MRSA infection – Symptoms & causes

Overview

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection is caused by a type of staph bacteria that’s become resistant to many of the antibiotics used to treat ordinary staph infections.

Most methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections occur in people who’ve been in hospitals or other health care settings, such as nursing homes and dialysis centers. When it occurs in these settings, it’s known as health care-associated (HA-MRSA). health care-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (HA-MRSA) infections usually are associated with invasive procedures or devices, such as surgeries, intravenous tubing or artificial joints. HA-MRSA can spread by health care workers touching people with unclean hands or people touching unclean surfaces.

Another type of infection has occurred in the wider community — among healthy people. This form, community-associated (CA-MRSA), often begins as a painful skin boil. It’s usually spread by skin-to-skin contact. At-risk populations include groups such as high school wrestlers, child care workers and people who live in crowded conditions.

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Symptoms

Staph skin infections, including , generally start as swollen, painful red bumps that might look like pimples or spider bites. The affected area might be:

• Warm to the touch
• Full of pus or other drainage
• Accompanied by a fever

Staph infection

infections start out as small red bumps that can quickly turn into deep, painful abscesses.

These red bumps can quickly turn into deep, painful boils (abscesses) that require surgical draining. Sometimes the bacteria remain confined to the skin. But they can also burrow deep into the body, causing potentially life-threatening infections in bones, joints, surgical wounds, the bloodstream, heart valves and lungs.

When to see a doctor

Keep an eye on minor skin problems — pimples, insect bites, cuts and scrapes — especially in children. If wounds appear infected or are accompanied by a fever, see your doctor.

Causes

Different varieties of Staphylococcus aureus bacteria, commonly called “staph,” exist. Staph bacteria are normally found on the skin or in the nose of about one-third of the population. The bacteria are generally harmless unless they enter the body through a cut or other wound, and even then they usually cause only minor skin problems in healthy people.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, around 5% of the population chronically carries the type of staph bacteria known as .

Antibiotic resistance

is the result of decades of often unnecessary antibiotic use. For years, antibiotics have been prescribed for colds, flu and other viral infections that don’t respond to these drugs. Even when antibiotics are used appropriately, they contribute to the rise of drug-resistant bacteria because they don’t destroy every germ they target. Bacteria live on an evolutionary fast track, so germs that survive treatment with one antibiotic soon learn to resist others.

Risk factors

Because hospital and community strains of generally occur in different settings, the risk factors for the two strains differ.

Risk factors for HA-MRSA

• Being hospitalized. remains a concern in hospitals, where it can attack those most vulnerable — older adults and people with weakened immune systems.
• Having an invasive medical device. Medical tubing — such as intravenous lines or urinary catheters — can provide a pathway for to travel into your body.
• Residing in a long-term care facility. is prevalent in nursing homes. Carriers of have the ability to spread it, even if they’re not sick themselves.

Risk factors for CA-MRSA

• Participating in contact sports. can spread easily through cuts and scrapes and skin-to-skin contact.
• Living in crowded or unsanitary conditions. outbreaks have occurred in military training camps, child care centers and jails.
• Men having sex with men. Men who have sex with men have a higher risk of developing infections.
• Having HIV infection. People with HIV have a higher risk of developing infections.
• Using illicit injected drugs. People who use illicit injected drugs have a higher risk of infections.

Complications

infections can resist the effects of many common antibiotics, so they’re more difficult to treat. This can allow the infections to spread and sometimes become life-threatening.

infections may affect your:

• Bloodstream
• Lungs
• Heart
• Bones
• Joints

Prevention

Preventing HA-MRSA

In the hospital, people who are infected or colonized with often are placed in isolation as a measure to prevent the spread of . Visitors and health care workers caring for people in isolation may need to wear protective garments.

They also must follow strict hand hygiene procedures. For example, health care workers can help prevent HA-MRSA by washing their hands with soap and water or using hand sanitizer before and after each clinical appointment.

Hospital rooms, surfaces and equipment, as well as laundry items, need to be properly disinfected and cleaned regularly.

