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Frostbite - cold weather health tips

When exposed to very cold temperatures, skin and underlying tissues may freeze, resulting in frostbite. The areas most likely to be affected are your hands, feet, nose and ears.

You can identify frostbite by the hard, pale and cold quality of the skin that has been exposed to the cold. As the area thaws, the flesh becomes red and painful. If your fingers, ears or other areas are frostbitten do the following:

Get out of the cold.

Warm your hands by tucking them into your armpits.

If your nose, ears or face is frostbitten, warm the area by covering it with dry, gloved hands.

Don’t rub the affected area, especially with snow. If there’s any chance of refreezing, don’t thaw out the affected areas.

If they’re already thawed out, wrap them up so they don’t refreeze.

Get emergency medical help if numbness remains during warming.

If you can’t get help immediately, warm severely frostbitten hands or feet in warm — not hot — water.

Hypothermia

Unlike other warmblooded animals that have a layer of hair or blubber to keep them warm, you need an extra layer of clothing to keep you warm when it’s cold outside. Without that extra layer of clothing, more heat escapes from your body than your body can produce. If too much heat escapes, the result is hypothermia. Exposure to cold water and certain medical conditions also can cause hypothermia.

Hypothermia occurs when your body’s control mechanisms fail to maintain a normal body temperature. Signs and symptoms that may develop include gradual loss of mental and physical abilities. Severe hypothermia can lead to death. For most Americans, hypothermia isn’t a serious risk. Still, each year nearly 700 people in the United States die of hypothermia.

In addition to prolonged exposure to cold temperatures, factors that commonly increase your risk of hypothermia include advanced or very young age, substance abuse, impaired mental status and immersion in cold water. When you’re outdoors enjoying such activities as camping, hunting, fishing, boating and skiing, be aware of weather conditions and whether you or others with you are wet and cold. The best approach to being cold and wet is to move indoors and get warm and dry early — before you develop hypothermia.