# 5139
While it may not elicit a lot of sympathy from my good buddies up in Minnesota (who are digging out after one heck of a blizzard), the wind chill temps this morning here in central Florida are lower than can be found in many parts of Maine, Montana, and Wyoming.
Single digit wind-chill temps this morning (and we are talking Fahrenheit, folks) extend down to central Georgia and Alabama.
Although hardly the makings of an epic disaster, for the deep south, this is a deep freeze.
While those who live in northern climes are probably used to the drill, southerners - who normally don’t have to think about hypothermia or frostbite - are well advised to remember the hazards.
The combination of wind and ambient temperatures produce a wind-chill temperature – or how cold it really feels. Tonight, in Ocala, Florida, the low temperature is expected to be 20 degrees and winds are forecast to be 10 mph.
Combined, that’s a wind chill of 9°F degrees.
Plenty cold enough to induce hypothermia, or even cause frostbite, in unprotected individuals.
So today a few excerpts from the CDC’s Winter Weather recommendations on avoiding and treating hypothermia and frost bite.
Follow the links to read them in their entirety.
Winter Weather: Hypothermia
When exposed to cold temperatures, your body begins to lose heat faster than it can be produced. Prolonged exposure to cold will eventually use up your body’s stored energy.
The result is hypothermia, or abnormally low body temperature. Body temperature that is too low affects the brain, making the victim unable to think clearly or move well. This makes hypothermia particularly dangerous because a person may not know it is happening and won’t be able to do anything about it.
Recognizing Hypothermia
Warnings signs of hypothermia:
Adults:
- shivering, exhaustion
- confusion, fumbling hands
- memory loss, slurred speech
- drowsiness
Infants:
- bright red, cold skin
- very low energy
What to Do
If you notice any of these signs, take the person’s temperature. If it is below 95°, the situation is an emergency—get medical attention immediately.
If medical care is not available, begin warming the person, as follows:
- Get the victim into a warm room or shelter.
- If the victim has on any wet clothing, remove it.
- Warm the center of the body first—chest, neck, head, and groin—using an electric blanket, if available. Or use skin-to-skin contact under loose, dry layers of blankets, clothing, towels, or sheets.
- Warm beverages can help increase the body temperature, but do not give alcoholic beverages. Do not try to give beverages to an unconscious person.
- After body temperature has increased, keep the person dry and wrapped in a warm blanket, including the head and neck.
- Get medical attention as soon as possible.
Winter Weather: Frostbite
Recognizing Frostbite
At the first signs of redness or pain in any skin area, get out of the cold or protect any exposed skin—frostbite may be beginning. Any of the following signs may indicate frostbite:
- a white or grayish-yellow skin area
- skin that feels unusually firm or waxy
- numbness
A victim is often unaware of frostbite until someone else points it out because the frozen tissues are numb.
What to Do
If you detect symptoms of frostbite, seek medical care. Because frostbite and hypothermia both result from exposure, first determine whether the victim also shows signs of hypothermia, as described previously. Hypothermia is a more serious medical condition and requires emergency medical assistance.
If (1) there is frostbite but no sign of hypothermia and (2) immediate medical care is not available, proceed as follows:
- Get into a warm room as soon as possible.
- Unless absolutely necessary, do not walk on frostbitten feet or toes—this increases the damage.
- Immerse the affected area in warm—not hot—water (the temperature should be comfortable to the touch for unaffected parts of the body).
- Or, warm the affected area using body heat. For example, the heat of an armpit can be used to warm frostbitten fingers.
- Do not rub the frostbitten area with snow or massage it at all. This can cause more damage.
- Don’t use a heating pad, heat lamp, or the heat of a stove, fireplace, or radiator for warming. Affected areas are numb and can be easily burned.
These procedures are not substitutes for proper medical care. Hypothermia is a medical emergency and frostbite should be evaluated by a health care provider. It is a good idea to take a first aid and emergency resuscitation (CPR) course to prepare for cold-weather health problems. Knowing what to do is an important part of protecting your health and the health of others.
Finally, the CDC has put together all of their Winter Weather advice into a single PDF file which you can download at the link below.
Extreme Cold Prevention Guide 
(3.45 MB/15 pages)
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