Preventing CA-MRSA

• Wash your hands. Careful hand washing remains your best defense against germs. Scrub hands briskly for at least 20 seconds. Carry a small bottle of hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol for times when you don’t have access to soap and water.
• Keep wounds covered. Keep cuts and scrapes clean and covered with clean, dry bandages until they heal. The pus from infected sores may contain , and keeping wounds covered can help prevent the spread of the bacteria.
• Keep personal items personal. Avoid sharing personal items such as towels, sheets, razors, clothing and athletic equipment. spreads on infected objects as well as through direct contact.
• Shower after athletic games or practices. Shower immediately after each game or practice. Use soap and water. Don’t share towels.
• Sanitize linens. If you have a cut or sore, wash towels and bed linens in a washing machine set to the hottest water setting (with added bleach, if possible) and dry them in a hot dryer. Wash gym and athletic clothes after each wearing.

More Information

Necrotizing Soft Tissue Infection | Johns Hopkins Medicine

What is necrotizing soft tissue infection?

A necrotizing soft tissue infection is a serious, life-threatening condition that requires immediate treatment to keep it from destroying skin, muscle, and other soft tissues. The word necrotizing comes from the Greek word “nekros”, which means “corpse” or “dead”. A necrotizing infection causes patches of tissue to die.

These infections are the result of bacteria invading the skin or the tissues under the skin. If untreated, they can cause death in a matter of hours.

Fortunately, such infections are very rare. They can quickly spread from the original infection site, so it’s important to know the symptoms. 

What causes necrotizing soft tissue infection?

News stories often use the phrase “flesh-eating bacteria.” But, many types of bacteria can invade an open wound, even a small cut. Sometimes a necrotizing infection can be caused by a bacteria called Streptococcus, the same bacteria that causes strep throat. However, more often, many different types of bacteria are involved in a necrotizing infection including:

• Enterococci
• Staphylococcus aureus
• Clostridium perfringens
• Anaerobic and gram negative bacteria such as E. coli

It can take time to find out which bacteria are present. For this reason, your healthcare providers may recommend a treatment that can fight many different infections. Delaying treatment increases your risk for a more serious problem.

Who is at risk for necrotizing soft tissue infection?

The bacteria that cause necrotizing soft tissue infections are usually introduced when a small cut or scrape becomes contaminated with soil or saliva so anyone can be infected. Those at greater risk are those with an open wound, even a small cut, especially if it has been in contact with dirt or bacteria in the mouth. Other risk factors include having peripheral artery disease, diabetes, obesity, and lifestyle habits such as heavy alcohol use and injection drug use.

What are the symptoms of a necrotizing soft tissue infection?

These are the most common symptoms of a necrotizing soft tissue infection. See your healthcare provider right away for any of these symptoms:

• Pain that hurts more than you think it should, based on the size of the wound or sore 
• A wound accompanied by a fever (higher than 100. 4°F or 38°C) and a rapid heartbeat (usually more than 100 beats a minute)
• Pain that extends past the edge of the wound or visible infection
• Pain, warmth, skin redness, or swelling at a wound, especially if the redness is spreading rapidly
• Skin blisters, sometimes with a “crackling” sensation under the skin
• Pain from a skin wound that also has signs of a more severe infection, such as chills and fever
• Grayish, smelly liquid draining from the wound
• A small sore or pus-filled bump that is unusually painful to the touch
• An area around the sore that is hot to the touch
• Difficulty thinking clearly
• Excessive sweating
• Areas of skin at or near the wound that feel numb
• A sore that won’t heal, especially if you are obese, have diabetes, or have a weak immune system as a result of using a steroid regularly, if you are taking chemotherapy for cancer, if you are on dialysis, or if you have peripheral artery disease, heavy alcohol use, or HIV/AIDS

People with some of these symptoms are surprised to learn that they have a necrotizing soft tissue infection because it did not seem to be especially severe at first. But these infections can progress rapidly if they are not aggressively treated. If you have a skin infection with a warm, red area, you should use a marker or pen and outline the red area so that you and the healthcare provider can see how far and how quickly it spreads outside the line.

The symptoms of a necrotizing soft tissue infection may look like other medical conditions or problems. Always see your healthcare provider for a diagnosis.

