HYPOTHERMIA

Winter not only brings snow, but also cold weather. Remember to dress appropriately, bundle up, but don’t overdue it. If you are going to be indoors, open up your coat to avoid overheating yourself. Hypothermia or low body temperature can be very serious. Warning signs include uncontrolled shivering, memory loss, disorientation, slurred speech, and apparent exhaustion. If you can, take the person’s temperature. If it is below 95 degrees F, immediately seek medical attention. Do not try to warm the person up too fast. Remove wet clothing, and wrap warm blankets between legs and under arms to start. Do not try to give any type of alcohol, coffee, or drugs. Cold weather can present a lot of problems. With a little planning, preparedness, and some common sense, we can all avoid many of these problems and try to enjoy the winter cold season.