• If you live in a rural area and must venture out during a storm, make sure you don't get lost. Carry a compass and learn to use it before a storm hits. For going a short distance, tie a rope around your waist and securely fasten the other end to your home.
• Dress warmly and in layers. Wear a hat, since you lose the greatest amount of body heat through your head. Wrap a scarf around your face, and wear warm mittens or gloves and insulated waterproof boots with good treads.
• Cold weather strains your body, increasing your metabolic rate to help you produce heat. This metabolic rise can be hard on the heart, since it increases your blood pressure and heart rate. So take it easy. Since overexertion can kill, be careful when you're shovelling snow. Break up the task into manageable sections. Work slowly and take frequent rests; if you experience chest pain, stop immediately and get help.
• Ask your pharmacist if your medication can increase your vulnerability to cold temperatures; for instance, blood-pressure medications, beta-blockers and certain drugs for diabetes can make you more susceptible to cold.
• Watch out for icy patches; be especially careful on steps and driveways.
• Wind can lower air temperature and increase your rate of heat loss, so monitor the windchill as well as the temperature and dress appropriately.
Avoid frostbite
Frostbite occurs when you are exposed to temperatures below the freezing point of skin, and your tissues freeze. Your extremities – ears, nose, fingers and toes – are especially vulnerable.
There are two main types of frostbite. The superficial type affects the skin; deep frostbite can affect joints, bones and tendons, and lead to limb loss.
Being unable or unwilling to get in from the cold is the main reason people get frostbite. Especially high-risk situations include leaving skin exposed; wearing clothing that's too tight, is damp or not warm enough in temperatures of –15 C or colder; having a car accident or breakdown in bad weather; and drinking alcohol or using recreational drugs outside in the cold.
Smokers and people with diseases of the blood vessels are also at increased risk because they already have a decreased amount of blood flowing to their arms and legs.
Since there is no pain in the early stages of frostbite, learn to recognize these warning signs.
Your skin may:
• feel numb or look flushed;
• turn white or grey;
• tingle or burn; or
• feel cold to the touch.
If you suspect frostbite:
• Get yourself or the affected person to a warm area.
• Warm the frostbitten skin gradually by placing a warm hand on it or blowing on it.
• Never apply direct heat, such as a heating pad; it can burn the skin.
• Never rub the affected area.
• Seek medical attention as soon as possible.
Hypothermia
Prolonged exposure to cold temperatures can cause hypothermia – a condition in which the body loses heat faster than it produces it, causing the core body temperature to drop below 35 C. When this happens, body processes slow down. Symptoms requiring immediate attention are confusion, slurred speech, stiff muscles and uncontrollable shivering.
Risks for hypothermia, along with cold temperatures, include hunger, fatigue, dehydration and wearing clothes that are too tight, wet or inadequate for the conditions.
Page 2 of 6 – Go to page 3 for winter driving tips!