How is a necrotizing soft tissue infection diagnosed?

Your healthcare provider will likely ask you about:

• Your medical and travel history
• If you’ve recently been bitten by an animal or spider
• If there was an injury to the affected area which was soiled or contaminated with saliva from the mouth
• If you’ve been exposed to slightly salty (brackish) water or saltwater
• Whether you’ve eaten raw seafood
• Whether you have a history of intravenous (IV) drug use

If you’ve developed a necrotizing soft tissue infection as a result of surgery, it may be slower moving and your skin at the wound site may even look normal at first.

Because your healthcare provider may not be able to tell how far the infection has spread with only a physical exam, he or she might order tests to get more information. These could include:

• Blood tests, including a complete blood cell count
• X-rays to detect air in soft tissues
• MRI scan
• Tissue culture to determine which type of bacteria is present

Your medical team will check test results for unsuspected organisms and also for bacteria that are hard to treat with the usual antibiotics, which may prompt a change in medicine.

How is a necrotizing soft tissue infection treated?

Treatment must be aggressive and started quickly to be effective. It might include most or all of the following:

• Removal of the infected tissue. This is to prevent the spread of the infection. The process is known as surgical debridement.
• Antibiotics or antifungal treatments. These medicines fight the infection at its source.
• Hyperbaric oxygen therapy. With this therapy you will spend time in a pressurized chamber that increases the amount of oxygen available for you to breathe and for your red blood cells to take in. This is thought to help in wound healing.
• Tetanus immunization. Your healthcare provider might also recommend a tetanus shot to protect against additional infection.

What are the complications of a necrotizing soft tissue infection?

A necrotizing soft tissue infection can destroy skin, muscle, and other soft tissues, and, if untreated, lead to death.

Can a necrotizing soft tissue infection be prevented?

Your best approach to necrotizing soft tissue infections is to do your best to avoid them. To help prevent these infections:

• Do foot checks and skin checks. If you have diabetes or a weak immune system, always check your feet and skin so that you can find and treat any small sores as soon as they appear. Do not let them enlarge and become more vulnerable to infection.
• Care for wounds and surgical sites carefully. Follow your healthcare provider’s instructions when caring for wounds and surgical sites to prevent infection and keep the area clean.
• Wash and cover small cuts and scrapes. Rigorously clean even small cuts with soap and water. Cover with an adhesive bandage.
• Avoid sharing personal items. This can include towels and razors.
• Wash your hands regularly. This is especially important before preparing food, after coughing or sneezing, and after caring for people with strep throat or wounds from injury or surgery.
• Know your risk factors. You are at increased risk for these infections if you have peripheral artery disease, diabetes, are obese, or have lifestyle habits such as heavy alcohol use and injection drug use. Manage your risk factors to reduce the risk of infection.
• See a healthcare provider immediately if you develop symptoms of the infection. 

Key points about necrotizing soft tissue infection

• A necrotizing soft tissue infection is a serious, life-threatening condition.
• It can destroy skin, muscle, and other soft tissues.
• A wound infection that is especially painful, hot, draining a gray liquid, or accompanied by a high fever, or other systemic symptoms needs immediate medical attention.
• Treatment must be aggressive and started quickly to be effective.
• Prevention includes immediately caring for any cuts or sores.

Next steps

Tips to help you get the most from a visit to your healthcare provider:

• Know the reason for your visit and what you want to happen.
• Before your visit, write down questions you want answered.
• Bring someone with you to help you ask questions and remember what your provider tells you.
• At the visit, write down the name of a new diagnosis, and any new medicines, treatments, or tests. Also write down any new instructions your provider gives you.
• Know why a new medicine or treatment is prescribed, and how it will help you. Also know what the side effects are.
• Ask if your condition can be treated in other ways.
• Know why a test or procedure is recommended and what the results could mean.
• Know what to expect if you do not take the medicine or have the test or procedure.
• If you have a follow-up appointment, write down the date, time, and purpose for that visit.
• Know how you can contact your provider if you have questions.

