Stay safe in cold weather

In order to prevent frostbite and hypothermia, Kawartha Lakes EMS suggests the following:

• Wear a hat and clothing made of tightly woven fibers, such as wool, which trap warm air against your body. A few lighter layers protect better than one heavy garment.
• Protect vulnerable areas such as fingers, toes, ears and nose.
• Drink plenty of warm fluids to help the body maintain its temperature.  If hot drinks are not available, drink plenty of plain water. Avoid caffeine and alcohol, which hinder the body's heat-producing mechanisms and will actually cause the body's core temperature to drop.
• Take frequent breaks from the cold to let your body warm up.

Signs of frostbite include numbness, tingling and pain and swelling. As the condition worsens you will experience a total loss of sensation, pale waxy skin will become dark bluish and in severe cases, the skin could look burnt.

Kawartha Lakes EMS suggests the following for dealing with frostbite:

• Cover the affected area.
• Never rub the skin as this may cause further damage.
• Warm the area gently by immersing the affected part in water that is warm and comfortable to the touch.  Continue until affected area is warm and looks red.
• Bandage the affected area with a dry sterile dressing.
• Ensure that the affected part does not become frozen again.
• Get the person medical attention as soon as possible.

Hypothermia is extremely dangerous and signs include feeling cold, shivering (which will stop as the condition worsens), slurred speech, pale skin and bluish lips, a slow pulse, mood swing, inability to think clearly or even unconsciousness.

To deal with hypothermia:

• Remove wet or cold clothing and replace with warm dry clothing.
• Keep the person warm by wrapping him or her in blankets and moving them to a warm place.  Remember to be very gentle in handling the person.
• Never rub the surface of the person's body as this could cause further damage if they are also suffering from frostbite.
• If the person is dry, use hot water bottles or heating pads to warm them.  Make sure there is a blanket, clothing or towel between the heat source and the person's skin.
• If the person is awake, give warm liquids to drink. Avoid alcohol and caffeine as they can hinder the body's heat-producing mechanisms.
• Do not warm the person too quickly by immersing him or her in warm water.  Rapid re-warming can cause heart problems.