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Fitness

Brr'ing on the Layers: Preventing Frostbite and Hypothermia

During the past few weeks you may have experienced the bone chilling weather that hit parts of the country, and heard the warnings to stay indoors if possible. Just opening a window a crack seemed to prove that was good advice. But as you trundle down the street in your many layers this winter, you may wonder if all this bundling up is always necessary. Cold weather experts say it is: You can run the risk of hypothermia and frostbite even in mild temperatures if you're not fully prepared to face the elements.

Failure to take the appropriate precautions can go far beyond a little Jack Frost nipping at your nose. Untreated frostbite can lead to amputation, and hypothermia can cause death in just 30 minutes. About 700 people in the United States die from hypothermia each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

But Jay Biem, MD, a general internist and an associate professor of medicine at the University of Saskatchewan in Canada, explains that most cold weather conditions are preventable. "You just need to keep the precautions in mind, especially for our frail, susceptible people," he says.

Below, Dr. Biem discusses the early symptoms and treatment of cold weather conditions and offers tips to outdoor enthusiasts, the elderly and others on how to combat the cold, from avoiding alcohol to donning a waterproof outer layer.

What temperatures are usually considered harmful?
I can't give absolute temperatures because there are several factors that affect the risk of hypothermia and frostbite, such as the external environment, especially wind speed and humidity, the person's clothing and the person's individual susceptibility to the cold.

For hypothermia, exposure to nonfreezing temperatures, especially if prolonged, can overwhelm the body's ability to maintain its normal temperature.

There is a risk of frostbite with a temperature of 14 degrees Fahrenheit, especially if there's wind. With a temperature or a windchill equivalent temperature of minus 13, there's a major risk, and with a temperature or windchill equivalent temperature of minus 50, exposed skin freezes in just a few minutes.

What is the windchill factor?
It's a calculation that takes into account not only the temperature but also wind speed, which affects how quickly tissues freeze. The way we do it now is to actually quote an equivalent of what the temperature would be if there were no wind. It may be minus 10 outside, but because of the wind, it may be the equivalent of minus 40.

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