Frozen fingers are no fun! You can also get frozen toes, noses, ears, and other exposed extremities. Winter cold can ruin your day!

We have all managed to get our fingers and other parts too cold. Just a few more minutes, I am almost done shoveling, one more ski run, a couple more fish through the ice… Then your fingers begin to get numb and have shooting pins and needles pain. This painful warning is your body telling you hat you have a problem.

If you ignore the pain, you could get frostbite or severely damage your fingers, toes or… You can also bury your hands, initially, in snow. The temperature is usually warmer than the air and can give some insulating relief. Next place your hands into pockets or…

Some folks have diseases that make them more susceptible to the cold. Raynaud’s Syndrome caused cold fingers more easily on warm, cold, or stressful days. Cold fingered folks could also have Hypothyroidism, Vitamin Deficiencies, Lupus, Anemia, Arterial Disease, or other issues.

Fingers freeze when it becomes especially cold. The body’s first priority is to keep the vital core organs warm. This means that circulation of warm blood to the extremities is reduced. Capillaries and vessels constrict, and cold sets in.

If your hands, feet, or other parts get painfully cold, soak them in warm water, not hot. You can also use a warm water-soaked sponge, towel, or cloth to wrap and warm up the area. Do not ignore your bodies alarms. Placing your cold fingers under your collar and on your neck arteries is also a good idea. These large and warm arteries can take the chill off fingertips in a hurry.

You can also blow warm air onto the areas. Use hand warmers, drink hot tea, place hands under your armpits, groin, or along your neck. 10-15 energetic jumping jacks will also help get the blood flowing.

The best way to prevent frozen hands is prevention. Know your limitations and use gloves, warmers, and less exposure to protect them. Fingerless glove or fingertip fold over gloves are a good choice when used with a pocket filled with a hand warmer. Electric gloves work well when driving wheelers and off-road rigs but can be too bulky to fish or hunt with.

When ice fishing, or outdoors in the cold, carry some backup spare gloves just in case. Also use plenty of hand lotion and or balm to keep your hands moist.

Hand outs can be dangerous!

Montana Grant