[It's a bit chilly, cold is stinging and skin is going to suffer].
Contrasting with many animals, the human physiological capacity to resist to cold is quite limited. Severe cold exerts its major physiopathological effects on the skin and the whole body. The skin and body thermoregulations become quite rapidly unsatisfactory. Cold is then responsible for a series of dermatoses which could, however, be often prevented by simple means. The severity and the duration of exposure to cold, combined to wind speed, altitude and environmental hygrometry condition the nature and severity of the potential disorders. Some lesions may remain moderate in severity, self-limited and transitory. Others lead to irreversible damage with necrosis of the skin and the deeper tissues. Death secondary to hypothermia is the risk of performing some outdoor activities in inhospitable and extreme cold conditions.
Quatresooz
P
P
Service de Dermatopathologie, CHU du Sart Tilman, Liège, Belgique.
Piérard-Franchimont
C
C
Paquet
P
P
Piérard
G E
GE
D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D012871:Skin Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D012879:Skin Physiological Phenomena; D014887:Weather