Health Matters: Surviving The Cold Weather

HEALTH MATTERS

Staying Warm And Healthy In The Cold Supplied By The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit

Make sure your kids stay warm and beat the chill when participating in outdoor winter activities.

Winter is here, but it doesn’t mean we have to stay indoors! Outdoor activities like making snow angels and snowmen, sledding, skiing, snowboarding, and skating in the winter can be just as much fun as a day at the beach with your children. However, it’s important to take extra precautions to protect yourself and loved ones from cold related health risks.

Dress warmly for outdoor activities. The Canadian Pediatric Society (CPS.ca) recommends parents put an added layer of clothing on a child to stay warm.

Dress children in layers with a windresistant outer layer, a hat, mittens, and scarf. Make sure to cover as much exposed skin as possible.

Dress children in warm, waterproof boots that are roomy enough to wiggle their toes. Remove outer layers of clothing or open the coat if you are sweating, to stay dry.

Check often to see if your child is warm and dry. Younger children should take regular breaks and come inside for a warm drink.

Remind them to keep moving, especially their hands and feet, to maintain body heat. Do not send children outside to play in extreme snowstorms or extreme wind chill. Exposure to cold weather can result in coldrelated injuries, such as windburn, frostnip, frostbite and hypothermia. Fortunately, most cold-related injuries can be prevented if you are aware of the risks, signs, and symptoms.

Windburn occurs when cold wind removes the top layer of oil from the skin. The skin is

red, sore, very dry and itchy. Do not scratch or rub the affected areas and apply a protective skin care product to relieve symptoms. Frostnip and frostbite occur when skin and other tissues freeze, as a result blood and oxygen can no longer circulate. Frostnip and frostbite mainly affect fingers and toes. Skin may appear waxy, grey, and hard to the touch. If you think your child has frostbite, move to a warm room, reheat their body with blankets and thaw injured skin in water above body temperature. Severe frostbite can cause permanent damage to body tissue if it’s not treated immediately. Hypothermia occurs when the body loses heat faster than it can produce it. There are three stages of hypothermia from mild (shivering, goose bumps) to more severe symptoms (difficulty speaking, thinking and walking). Hypothermia is a medical emergency. Call 911 immediately if you suspect someone may have hypothermia. Until help arrives, move them to a warm place, gently remove any wet clothing and wrap them in blankets or dry clothing. The Health Unit issues cold warnings to inform residents of extreme cold events with the “Stay Warm Windsor-Essex” program. Visit the website: Wechu.org/stay-warm to find information about protecting yourself and your family during extreme cold.

The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit, in partnership with other agencies and health care providers, seeks to enable all Windsor and Essex County residents to be as healthy as possible. The unit is located at 1005 Ouellette Avenue in Windsor and online at: WECHU.org.