Frostbite is an injury caused by freezing of the skin and underlying tissues. First your skin becomes very cold and red, then numb, hard and pale. Frostbite is most common on the fingers, toes, nose, ears, cheeks and chin. Exposed skin in cold, windy weather is most vulnerable to frostbite. But frostbite can occur on skin covered by gloves or other clothing.

Signs and symptoms of frostbite include:

*At first, cold skin and a prickling feeling
*Numbness
*Red, white, bluish-white or grayish-yellow skin
*Hard or waxy-looking skin
*Clumsiness due to joint and muscle stiffness
*Blistering after rewarming, in severe cases

Dr. David Nestler, a Mayo Clinic emergency medicine specialist, says hospital emergency departments see an influx of weather-related injuries with each snowstorm. He reminds the public about the dangers of frostbite and other health problems and hesay falls are amonght eh most common emergencies. "The snow and ice make it easy to slip and fall," says Dr. Nestler. "We see many, many broken bones because of that." Weather-related vehicle accidents, heart attacks triggered while shoveling snow and exposure injuries, such as frostbite, also send more people to emergency rooms.

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