Cold and windy conditions put people at risk for cold related injuries like frostbite or hypothermia.
Dr. Amery Robinson, an Emergency Physician at Aspirus Health, says frostbite typically affects extremities like your fingers or toes.
Your nose and ears are also susceptible to frostbite.
“Early warning signs include a lack of sensation,” said Dr. Robinson.
“If your fingers or toes start to feel numb, or tingle, those are signs you might be headed toward a cold injury.”
Gently begin rewarming the affected area. If numbness, blisters, severe pain, or discoloration persist, seek medical attention promptly.
Dr. Robinson says hypothermia is a loss of body temperature.
“For hypothermia it's the ‘umbles’. So if you're stumbling, bumbling, fumbling, mumbling, if you're getting confused, or you're noticing that you can't walk as well, those might be signs, too, or especially if you're shivering,” said Robinson.
You don’t have to be outside to get hypothermia.
He says some of the most severe cases he has seen came when someone fell in a basement or garage, and lost heat through contact with the cold floor.
For mild cases, a sweet treat can help warm you back up, as it gives your body the energy it needs to generate heat.
Finally, Dr. Robinson offers this simple guidance for anyone who may be at risk for a cold injury: “Seek shelter, seek glucose, seek dry clothing, seek reliable warmth, and seek help,” he said.
