According to Stephanie S. Gardner, MD, WebMD, these are the four common symptoms of cold stress. Chilblains, cold Urticaria, frostbite, hypothermia, and trench foot.
Chilblains
Chilblains, or pernio, happen when the small blood vessels in your skin get inflamed after being exposed to cold, but not freezing, temperatures. These clusters of small blood vessels (capillary beds) get red and itchy, or they swell. Patches usually appear on your fingers, toes, ears, and cheeks. Blisters can pop up, too.
Chilblains can catch you off guard because it doesn’t have to be freezing outside for you to get them. In severe cases, ulcers can form. They usually clear up in one to three weeks, especially if temperatures warm up. However, the redness and itching may return with the next cold snap.
Cold Urticaria
Young adults are most likely to have this condition. It happens when the skin reacts to cold and breaks out in welts. The areas are reddish and itchy. Your hands may get puffy while holding a cold drink. Or, your throat and lips might swell when you eat or drink something frosty.
The condition often goes away with age, but reactions can be severe. Swimming in cold water can lead to serious reactions. Frigid air can be a factor, too. It can make your body shut down
Frostbite
This is tricky because you can’t feel it. The affected skin and tissue go numb. It’s most likely to strike your fingers or toes, or a part of your face that peeks out, like your ears, cheeks, chin, or nose. The exposure can lead to severe damage. The worst cases need amputation (complete removal of the body part).
Stay on the watch for yellowish-gray or white skin with a firm or waxy feel, or lack of feeling in a part of your body. To prevent this, make sure to dress appropriately for cold temps, especially if you have poor blood circulation.
Hypothermia
Hypothermia means that your body temp has dipped below normal. This is caused by prolonged exposure to cold temperatures. Your body loses heat faster than it can make it. Your thinking and movements slow down, too. It can make it hard for you to know what’s happening.
Cold weather can also put a strain on your heart. People with heart disease might have chest pain and discomfort.
Early signs of hypothermia include getting the shivers. This likely is your first clue that temps are dropping. Among the other symptoms of mild hypothermia:
- Feeling dizzy and confused
- Having trouble moving and speaking
- Feeling hungry and tired
- Nausea
- A rapid heart rate
Trench Foot
Also called “immersion foot,” this happens when your feet are exposed too long in a cold, wet setting. If your feet are already wet, trench foot can strike.
Wet feet lose heat super fast, 25 times quicker than dry feet. So your body leaps into gear to preserve its heat. It cuts off circulation (as well as oxygen and nutrition) to your feet.
Signs of trench foot include:
- Red, numb, swollen skin
- Tingling pain
- Leg cramps
- Blisters and ulcers
- Gangrene (tissues in your feet start to die, causing them to turn blue, grey, or deep purple).