Cracks in the skin of hands and fingers: treatment in Krivoy Rog

November 17, 2021

Hands cracked? Urgently see a doctor! Cracks in the skin of the hands are a problem that haunts many. Often, the cause of dryness and cracks is professional activity, and the responsibility for the violation of the integrity of the epidermis lies with diseases of the internal organs, allergic reactions. Accurate diagnosis and treatment of hand skin cracks in Krivoy Rog: Dermatology Department of the Mediton Clinic!

Cracks in the leather are standard linear defects caused by insufficient elasticity. A crack can form in almost any area, and cause not only natural discomfort, but also pain. Unfortunately, due to the abundance of implausible information on forums and websites, people think that cracks are not dangerous, they appear on the skin only in elderly people or representatives of working professions, they appear only in individual cases and strictly in certain areas. But it should be understood that such defects are the gateway for infections, cracks degenerate into purulent wounds, and appear not only in the case of working with cement or mechanical damage, but can also indicate really serious diseases that must be treated without fail!

Dry skin of the hands, cracks on the fingers , deep wounds, thinning of the skin, roughness and itching, skin tears on the fingers cracks and suppuration, pain and hyperemia, burning of the skin, bleeding of cracks on the palms and fingers, the appearance of wounds around nails. .. familiar? If your hands are cracked, the skin on the fingertips and near the nails has burst, it’s time to seek help, make an appointment with a dermatologist, undergo an examination and start treatment!

In difficult cases, when differential diagnosis is required, the doctor prescribes analyzes and tests, dermatoscopy or other instrumental methods of examination. If necessary, a referral to an endocrinologist, allergist, gastroenterologist, dermatovenereologist and dermatooncologist, and other specialists is issued!

Why hands crack: causes

Why hands crack: causes, diseasesThere are many factors that cause cracks on the skin of hands and fingers, skin on the palms and around the nails bursts:
• Unbalanced diet, eating harmful products, the abuse of fast food, as well as bad habits – alcohol, nicotine, drugs and other drugs that can lead to skin damage, cracks and bleeding, the appearance of red spots;
• Prolonged use of drugs, uncontrolled use of illegal drugs, improper treatment in excess of the dosages indicated by a specialist, which necessarily entails negative consequences not only for the skin, but also for systems and individual organs of life support. If the skin of the hands is cracked or the fingers near the nails often burst, you feel burning and pain, this may be a side effect of the components of the medications taken;
• Poor-quality cosmetics for hands and nails, cheap household chemicals, aggressive substances – dishwashing detergents, gels and pastes for plumbing that dry the skin and cause irritation, allergic reactions. Thin skin dries up and bursts, damage near the nails is more often noticeable, the skin on the fingers becomes thinner and redder, palms crack. In the case of the complex influence of weather conditions, allergic reactions and household chemicals, cracks in the fingers can rot, wounds increase;
• Long-term and systematic work with varnishes and paints, solvents, other aggressive substances, adhesives, acids. It is possible not only a one-time damage to the skin in the form of a burn, but also a reaction due to the cumulative effect when working with phenols, formaldehydes, acrylates, when the skin bakes, reddens and itches, and after scratching, blood and crusts appear. Possible cracks on the palms, near the nails;
• Contact with dry mixes, building materials, in particular gypsum and cement, lime, pigments and modifiers that affect the epidermis. The protective layer becomes thinner and dries up, the skin on the fingers and palms cracks, deep cracks and non-healing wounds are possible;
• Failure to comply with safety regulations, ignoring the rules and regulations that require the wearing of gloves and mittens, due to which corns, mechanical damage in the form of cracks, the skin on the palms may become thinner. The same applies to cosmetologists, medical personnel, laboratory assistants. Hands crack after latex gloves, rubber gloves, allergies to components are possible, as well as a reaction to changes in skin moisture and breathing patterns, and temperature changes. Equally significant is the problem of gloves today, during the COVID-19 pandemic.- gloves, frequent washing of hands and sanitizers, due to which the skin on the fingers bursts, or it is waterlogged, warm and itchy;
• Chronoaging and photoaging of the skin, that is, the natural aging process and changes under the influence of ultraviolet radiation. Due to the systemic loss of moisture, macro- and microelements, a decrease in the level of collagen and elastin, the skin becomes less elastic and durable, loses its smoothness and elasticity, and may crack after tension even during exercise or while doing housework;
• Lack of vitamins A, B and C in the body – known to many beriberi, which leads to the corresponding symptoms: loss of firmness and elasticity of the skin, cracks, dryness, burning of the skin, age spots, as well as a number of symptoms from the internal organs and systems, up to to the central nervous system;
• Hypervitaminosis – an overdose of vitamins, which is no less dangerous and can lead to negative consequences. In relation to the problem under discussion, this is increased dryness of the skin and mucous membranes – cracks and ulcers on the hands, thinning of the epidermis, allergic reactions, rash and itching, the skin of the fingers near the nails may burst;
Cracks in the fingers, skin on the back of the hand bursts • Cold urticaria, reaction to cold, cold allergy – the body’s response to low temperatures, when hands are said to have cracked from frost. There are dermatitis, severe rash, spots on the skin, redness, peeling of the skin on the hands and cracks, including cracks on the palms, the back of the hand. A similar reaction to constant changes in temperature is possible, and not just to cold;

