itchiness that results can drive you to distraction. Your podiatrist will be able to treat your feet with therapy and medicated creams to make sure that no permanent damage occurs.

Timing is important if you think your feet are suffering from frostbite exposure. The sooner you get medical attention from a specialist like Essendon Foot Clinic, the less chance you have of experiencing any permanent damage. Since you want to continue your skiing experiences for more than just this year, you must ensure that your feet get the loving care they need. This will help you to continue being upright and balanced when out on the slopes having a good time.

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