Making snowman on a snowy day sure sounds fun. It also seems quite enjoyable creating angels on the snow. But this is not the case for everyone in every winter. Sometimes severe cold may occur taking a toll on one’s health. Cold weather has effects on our health by dropping the body’s temperature. Thus, affecting the core temperature.
Two Dangerous Effects of Extreme Cold
Extreme cold can be harmful to health. Here are the extreme effects of cold:
Hypothermia
If the body's temperature drops below 35 degree Celsius or 95 degrees Fahrenheit, it is dangerous. This condition is called hypothermia, ranging from mild to moderate, then severe. Why is hypothermia dangerous? With this sudden drop in temperature, organs like the nervous system and heart cannot function normally.
· Causes of Hypothermia
People who are exposed to cold weather are prone to hypothermia. This will occur especially when they stay too long on the cold. This may also happen if the clothes worn are not warm enough. Falling into cold water during winter also poses a risk of developing hypothermia. Poor heating of the house is also once factor why some develop hypothermia even when they are inside the house.
· How Hypothermia Progresses
Hypothermia progresses once the person is exposed with direct contact to cold. This makes the body conduct heat away. Paired with water, this makes losing body heat faster. That is why you get cold when wet. Wind also poses a risk on cold weather. It carries away the heat from the body and results in wind chill.
· Symptoms of Hypothermia
Symptoms of this condition includes shivering, mumbling, clumsiness, confusion, slow breathing, drowsiness, weak pulse and may result in loss of consciousness. The symptoms start to appear gradually.
Frostbite
When the skin is exposed to the cold, it can lead to an injury called Frostbite. It starts from the fingers, ears, nose and toes. It starts at the top layer of the skin and next to the tissues under it. More commonly on milder cases, skin recovers from this type of injury. However, some cases are severe enough to result in death of the tissues.
Frostbite start at first-degree. At this stage no damage happens to the skin. It will only feel cold and looks red. If your skin continuously gets exposed to cold, it may feel num and sometime a prickling sensation can be felt.
Second-degree frostbite turns the skin into pale. Some cases make it appear blue. There may be noticeable ice crystals forming on top of the skin. Frozen feeling can be felt with this too.
Third-degree frostbite is the stage wherein the affect is very severe. It does not only affect the skin but included the layer of tissue next to it. This type of injury needs medical attention immediately.
When going out to a cold weather, it is best to be protected with protective gears. Effects of cold weather in health can be dangerous and may take one’s life. So, be sure to wear the right safety clothing when you go out on cold days. Also, make sure to find something that can heat up your body once exposed to cold to avoid severe problems.
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