CENTRAL, Texas — Central Texas will be dealing with a widespread hard freeze later this week. The cold weather is expected to start Friday morning, with temperatures hovering around freezing.
Freezing temperatures can potentially create dangerous conditions that can lead to hypothermia and frostbite. Below is information on how to identify the two afflictions.
What is frostbite?
When temperatures dip to dangerous conditions, the risk of frostbite increases.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), frostbite can cause "loss of feeling and color in the areas it affects." These types of injuries can cause permanent damage to your body or, in the worst case scenario, can lead to amputation.
Frostbite symptoms:
There are several signs and symptoms to look for when dealing with frostbite.
- First signs of frostbite: redness of skin and pain
- Other signs of frostbite: white or grayish-yellow skin, skin that feels firm or waxy and numbness
These are the common areas in your body that could experience frostbite:
- Nose
- Ears
- Cheeks
- Chin
- Fingers
- Toes
The people who are most at risk are those who have poor circulation and those who aren't dressed properly for the weather.
What is hypothermia?
The CDC states that hypothermia happens when someone is exposed to cold temperatures for an extended period of time.
Hypothermia "can occur at cool temperatures (above 40°F) if a person becomes chilled from rain, sweat, or submersion in cold water," according to the CDC.
When this happens, a person's body temperature decreases and it can affect the brain, "making the victim unable to think clearly or move well," according to the CDC.
Hypothermia symptoms:
Adults will experience the following symptoms:
- Shivering
- Exhaustion
- Confusion
- Fumbling hands
- Memory loss
- Slurred speech
- Drowsiness
Babies will experience the following symptoms:
- Bright red, cold skin
- Very low energy
How serious is hypothermia?
If a person's body temperature is below 95°F, you will want to seek medical attention.
However if you can't get medical help, these are ways to warm an affected person up:
- Remove any wet clothes the person is wearing
- Relocate the person into a warm room or shelter
- Warm the person's body including their chest, neck, head and groin with an electric blanket.
- Prepare a warm drink to help increase body temperature, but avoid alcoholic beverages
- Once the person's body temperature rises, make sure to keep them dry and wrapped up in a blanket
- Seek medical attention