Michigan, with its heavy snowfall and freezing temperatures, is ripe with hazards. While those drifting snowbanks do make for a beautiful Christmas card, the extreme temperatures can affect your health in a negative way. Read about winter’s top 5 health hazards below.
Hypothermia – Hypothermia is characterized as a drop in body temperature below 95 degrees Fahrenheit. Hypothermia is often caused by prolonged exposure to cold temperatures, and is most dangerous to infants, children, and the elderly, but can affect anyone that has been outside too long in the freezing cold.
- Symptoms – The first symptom of hypothermia is shivering. While this is an indicator of hypothermia, a body that is just shivering is still reacting properly to the cold. If a person is still freezing and stops shivering, this means their hypothermia has gotten worse. More serious signs of hypothermia are drowsiness, confusion, slurred speech, loss of coordination, and a very weak pulse.
- What to do – Hypothermia is a very dangerous condition, and if you suspect someone you know might have it, call for emergency medical attention immediately. If medical attention is far away or impossible, try to get the person inside or to a dry sheltered space. Remove any wet clothes and replace with warm dry clothes and blankets. If the person is conscious, give them warm fluids other than coffee and alcohol, as these cause heat loss. Do not try and run a hot bath or shower, as this could put the person’s system into shock.
Frostbite – Frostbite is a condition where excessive exposure to extreme cold causes skin and body tissue to freeze. To avoid frostbite, make sure you pay particular attention to ensuring that you’re well wrapped up when you go outside (think gloves, scarves and warm boots), make sure you stay dry, and try to stay inside on days where temperatures are extremely low.
- Symptoms – Frostbite most commonly occurs on fingers, toes, and nose: parts of your body that receive the least amount of circulation, and are often less insulated. If you’ve lost feeling in your extremities, your skin looks white or grayish, or if parts feel hard or waxy, you may have frostbite. Do your best to get inside and do not walk on frostbitten toes or feet.
- What to do – Once you get inside or find shelter, dip frostbitten parts into warm, not hot, water. Hot water can cause burns, which you won’t feel until after you thaw out. If you don’t have access to warm water, use your body heat to try and get some warmth to those frozen areas, but make sure not to rub them, as this can cause more damage. If frostbite is severe, contact emergency medical care.
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) – Sometimes called seasonal depression or winter depression, SAD is a type of depression that typically occurs during the fall and winter seasons. While anyone can have SAD, it is most common in women as well as people who live far from the equator, a category Michigan unequivocally fits into. There is no known cause for SAD, but doctors speculate it has to do with the lack of sunlight that we experience during the winter.
- Symptoms – If you’ve felt depressed for the past few winters, but your symptoms go away with the spring and summer, you might have SAD. Additionally, you might lose interest in favorite activities, feel irritable or moody, have trouble getting along with others, have low energy, gain weight, and crave carbs like bread and pasta.
- What to do – If you feel like you might have SAD, it’s best to talk to a doctor. They will be able to assist you with good options to combat SAD. For mild cases, even an hour of outdoor exercise a day could make a big difference. For more severe cases, your doctor might recommend light therapy, medication, or talk therapy.
Cold and Flu – Winter is cold and flu season for Michigan; the colder weather means we’re more susceptible, and the viruses themselves are stronger. The flu virus especially tends to be more stable in a cold, dry climate. We’ve all had them, and the best solution to both is prevention. Wash your hands often, and stay hydrated.
- Symptoms – While both the cold and flu are common in the winter, they tend to vary in initial symptoms. Sometimes it starts with a sore throat, sometimes a cough, or sometimes you just get hit with everything at once. Generally the flu causes an upset stomach and vomiting, often accompanied by a fever, while the cold usually just consists of coughing, runny nose, and a sore throat.
- What to do – in either case, hydration is key. These viruses can become very serious very quickly if you don’t hydrate properly. While the cold will generally run its course, you can alleviate symptoms of a sore throat by gargling salt water. The flu, on the other hand, can be especially dangerous to infants, young children, and the elderly. In these cases it’s important to see a doctor as soon as possible to make sure their health is appropriately monitored. Though there’s no cure for the common cold, your best protection against the flu is the flu shot, so make sure to get that before the season sets in.
Heart Attacks – Surprisingly enough, the cold weather can make you more susceptible to heart-attack, particularly if you are over the age of 55. It is well documented that the rate of heart attacks spikes during the winter, most notably for the elderly. Cold weather puts more stress on your heart because it has to work harder to keep your body warm, and the cold temperatures can cause your arteries to constrict a bit, making it more difficult to get blood flow going.
- Symptoms – Symptoms for a heart attack include: chest pain, dizziness, sweating, abnormal blue tinge to the skin, nausea, vomiting, and irregular heartbeat.
- What to do – Healthcare professionals advise that you get a flu shot before the season begins if you are over 65, as the flu can often trigger a heart attack. Also avoid overexerting yourself outside, and when you do go outside make sure you’re dressed warmly. If you experience any of the symptoms above, call 911 immediately.
