What’s more dangerous, sunburns or frostbite?
What’s more dangerous, sunburns or frostbite?
Thanks to Fred Kilbourne and insure.com
In a recent year in England, 24 people were hospitalized for frostbite (22 were males). Perhaps half of these involved tissue necrosis (death of part of you), but the study didn’t report the number of associated amputations (fingers, toes, etc.). Sunburn is far more prevalent than frostbite (even in gloomy England).
In the U.S., about one-third of Americans reporting that they were burned by the sun within the past year. Sunburn hospitalizations are also rare – but sunburn is far more dangerous than frostbite because of one word – melanoma. This sometimes fatal form of skin cancer has been linked to severe sunburns, even those that occurred decades before the cancer appeared.
Other titles in this series:
What’s more dangerous, showers or baths?
What’s more dangerous, motorcycles or horses?
What’s more dangerous, bears of lightning?
What’s more dangerous, a spouse or a serial killer?