• Physical activity during work in the yard, in the country, hard work in production – the skin on the hands, fingers and the back of the hands cracks, calluses appear on the palms. The protective layer is damaged, dirt gets inside the cracks, wood and metal shavings, the remains of building mixtures get in, which leads to even deeper damage and infection – cracks in the fingers can fester, areas nearby become inflamed, which leads to loss of efficiency;
• Contact dermatitis, atopic dermatitis and other types of body responses to external stimuli. Among them may be metals, bioadditives and preservatives, medicines, building materials, cosmetics. As a reaction, microcracks may appear on the fingers and the back of the palms, redness and burning, dryness and peeling of the skin on the hands;
• Dyshidrotic eczema with the formation of blisters, erosions and cracks on the palms and feet, microbial eczema – redness and ulcers on the back of the hands, other types of disease;
• Psoriasis is a chronic pathology with frequent relapses. The disease is manifested by the appearance of red spots on the surface of the skin, silvery scales, rashes on the extensor surfaces of the joints. Psoriasis often affects the palms and surfaces of the hand: spots, rashes, redness, dry skin, cracks with bleeding, skin on the fingers and palms bursts;
• Diabetes mellitus, often undiagnosed when the disease is signaling. Perhaps an increase in itching of the hands due to dryness, recurrent skin infections, cracks in the skin of the hands and feet during the course of which are more than real!

Cracks between the fingers , redness of the periungual folds, dry palms when the skin bursts and does not heal, burning of the surface of the hand, spots and rashes, microcracks with blood and other similar injuries are possible for the reasons that we described above. But it should be understood that these are not all factors of influence. The appearance of skin lesions with cracks and ulcers, bleeding of wounds and long healing, as well as additional negative symptoms in relation to the skin, can cause dozens of diseases and malfunctions in the body. These are hormonal imbalance, fungal and infectious skin lesions, exposure to ultraviolet radiation with a cumulative effect, dermatitis, summer skin irritations, and gastrointestinal diseases!

Right now pay attention to the hands , the condition of the skin, its compliance with accepted standards. If there is damage on the surface, dryness and cracks, peeling of the skin on the hands, and while washing your hands you feel pain or burning, and you have been observing this condition for several days, this is a problem. Why does the skin crack on the fingers, near the nails and on the palms, our doctors will tell!

Cracks in the fingers and skin of the hands: treatment in Krivoy Rog

If the skin cracks on the fingers, near the nails and on the palms, ulcers are visible on the phalanges and folds of the fingers, the skin dries and flakes, you notice redness between the fingers, it is important to strictly adhere to the recommendations of a specialist. For the treatment of cracks, the dermatologist prescribes creams and ointments for moisturizing, taking into account the type of skin, balance preparations, healing topical preparations. According to the diagnosis, antifungal formulations, antiviral, anti-inflammatory and antihistamines are recommended. For quick recovery and prevention, it is important to follow a diet, choose the right cosmetics and household chemicals, and maintain hygiene!

