January 16, 2024
Thom Carroll/for PhillyVoice
Exposure to extremely cold temperatures can lead to an array of ailments that vary in seriousness, including conditions like frostbite and hypothermia. To prevent them, health experts advise people to dress warmly and cover exposed skin when venturing outside.
Exposure to frigid temperatures and winter weather can lead to an array of ailments that vary in seriousness. It's important to know how to avoid them and to recognize their signs.
Though some cold-related conditions may be mild, others can cause serious harm or prove fatal. More than 19,000 Americans died from cold-related causes between 1979 and 2016, according to a report from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Certain people are more susceptible to cold-related conditions and deaths, including those who work outside during the winter months, older adults, infants, people with pre-existing medical conditions, people taking medications or using drugs (including alcohol) and people who are homeless or have inadequate heating or winter clothing.
The colder months also bring more cases of respiratory illnesses, including the common cold and the flu. COVID-19 has spiked in Philadelphia, although hospitalizations and deaths have remained low compared to previous surges. The winter months also see higher numbers of heart attacks, because the cold can put stress on the cardiovascular system.
People can protect themselves from most cold-related conditions by limiting their time in extreme cold weather, and dressing warmly and covering exposed skin when venturing outside, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. People should also pay close attention to their nutrition during cold stretches.
"Being hydrated and nourished are important because when you have food in your body, then your body is burning that and they're metabolizing that, and that's how heat is generated," Daniel Bachmann, an emergency medicine expert at Ohio State University, told CBS News. "Having some food, having some nutrition, before you go out is a helpful foundation to keep your body warm."
Here is what to know about four cold-related conditions, including their signs and what to do if you or someone you know is suffering from them:
Chilblains causes inflamed, swollen patches and blistering on the cheeks, ears, fingers and toes. It is the result of repeatedly exposing skin to damp air that's cold but not freezing.
Symptoms may show up a few hours after being in the cold. They include redness, itching, possible blistering and inflammation. Severe cases may cause ulcers. Chilblains usually clears up in 2-3 weeks. The damage can be permanent, though, and redness and itching may return with subsequent exposures to the cold.
To ease symptoms, doctors recommend people keep their skin warm and dry, use corticosteroid creams and avoid scratching affected areas.
Frostbite is caused by freezing. It typically affects extremities such as the nose, ears, cheeks, chin, fingers and toes.
Early signs of frostbite can include redness or pain in any skin area. Other signs are reduced blood flow to hands and feet, numbness, tingling, aching, a white or grayish-yellow skin area or skin that feels unusually firm or waxy.
People suffering from frostbite should get to a warm room, avoid walking on feet or toes that show signs of frostbite, put the affected areas in warm water, and seek medical care as soon as possible.
People with frostbite should not rub snow on the frostbitten area or massage it. They also should not use a heating pad, heat lamp or heat from a stove, radiator or fireplace. These actions could cause more damage, because affected areas are numb and could burn easily.
Frostbite can cause permanent damage to the body, and severe cases can require the affected body part to be amputated.
People who suspect they have frostbite also should check for signs of hypothermia, a more serious condition requiring emergency medical care:
Hypothermia is a medical emergency that occurs when the body's temperature falls to a "dangerously low" level, below 95 degrees. It happens when the body loses more heat than it can make, usually after long periods in the cold. Common causes include being outside in the winter without enough protective clothing, falling into a cold body of water, wearing wet clothes in cold weather or heavy exertion in cold weather.
Symptoms can vary depending on how long a person has been exposed to cold temperatures. Early hypothermia symptoms may include shivering, fatigue, loss of coordination, confusion and disorientation. Later symptoms include no shivering, blue skin, dilated pupils, slowed pulse, slowed breathing and loss of consciousness. Someone with hypothermia also likely has frostbite.
People are advised to call 911 right away if they believe someone has hypothermia. If medical help cannot be immediately obtained, try to warm the person up by getting the person to a warm shelter, removing any wet clothing and wrapping the person in a warm blanket. If the person is conscious, offer warm, non-alcoholic drinks. If the person is unconscious, perform CPR until emergency responders arrive.
Hypothermia is especially dangerous because people may slowly lose the ability to move and to think as the condition develops, meaning they may be unaware they are in need of emergency treatment. Cardiac arrest, shock and coma can set in without quick treatment. Hypothermia can be fatal.
Trench foot is a foot injury that is caused by prolonged exposure to wet and cold conditions. The condition occurs because wet feet lose heat very quickly, so the body constricts blood vessels to shut down circulation in the feet to prevent heat loss. The lack of oxygen and nutrients causes skin tissue to die.
Symptoms include reddening of the skin, numbness, leg cramps, swelling, tingling pain, blisters, ulcers and bleeding under the skin. Trench foot can lead to gangrene, or death of body tissue, which could cause the foot to turn dark purple, blue or gray.
People suffering from trench foot should remove their shoes and wet socks, dry their feet and avoid walking on the affected foot or feet, which could cause tissue damage.
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