Extreme cold can have varying, harmful effects on the body, medical expert says
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Doctors are warning about the health impacts of extreme cold ahead of the single-digit temperatures expected this week.
"This is life-threatening cold," said AHN Internal Medicine Dr. Brian Lamb. "This is not something that we're used to."
Hypothermia and frostbite are real concerns, he said. The latter can lead to irreversible damage, including losing fingers, ears, and hands.
"It can happen even just with a few minutes of exposure to these extreme temperatures that we're going to be seeing," Lamb said. "If you're waiting for the school bus, if you're, you know, walking to the store."
The extreme cold can also cause some people to face joint pain, Lamb said. He explained a few reasons that cause the pain, including a lack of circulation, fluid in joints becoming thick due to cold, and the low pressure that comes with cold fronts causing joints to swell.
Broken bones or artificial joints can compound the issues. Artificial joints have a different blood supply from normal joints, he said.
Swelling can also take place because joints have been sewn shut.
"You know, you may not have as much room for that swelling that we talked about with the low pressure to go anywhere else," Lamb said.
To help avoid that, he says, you should dress to protect yourself when outside in extreme cold temperatures.
"You want to make sure that you're wearing layers," Lamb said. "You want to actually protect your extremities."
In the long term, Lamb said regularly exercising in the winter and stretching can help to decrease joint pain, keeping the joints open and muscles relaxed.
