Falls, frostbite & hypothermia are risks when temperatures plummet
Submitted by Parkview Health
As temperatures plunge below freezing across the region, planning ahead and limiting your exposure to the elements is key to protecting yourself from the biting cold.
Dr. Thomas Gutwein, physician executive for the emergency department and pre-hospital service line at Parkview Health, said thinking ahead and being prepared for extreme cold is the best way to avoid health incidents such as falls, frostbite and hypothermia.
Local temperatures are forecast to fall this weekend and into next week, with single-digit lows starting Saturday night and highs below 20 degrees Sunday through Tuesday.
Gutwein provided information on three health issues most commonly associated with bitter cold, what to look out for and how to avoid them.
Falls
Falling on snow and ice is a big risk during winter and when temperatures are sub-freezing. Falling outdoors not only puts you at risk for broken bones (especially among older patients) but can also leave you exposed to frostbite and hypothermia.
Whether you’re going out to get the mail, walking from your car into work or a store, going to the neighbor’s or taking your dog outside, dress for the weather from head to toe, Gutwein said. Although you expect to just run out for a moment, if you fall and injure yourself, that 30-second walk to the mailbox can become many minutes.
“When it’s really cold out, you need to think about what you’re doing before you go outside,” Gutwein said. “You need to make sure that you put proper shoes or boots on. You don’t want to throw on some sandals or slippers that are going to slide. I see a lot of people who fall on their deck just 8 feet from their back door because they’re going to run out their door real quick.”
“You should put on proper shoes or boots so they can grip the ground, along with a coat to keep you protected. And just be prepared to fall or get stuck in the cold every time you walk outside,” Gutwein said.
No matter how quick an errand you’re running, take your cell phone with you so you can call for help if you need it, Gutwein said. And let someone else know that you’re going outside and what you’re doing so they can come looking for you if you don’t return indoors at the expected time.
“It’s important to let somebody know you’re going out, especially the older you get,” Gutwein said.
Frostbite
Any skin left exposed to cold is at risk of frostbite. And the colder it is, the faster it can happen.
When your body gets cold, your blood vessels narrow, and your body works to preserve its core temperature to keep your brain and organs functioning. That reduces blood flow to your extremities – especially fingers and toes – which makes them the most susceptible to frostbite. But any area that’s exposed and gets very cold can be at risk, Gutwein said. When part of your body is getting reduced blood flow, it begins to lose both warmth and oxygen.
Frostbite develops in stages as blood flow to your extremities decreases, accompanied by decreasing nerve function before tissue begins dying.
“You’re going to start getting some burning in those tissues, tingling, then when you go past that stage and it gets numb and you lose sensation, then the skin will start to blister like a burn,” Gutwein said. “The smallest blood vessels, called capillaries, can freeze. The freezing causes expansion of the capillaries, which causes the capillaries and blood vessels to break open. Then, as those blood vessels break open, you get blood blisters. As it freezes deeper, then you get necrosis, which is death of the tissue.”
When you start feeling that burning cold sensation, it’s time to get out of the elements and indoors to warm up. Don’t rub your hands together to try to generate friction heat – that can damage skin that has become fragile due to reduced blood flow – and don’t run your cold skin under hot water, use lukewarm water at most, because your nerves have reduced sensitivity and you can burn yourself if you crank up the heat from the faucet, Gutwein said.
If you’re going to be outside in the cold, always wear layers of loose-fitting clothing to trap your body’s heat. Wearing tight-fitting clothing that compresses your body can reduce blood flow, which reduces heat and oxygen to your extremities, Gutwein said.
Hypothermia
If your body temperature drops too much, you could begin to experience hypothermia.
Hypothermia can begin occurring even indoors in conditions where a home is too cold. Gutwein noted, for example, senior citizens who have their furnace set too low to try to save on their gas bill can potentially be putting themselves in danger.
“As your body temperature gets colder, you slow down,” Gutwein said. “You’ll start shivering but then you’ll stop shivering, get colder, and get very slow. It’s harder for you to get around. You’ll feel extremely tired and fatigued. You can get confused because the blood flow to your brain is slower.”
If you’re getting so cold to the point of disorientation, hypothermia can quickly become an emergency, Gutwein said. In a state of confusion from cold, it’s not uncommon for people to actually start removing clothing, which will make them colder faster and speed them toward a greater risk of death. A person may also begin to experience stroke-like symptoms as blood flow and the oxygen that comes with it are reduced to their brain.
If you’re getting too cold, layer up with clothing or blankets, turn up the heat and/or get to a public warming station, which generally open during stretches of extreme cold.
Gutwein also provided one other reminder about staying warm indoors during the winter – never use any kind of heater meant for outdoor use, like kerosene heaters, inside your house. Aside from being a fire risk, using gas-based heaters inside the home can cause a buildup of deadly amounts of carbon monoxide gas.
“Everyone should have a carbon monoxide detector in their home as well as a smoke detector. Never use a heating source that’s intended to be used outside inside your house,” Gutwein said, also warning against using your barbecue grill inside your garage, as that can also release dangerous gases.
Be prepared
Gutwein’s final message: Be prepared.
Dress warm, wear good shoes, tell someone where you’re going, and keep your phone close. Whether you’re going to the mailbox or driving across town, auto accidents on snow and ice or vehicle breakdowns can be another winter danger – always consider the possibility that if something happens, you might be caught out in the elements for longer than you anticipate.
“When you go out and the temperatures or wind chills are less than 20 degrees, don’t think you’re going out for just two minutes,” Gutwein said. “You may unexpectedly be out in extremely dangerous weather for 20 minutes.”