Dryness and cracks in the skin of the hands: treatment in the department of dermatology Make an appointment with a dermatologist, dermatovenereologist and trichologist for the diagnosis and treatment of cracks in the skin of the hands, damage to the skin of the fingers, treatment of nails. At your service is an enhanced diagnostic complex, consultations of an infectious disease specialist, a dermato-oncologist, an allergist, as well as ultrasound, dermatoscopy, analyzes and tests for allergens. We will establish the cause and tell you how to treat cracks on the fingers and palms. Inquiries by phone (098) 530-60-40!

Additional information:

Dry skin on the elbows

Rash on the face, back and abdomen

Dermatological diseases frosts

Over the past three days, 39 appeals due to hypothermia, 19 due to frostbite

Surprisingly, but abnormal frosts again took some residents of Tatarstan by surprise and caused a lot of inconvenience and trouble. Many had to give up long-awaited family walks on holidays, but some, despite the announced storm warning, the requests of all emergency services to stay at home and take care of themselves if possible, still landed in a hospital bed.

According to the Kazan ambulance station, in the last three days alone, 39 calls were received from residents of the city due to hypothermia, 19 due to frostbite. Eleven people were hospitalized, two patients even had to amputate their toes.

In Tatarstan, as reported by the press service of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Tatarstan, during the holidays, from December 31 to January 9, 126 people suffered from hypothermia and frostbite, 95 were hospitalized.

“I went out to fix the car, I thought I could do it in 10 minutes, but I got frostbite on my hands”

Kazan resident Rinat is being treated at the Republican Clinical Hospital. His hands are bandaged on both hands. Rinat says that it is still difficult to bend his fingers – he feels pain and burning. The man froze his hands late in the evening on January 7, when he was returning home from guests. At some point, his car stalled, he had to go outside to fix it.

It took Rinat almost half an hour instead of ten minutes to repair the car. When he returned home, he felt that his fingers were burning unbearably

Photo: © Elena Salyakhova / Tatar-inform

“I didn’t even think of calling someone for help. I knew I could handle it. After all, I am a mechanic, there were not many cases there, as it seemed to me then. I thought I’d figure it out in ten minutes, sit down and go on,” Rinat recalled the details of the evening.

But because of the severe frost, the fingers began to tan, it became more and more difficult to sort out the details of the machine. It took almost half an hour to repair the car instead of ten minutes. When Rinat returned home, he felt that his fingers were burning unbearably, and a few hours later the skin on his hands was covered with blisters.

“And you don’t immediately feel all these symptoms. I caught myself when the blisters went, the wounds opened. I was scared, I realized that I needed to call an ambulance. Henceforth, now I will know that it is impossible to be on the street for so long in such a frost, which I advise everyone else. Better to wait at home. If you go outside, you need to dress as warmly as possible, ”summed up the patient.

When tissue damage is too deep and doctors are powerless to save the patient’s frostbitten arm or leg, amputation has to be resorted to

Photo: © Tatar-inform

Frostbitten toes were amputated for two Kazan citizens

But there are cases when the tissue damage is too deep and doctors are powerless to save the patient’s frostbitten arm or leg, then they have to resort to amputation. Marat Usmanov, , head of the Department of Purulent Surgery at the Clinic of Medical University , said that two patients had to be amputated since the onset of abnormal cold weather.

Both are residents of Kazan. The first got frostbite while working at a construction site. The man spent the whole day on the street, returning home, he felt very unwell. The neighbors called an ambulance. When the victim was brought to the hospital, the doctors had no choice but to amputate the toe.

“This man worked a whole shift without rest. There was no time to go to a warm room and warm up. With frostbite, as a rule, a person does not feel the limbs at first. Then, when pain appears, it is already too late, irreversible changes in the tissues begin. This man came to us with deep tissue lesions,” the doctor said.

The second patient led an asocial lifestyle and ended up in the hospital only thanks to the caring residents of Kazan. They noticed him as he lay unconscious on the street and called an ambulance. By the time he was in the hospital, two of his toes had been affected. They had to be amputated.

