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School Nurse: Bethann Holbert
HYPOTHERMIA, FROSTNIP AND FROSTBITE
Winter in New York can be a great time to get outside, enjoy the beautiful outdoors and keep fit. There is always the great anticipation of building those first snowmen of the season, throwing snowballs, sled riding, skiing, snowboarding, hiking, and just watching snowflakes dance to the ground. Unfortunately, it is also easy to get cold quickly if you are outside in the wet, windy, or cold weather. With the decrease in temperature, comes the need for some simple common sense practices to keep you safe and avoid possible adverse health effects such as hypothermia and frostbite.
The brain carries a temperature regulator that keeps the body near a healthy 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit. When body temperature goes below the normal temperature, trouble is not far behind. An abnormally low body temperature occurs when the body loses heat faster than it can make heat – HYPOTHERMIA. Hypothermia is a life threatening condition. Possible symptoms of hypothermia are shivering, confusion, clumsy movements, memory loss, drowsiness, exhaustion, slurred speech, numbness of hands and feet, poor judgment, apathy (a lack of concern), and cold, pale, or blue-grey skin. Infants who are suffering from hypothermia may appear to have a decrease in energy and bright red, cold skin.
FROSTNIP and FROSTBITE are other cold weather concerns. Frostnip may cause numbness or blue-white skin color for a short time. But normal feeling and color return quickly when you get warm. Frostbite is the freezing of the tissue and/or a body part. Ice crystals form inside the skin that can destroy the tissues. You can lose skin and part of a finger, toe or foot, for example.
Some Helpful Hints for Staying Safe
- Cover your head, neck and face as much as possible to reduce the amount of heat lost from your head.
- Wear several layers of clothing which provides better insulation and layers can be removed if one becomes to hot.
- Boots should be waterproof and insulated. Remaining dry is a key factor in preventing cold injuries. Wear mittens instead of gloves.
- Avoid touching cold metal or licking cold metal objects. The skin may stick to the cold metal and can be difficult to remove.
- Avoid wearing tight fitting clothing since this may decrease circulation to the extremities.
- Limit the amount of time children remain outdoors. They may not always be aware of the effects of the cold temperatures. They are just busy having fun and may not realize that their toes or hands are becoming numb.
- Do not drink alcohol. This may affect ones judgment and this causes the blood vessels in the skin to dilate which lead to increased heat loss.
- Avoid caffeine and smoking. This causes narrowing of the blood vessels and decreases the circulation in the hands and feet.
- Move to indoors or a warmer environment if you feel cold or experience numbness in your hands and/or feet.
- Re-warm the affected area by gently blowing warm air on it or placing against a warm body part. NEVER, EVER rub an area to warm it. This can cause damage to the effected tissue. NEVER place effected area in hot water (greater than 110 degrees Fahrenheit) to re-warm since this will also cause additional damage to tissue.
- If normal sensation has not returned within 30 minutes, SEEK MEDICAL ATTENTION! It is always better to err on the side of caution.
ENJOY this Wonderful Weather, Safely!
This site is not intended as a substitute for professional medical care. Always talk with your doctor or health care provider when there is a concern about your health or that of your child and/or family’s health.