Cold Weather Safety Tips: Avoid Accidental Hypothermia & Frostbite

Exposure to cold weather can be life threatening. Learn how to can protect yourself and your family. Cold weather dangers: Persons at risk. Those living, working, and spending time outdoors, or living in unheated homes when the temperature is 40 degrees F or colder (night or day), especially if it is windy or you are wet.* Persons who have been consuming alcohol or drugs, or taking certain medications. Persons who have certain chronic health conditions (e.g., diabetes, hypothyroidism). Persons who havent been eating adequate food. Babies, persons who elderly, and those living with certain chronic medical conditions. What is hypothermia? An abnormally low temperature in the body due to cold temperatures. Note: A low body temperature affects the brain, making it difficult to think clearly or move well. This makes it especially dangerous because you may not know it is happening. Warning signs of hypothermia. shivering, especially if it is strong and prolonged slurred, slow or confused speech drowsiness, lethargy fumbling hands / stumbling while moving exhaustion (affecting your ability to move or get up after resting) signs of frostbite [see below] confusion, memory loss, loss of good judgment (you wont realize this is happening)

Seek warm shelter or medical help immediately when you become aware of any of these symptoms.
What is frostbite? An injury to the body caused by freezing. The freezing of skin and nearby tissue of body parts (e.g., toes, fingers, ears, and nose ). Deep frostbite can affect the nearby bones, joints, and tendons. Cases of severe frostbite can result in the need for affected body parts to be medically amputated. Warning signs of frostbite Numbness (loss of feeling) and color in the nose, ears, cheeks, chin, fingers, or toes. Skin that feels unusually firm or waxy; a white or grayish-yellow skin area. You might be unaware of frostbite until someone else points it out to you--because frozen tissues are numb.

Seek medical care if you think you have frostbite.

*Winter weather between 40 and 50 degrees F also is dangerous when it is windy, you are wet, or if you are especially vulnerable to hyperthermia (e.g., elderly, sick, inebriated, malnourished).

Reduce your risk of hypothermia and frostbite when outdoors.

Wear hats, mittens, gloves, socks, and layers of loose clothing to trap warm air as barriers against the wind and to keep the body dry. Cover your mouth and nose with a scarf to prevent heat loss from breathing. Do not consume alcohol or illegal drugs that alter your mood and mental state. Stay dry: Dont sit on the snow or wet surfaces; get shelter from rain and snow. Dont over exert yourself. Carry and have available emergency supplies: blankets, non-caffeinated fluids, high-energy food, an extra supply of medications for chronic conditions, etc. When you begin to experience any signs of hypothermia or frostbite, seek warm shelter and/or call for help immediately.

Hypothermia and Frostbite: Cats & Dogs

It is a misconception that the fur coat on cats and dogs protects them from cold weather. Vulnerable cats and dogs include those that: are wet; have short hair or short legs, are very young or elderly; are sick or have chronic health conditions (e.g., arthritis, diabetes). If you have pets, bring them indoors. If you cannot bring them inside, provide adequate shelter to keep them warm and dry, and make sure that they have access to unfrozen water.

Adapted from:
Extreme Cold: A Prevention Guide to Promote Your Personal Health and Safety, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, available online at: http://www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/winter/guide.asp Frostbite and Hypothermia in Pets, available online at: http://www.pets.ca/dogs/articles/frostbite-andhypothermia-in-pets/ Hypothermia: A Cold Weather Hazard, National Institute on Aging, available online at: http://www.nia.nih.gov/health/publication/hypothermia-cold-weather-hazard Hypothermia Facts, available at: http://www.adventuresportsonline.com/skihypo.htm Kansas Health Statistic Report (August, 2012), Kansas Department of Health and Environment, available online at: http://www.kdheks.gov/phi/khsnews/khs54.pdf Tips for Being Outdoors during Winter Storms (Jan. 31, 2011), El Dorado Times, http://www.eldoradotimes.com/article/20110131/NEWS/301319924/0/SEARCH Winter Homeless Services: Bringing Our Neighbors in from the Cold (2010), National Coalition for the Homeless, available online at: http://www.nationalhomeless.org/publications/winter_weather/report.html.

Prepared for CommunityGrace.info (Dec. 2012). To correct or add information or additional resources to this guide, please email: jgstorandt@msn.com.