Dinar Davliev: “In our latitudes, people are most often injured during temperature fluctuations, when first there is a warm winter, then it gets colder”

Photo: © Elena Salyakhova / Tatar-inform

People with poor blood circulation and diabetes mellitus are at risk

You can get frostbite not only during abnormal cold weather, but also during warmer times, warns the surgeon of the burn department of the Republican Clinical Hospital Dinar Davliev . It is easy to guess that in most cases the likelihood of getting frostbite depends on the length of time spent outdoors and how warmly we are dressed.

“Frostbite is a type of injury that can be received even at positive temperatures. But in our latitudes, people are most often injured during temperature changes, when first there is a warm winter, the so-called European one, then it gets colder and severe frosts set in. As a rule, such differences occur in January. And every year at this time the number of patients with frostbite increases,” said Dinar Davliev.

Nevertheless, there is a category of people who do not need to get frostbite. The risk group includes drinkers, people with poor circulation, vascular diseases and diabetes. In such patients, the sensitivity of the hands and feet is impaired. There is a high probability of not noticing the first signs of frostbite in time.

Dinar Davliev also classified fishermen and motorists as those at risk of getting frostbite. The former can get injured both due to a long stay in the frosty air, and falling through the ice, the latter can get stuck on the track due to a car breakdown.

The likelihood of getting frostbite depends on the length of time spent outdoors and how warmly we are dressed

Photo: © Ramil Gali / Tatar-inform

It is strictly forbidden to rub the affected areas of the skin and heat them!

In such frosts it is important to keep an eye on children, because if an adult understands that he is cold, then the child cannot always explain what happened to him.

The first thing to do if a child gets frostbite is to go into a warm room, pediatricians advise. In no case should you rub the affected areas of the skin with snow or a towel, put your hands and feet on the batteries and dip them in hot water. Thus, you can only aggravate the injury and even introduce an infection. You can take drugs to improve blood circulation and seek medical help.

“Due to rubbing, the tissue itself can be damaged and an infection can enter the body. It is better to apply a dry bandage to the frostbitten area. Drinking plenty of fluids can also help during frostbite. It’s better to drink sweet tea, it will warm you from the inside,” advises Lenar Dzyumenko, head of the trauma center of the Children’s Clinical Hospital .

By the signs of frostbite, one can understand its degree, there are at least three of them. At the first stage, a person ceases to feel fingers and toes, tingling sensations appear at the site of frostbite, and the skin becomes whiter. When blisters appear on the affected areas, this is already the second stage. In the third stage, the hands and feet of the victim begin to turn blue – tissues die off, doctors have to carry out an amputation.

“Nevertheless, the most common degrees of frostbite are the first and second. It is at this time that a person needs to provide first aid and turn to qualified specialists,” summed up Lenar Dzyumenko.

Fortunately, as Tatar-inform was told at the Children’s Clinical Hospital, no children with hypothermia or frostbite have yet been admitted to them.

Lenar Dzyumenko: “It is better to apply a dry bandage to the frostbitten area. Drinking plenty of water can also help during frostbite.”

Photo: © Sultan Iskhakov / Tatar-inform

A drunk can easily fall asleep in a snowdrift and freeze

One more piece of advice for residents, which Tatarstan narcologists insist on, is not to warm yourself with alcohol in the cold. The head of the 1st inpatient department of the Republican Clinical Narcological Dispensary Damir Vagapov noted that a drunk person’s heat exchange is disturbed, he runs the risk of easily overcooling.

“Once in the body, alcohol works as a muscle relaxant, relieves muscle tension, including relaxing the muscles of blood vessels. There is an expansion of small peripheral vessels of the circulatory system. According to the principle of communicating vessels, blood from large vessels arrives at the capillaries and warms the skin. Skin receptors feel heat, but due to increased heat transfer in the cold, they quickly lose it. A false sensation of warming causes hypothermia of the body as a whole. Alcohol in the cold will not help to warm up, and the statement about the benefits of alcohol is a big lie,” said Damir Vagapov.

The majority of emergency calls for hypothermia are made by people who are intoxicated. Doctors say that a drunk person is not able to sensibly assess the situation, he can easily fall asleep in a snowdrift and freeze.

Abnormal frosts, according to meteorologists, will last until the evening of Tuesday, January 10, then gradually subside. However, experts are sure that this is not a reason to relax, to get frostbite easily and with a lighter frost.