Fact or Fiction: Frostbite

Image: Pal Hermansen/The Image Bank/Getty Images

About This Quiz

The word 'frostbite' probably brings to mind images of Himalayan mountain climbers with icy beards and blackened fingertips. This quiz will help you recognize the symptoms and give you some tips on what to do if you're ever stricken with frostbite.

When you have frostbite, ice crystals form in your skin cells.

fact

fiction

almost fact: Your skin gets extremely cold, but it doesn't actually freeze.

Correct Answer

Wrong Answer

Your skin does freeze when you have frostbite, so yes, that means ice crystals are forming in your skin cells.

SCROLL TO NEXT QUESTION

The first stage of frostbite is called frostnip.

fact

fiction

almost fact: The first stage is called frostpinch.

Correct Answer

Wrong Answer

Frostnip it is. Your skin will be irritated but not permanently damaged.

SCROLL TO NEXT QUESTION

One of the first signs of frostbite is a white outline around your mouth.

fact

fiction

almost fact: Your lips turn purple first.

Correct Answer

Wrong Answer

Tingling in the extremities is one of your first danger signs.

SCROLL TO NEXT QUESTION

If you're feeling tingling in your extremities, your skin is also probably starting to lose its pigmentation.

fact

fiction

almost fact: The skin turns red in the initial stages of frostbite.

Correct Answer

Wrong Answer

Your skin will turn red first.

SCROLL TO NEXT QUESTION

After your skin becomes red, it will start turning white.

fact

fiction

almost fact: It will turn red, then start cracking, before it fades to white.

Correct Answer

Wrong Answer

That's right -- after your skin becomes red, it will start turning white.

SCROLL TO NEXT QUESTION

If you're still out in the elements after your skin turns white, you'll notice that your fingernails are turning yellow.

fact

fiction

almost fact: Your fingernails will actually start to fall off.

Correct Answer

Wrong Answer

Neither fingernail scenario is correct. If your skin has turned white, it will soon start becoming hard and waxy.

SCROLL TO NEXT QUESTION

You should never try to warm frostbitten skin by putting it in hot water.

fact

fiction

almost fact: You should use hot water for a minor case, but not if you're severely frostbitten.

Correct Answer

Wrong Answer

Plunging your damaged skin into hot water would cause even more harm. The best method is to use a bath of water that's 100 to 106 degrees Fahrenheit.

SCROLL TO NEXT QUESTION

If you're unable to get to shelter, the best thing you can do is start rubbing your skin as vigorously as possible.

fact

fiction

almost fact: Just rub your hands together to create friction and then put them over your ears.

Correct Answer

Wrong Answer

Nope, rubbing of any type will also cause even more damage.

SCROLL TO NEXT QUESTION

If you can, try to put gauze or cloth between your fingers and toes to prevent them from sticking together.

fact

fiction

almost fact: Take care to use only natural fibers. Synthetics will make things even worse.

Correct Answer

Wrong Answer

Any kind of clean material you can put between your digits will help.

SCROLL TO NEXT QUESTION

Whatever you do, don't remove any of your clothes, even if they're wet.

fact

fiction

almost fact: You should remove any clothing that's restricting blood flow.

Correct Answer

Wrong Answer

Maintaining blood flow is of utmost importance, so even if it seems wrong to take off clothing when you're freezing, just do it.

SCROLL TO NEXT QUESTION

Even if you think there's a chance of your skin refreezing, you should try to thaw it out.

fact

fiction

almost fact: You should try to warm up only if you have a very mild case.

Correct Answer

Wrong Answer

You'll cause even more damage if you thaw out and then refreeze, so resist the temptation if there's any chance it might not last.

SCROLL TO NEXT QUESTION

Severe frostbite can penetrate all the way through to the bone.

fact

fiction

almost fact: It can only go as far as muscles.

Correct Answer

Wrong Answer

Yes -- in the most severe frostbite cases, the damage goes all the way to the bone.

SCROLL TO NEXT QUESTION

If you have severe frostbite and are able to warm your skin, it will form a blister that will turn black and harden into a shell.

fact

fiction

almost fact: This is what happens when you have superficial frostbite.

Correct Answer

Wrong Answer

This certainly sounds severe, but it's actually what happens with superficial frostbite. If the damage isn't too bad, the shell eventually falls off to reveal new skin underneath.

SCROLL TO NEXT QUESTION

The blister will show up immediately after you rewarm your skin.

fact

fiction

almost fact: It will probably take a couple of hours for the blister to appear.

Correct Answer

Wrong Answer

That lovely fluid-filled blister will most likely appear 24 to 36 hours after you've warmed up.

SCROLL TO NEXT QUESTION

Frostbite occurs most often in young children and the elderly.

fact

fiction

almost fact: It's actually middle-aged people who get it most.

Correct Answer

Wrong Answer

The young and elderly are probably most vulnerable to frostbite, but most cases occur in people aged 30 to 49, just because they're the ones who are most out in the elements.

SCROLL TO NEXT QUESTION

Gloves offer more protection against frostbite than mittens do.

fact

fiction

almost fact: It's the other way around.

Correct Answer

Wrong Answer

Mittens are better because your fingers aren't separated and can warm each other.

SCROLL TO NEXT QUESTION

Smoking increases the risk for frostbite because it decreases lung capacity.

fact

fiction

almost fact: Smokers are more susceptible to frostbite because their immune systems are compromised.

Correct Answer

Wrong Answer

Smokers are more at risk for frostbite, but it's because smoking constricts blood vessels.

SCROLL TO NEXT QUESTION

You can get a fever from frostbite.

fact

fiction

almost fact: A fever usually occurs only if you've also contracted pneumonia.

Correct Answer

Wrong Answer

It sounds strange that your body temperature could rise when your skin is freezing, but a fever is a sign of severe frostbite.

SCROLL TO NEXT QUESTION

One case of frostbite increases your risk of developing it again.

fact

fiction

almost fact: That';s true only if you had a very severe case.

Correct Answer

Wrong Answer

If you've ever had frostbite, you're now more vulnerable to another case.

SCROLL TO NEXT QUESTION

A man who lost both legs to frostbite climbed K2 in 2006.

fact

fiction

almost fact: He made it to the summit of Mount Everest.

Correct Answer

Wrong Answer

Mark Inglis had both legs amputated below the knee after being stranded on New Zealand's Mount Cook in 1982. Twenty-four years later, he climbed Everest.

FINISH QUIZ

You Got:

/20

Pal Hermansen/The Image Bank/Getty Images