What is freezing vs. non-freezing cold injury and how to identify early symptoms

What is classed as a cold injury?

A cold injury refers to damage caused to the body by prolonged exposure to extremely cold temperatures. Just how long the exposure needs to be before damage occurs can depend upon multiple factors, such as how low the temperature gets and the quality and suitability of any protective clothing and equipment you use.

There are two types of cold injury; freezing cold injuries (FCIs) and non-freezing cold injuries (NFCIs).

What is a freezing cold injury?

As the name suggests, freezing cold injuries occur at the lowest temperatures, when the body is exposed to temperatures at or below freezing for a sustained period.

Frostbite is a well-known example of a freezing cold injury. It occurs when physical tissue becomes frozen after prolonged exposure, and typically effects the extremities, such as hands, feet, ears, nose or lips.

How do you treat a freezing cold injury?

Treating a freezing cold injury as soon as symptoms start is critical. Early symptoms include pins and needles, throbbing or aching in the affected area, and the skin will become cold, numb and white. If exposure to the cold persists, further symptoms include:

• Hardening skin
• Blue or blotchy skin
• Blistering as the tissue begins to thaw
• Thick black scabs after thawing (tissue necrosis)
• Hypothermia

As soon as early symptoms begin, try and find a warm environment to prevent any further damage and seek medical assistance. The affected area will normally be warmed up by immersing it in warm (not hot) water.

Where the injury is more severe and tissue necrosis occurs, it may be necessary to remove dead tissue or, in the worst cases, amputation may be required.

What is a non-freezing cold injury?

Non-freezing cold injuries occur at low, but not freezing, temperatures and can be common in occupations where outdoor work is required regardless of the conditions, such as the military.

These injuries often occur in cold and wet or damp conditions; trench foot, or immersion foot, is a common example.

What are the early symptoms of a non-freezing cold injury?

As with freezing cold injuries, the early symptoms of a non-freezing cold injury include redness or swelling in the skin, numbness, tingling or pain in the affected area, and blistering when the tissue thaws.

While non-freezing cold injuries are commonly considered to be less severe than freezing cold injuries, they can still carry long-term effects if the correct steps to limit and treat damage are not taken.

Those who suffer from a non-freezing cold injury can continue to experience chronic pain, reduced sensations in the affected area, or even permanent impairment.

Can you claim for a non-freezing cold injury?

Unfortunately, non-freezing cold injuries can be common in the military, and most occur in training exercises undertaken in the UK.

In almost all cases, non-freezing cold injuries are avoidable if the proper protective gear, safety training and procedures are followed. This means that if you’ve suffered an injury and were not diagnosed or treated quickly enough, you’ll likely be eligible to make a claim.

To learn more about non-freezing cold injury claims in the military, visit our page here or get in touch online or call 0330 041 5869 to speak to a member of our team about your case.