Two Important Health Risks Of Winter Weather

By Andrew Tyahla on February 24, 2015

When winter weather hits, it often disrupts the plans and lives of the people living in the area.

With record low temperatures and winter storms across the United States, it is important to take precautions and adjust routines in order to deal with the bitter cold and avoid health risks of winter weather.

Shoveling snow

Shoveling snow is one of several activities that leave people susceptible to hypothermia and frost bite. Image from Flickr.

Avoiding Hypothermia

Staying outside too long can lead to hypothermia, one of the health risks of winter weather. According to the Centers for Disease Control, hypothermia is an abnormally low body temperature, which occurs when the body is exposed to colder temperatures.

As a result, the body loses heat faster than it can be produced. This affects the brain, making it hard to think straight and move. When the brain’s functions are inhibited, it can be hard to notice if you have developed hypothermia. While it can happen to anyone, those who have been drinking or otherwise spend a lot of time outside are especially susceptible.

Symptoms of hypothermia include shivering, exhaustion, memory loss, confusion, fumbling hands, slurred speech and drowsiness. If these symptoms have been observed, take the victim’s temperature immediately. If it is below 95 degrees Fahrenheit, seek medical attention as soon as possible.

In the meantime, get the victim into a warm room and change them out of their wet clothes. Then warm him or her up starting with the center of the body using an electric blanket or skin-to-skin contact under loose, dry cloth.

Warm beverages can help, but do not serve alcohol. Warm, sweet beverages such as hot chocolate are best. Once the body temperature is raised, keep the person warm using a warm blanket until medical attention is available. In severe cases, hypothermia victims may fall unconscious and may not have a noticeable pulse or may not appear to be breathing. In this case, administer CPR until help arrives.

Avoiding Frostbite

Another of the health risks of winter weather is frostbite. According to the Mayo Clinic, frostbite is an injury caused by the skin and the muscles below it freezing due to exposure to extremely cold air. It most often occurs on fingers, toes, ears, cheeks, the chin and the nose.

At first the victim may feel a prickling feeling in the affected area, along with numbness. The affected areas may also turn pale or red. At this point, the person would be suffering a mild form of frostbite known as frostnip. This can be treated by getting somewhere warm and dry. While the affected person feels slight pain when warming up, the damage will not be permanent. Severe frostbite can kill the tissue and in some cases require amputation.

To prevent frostbite, avoid staying outside longer than necessary. When you do go out, dress in layers of loose clothing and cover as much skin as possible without cutting off blood flow. While outside, keep moving, but do not exhaust yourself. As soon as you notice a prickling sensation anywhere on your body, get inside.

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