Use Cool Head To Keep Warm
Snowstorms and blizzards can be more than just a winter inconvenience; they can be deadly.
Every year, dozens of deaths can be attributed to the weather, according to Dr. Emily Senay, health and medicine correspondent for The Early Show, who has some tips for staying healthy, even in a snowstorm.
Many injuries stem from people trying to stay warm in frigid weather. Here is what to watch for as you try to keep warm:
- Don't use a gas oven if your heat goes out. Gas ovens may blow out or not burn efficiently, leading to carbon monoxide poisoning.
- To prevent a buildup of carbon monoxide inside your home, have your furnace and heating appliances checked every year. Move items away from your furnace. Install a carbon monoxide detector or check already-existing detectors.
- When buying a kerosene heater, make sure it has a low center of gravity to make accidental tipovers unlikely. Carefully read and follow all safety directions, including keeping small children away from the heater and instructing them not to touch the controls. Since kerosene heaters have an open flame, do not use flammable solvents or sprays in the same room. Never leave a heater on when unattended.
- Never leave burning candles unattended. Extinguish when you go to bed. Put them out of the reach of children. Do not place near flammable things, like curtains, paper, cleaning products.
- Never operate grills or motor vehicles in garages or carports.
Exposure to cold can cause frostbite or hypothermia and become life-threatening. Infants and elderly people are most susceptible. Wind chill, wet clothing, alcohol consumption, poor circulation, weariness, and some medications can make people more vulnerable to frostbite.
Symptoms include tingling sensations on nose, ears, toes, and fingers as well as red skin (early stage), whitened skin (middle stage), hard skin (severe), blisters, and blackened tissue (severe, gangrenous stage).
If you do get frostbitten:
- Warm the skin gradually. If it's your fingertips, put them under your arms; cover your ears.
- Do not rub the traumatized skin. You can create more damage.
Hypothermia occurs when the body's core temperature drops. Hypothermia doesn't happen in a matter of minutes like frostbite, but slowly over several hours of exposure to cold. Wearing wet clothing or being immersed in cold water for any length of time heightens that risk. The possible result: coma and death.
Signs of hypothermia are slurred speech, slow pulse, loss of coordination, loss of bladder control, stiff muscles, a puffy face, and mental confusion. If you suspect hypothermia, call 911 immediately or get the person to an emergency room.
Half of cold related injuries happen to people over 60 years old. So people should show special concern for older neighbors, friends and family members. They should look in on the elderly individual, make sure utilities are working and medical prescriptions are filled, and offer to pick up food or home supplies.