Exposure to cold temperatures, whether indoors or outdoors, can cause serious or life-threatening health problems. To keep yourself and your family safe, you should know how to prevent cold-related health problems.
Winter survival kit for your home:
If your region is susceptible to long periods of cold temperatures, or if your home is isolated, stock additional amounts of food, water and medicine.
Emergency Supplies List:
Prepare your car for winter:
Serious health problems can result from prolonged exposure to the cold. The most common cold-related problems are hypothermia and frostbite.
Hypothermia
Victims of hypothermia are often:
Warning signs of hypothermia:
If you notice any of these signs, take the person’s temperature. If it is below 95 degrees Fahrenheit , then it is a medical emergency and you should seek medical attention immediately
Frostbite is an injury to the body that is caused by freezing. It causes a loss of feeling and color in affected areas. Frostbite mostly affects the nose, ears, cheeks, chin, fingers and toes. It can permanently damage the body and in severe cases can lead to amputation.
Signs of frostbite:
Often times, a victim is unaware they have frostbite until someone else points it out because the frozen tissues are numb.
If you detect symptoms of frostbite, seek medical care.
Winter cold kills more than twice as many Americans as does summer heat. (National Center for Health Statistics)
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