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The most common cold weather-related injuries in Colorado and how to stay safe, according to an emergency room doctor

Denver Health ER doctor warns cold related injuries spike in freezing temps
Denver Health ER doctor warns cold related injuries spike in freezing temps 02:00

Coloradans are used to being outside, no matter the weather. But sometimes, it's just too dangerous like when it gets as cold as it has been this weekend.

Dr. Stephen Wolf is the chair of emergency medicine at Denver Health. He says he sees how dangerous the extreme cold can be to a person's health every year.

"Last year, we treated over 200 people for cold-related injuries and weekends like this upcoming weekend are of particular concern," Wolf said.

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Dr. Stephen Wolf, chair of emergency medicine at Denver Health CBS

He says when temperatures drop to below freezing, injuries from frostbite and hypothermia shoot up, and if you are outside and unprepared you could be in trouble before you know it.

"You can actually develop frostbite in 10 to 20 minutes," Wolf said. "I think some of the temperatures around zero and if the wind chill knocks it down to below zero, I'd be worried at 20 minutes."

This is especially true if you have factors that put you at extra risk like older age, younger age, or wet clothes.

"Wet clothes actually cause the body to lose heat quicker. And so if you do have wet clothes, you want to get them off as quick as possible if you're going to engage in physical activities outside like skiing, running, snowshoeing," Wolf said.

He says if you do go outside dress for the occasion and add some extra layers.

Winter Blasts Weather
A pedestrian crosses First Avenue as a winter storm sweeps over the region, plunging temperatures into the single digits and bringing along light snow in its wake Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025, in Denver. David Zalubowski / AP

"When you layer, you actually trap the air layers in between those layers and that acts as additional insulation then additionally making sure that you cover all exposed parts, specifically, sometimes people overlook things like the earlobes or the or the nose, where circulation isn't as, as good as other areas of the body," Wolf said.

But better yet, he says to try to stay indoors.

"When it starts to get wind chills below zero, I really think we need to think about, you know, is it better to stay inside by the fire if this Enjoys a coffee or hot chocolate," Wolf said.

If you're outside and feel stinging or numbness on exposed skin, Wolf says to get inside as soon as possible and heat the area slowly.

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