Temperatures drop, you're cold on your hands, your feet... and struggling to warm you up? How to dress? Avoid cracking? What advice at home? How do I recognize hypothermia?
Temperatures are dropping. The cold is there and forces the body to make extra efforts. The heart beats faster to prevent the body from cooling. This can be risky for the most vulnerable such as the elderly, children and the chronically ill. Recall essential tips to follow in case of extreme cold.
Clothing: the cap is essential
If the ideal is to stay warm at home, it does not always have a choice. Also, if you go out in cold weather, it is essential to cover yourself enough to keep your body temperature constant. The most important thing is:
don't forget to wear a beanie because you lose up to 30% heat for your head,
put on a scarf for the neck and to cover the nose and mouth to avoid breathing cold air,
Hand gloves and warm socks for the feet, choose non-slip and comfortable shoes to avoid falling on slippery ground.
put on several layers of clothing, plus a waterproof windbreaker. For the first layer, prefer a material in which you do not risk sweating in order to keep the skin dry. Because if you sweat, your body will get wet and you may cool down faster.
At home: not too much heating!
The equation is simple: too much heating - restless sleep. During the day and especially at night, do not overheat your interior (keep the temperature at a minimum of 19oC). Even if you're chilly, it's better to add duvets and blankets to your bed than to mount the radiators. Heat tends to slow down blood flow, which will affect your body. In particular, you may not sleep well.
Moreover, even if it is cold, the daily aeration of your interior is essential to renew the air (20 minutes per day minimum). With winter, colds, flus and other winter infections are on the agenda. Aerating helps fight the proliferation of viruses and bacteria.
Cold hands, feet: avoid cracks and crevices
The extremities, such as the hands and feet, are most exposed to the cold. However, they must be protected sufficiently to prevent the formation of cracks, painful cracks that develop on areas long exposed to a sharp cold (less than 0oC) that dehydrates the skin. Without water, it dries out and pulls. Furrows are hollowed out and cracks and even crevices (deeper) appear. But that's not the only risk! Exposure of the extremities to negative temperatures results in vasoconstriction of the capillaries. This natural cold control phenomenon can eventually lead to red lesions in the hands, feet, ears and face, known as frostbite. Often they are accompanied by itching.
In prevention:
Use overgra soap to wash your hands and avoid antiseptic soaps that are too detergent.
Apply a protective hand cream regularly during the day.
Never go out in the cold without wearing cold-friendly gloves (also use gloves for household chores).
Opt for socks that maintain heat well, if need double-thickness (cotton and wool, and that don't tighten too much (same for shoes). They would compress the feet and make them more vulnerable to the cold.
Use gloves for housework and dishes.
In curative:
In case of frostbite, the first reflex is to gently warm the affected part of the body. How? Surround it with a warm, moist cloth for about 10 minutes and in all cases.
To treat an installed crevasse, apply a cream rich in vitamin A, B5 and E: ask pharmacy advice or your doctor.
Avoid large temperature differences as the skin is already traumatized.
White Fingers: Go home!
Be careful, when the fingers become white, numb, these signs should alert you. It's high time to get back into a warm environment! The first step is to warm the frozen part by immersing it in lukewarm water (38oC). If it's painful, that's a good sign. This rediscovered sensitivity is a witness to a superficial lesion. But if the anesthesia continues and blisters appear, a doctor's visit is necessary.
Recognize the signs of hypothermia
Against the cold, the body multiplies the defense mechanisms to produce heat and keep the body temperature at 37oC. But it only takes exhaustion or trauma to make these mechanisms less effective. As a result, the body loses more heat than it produces. As a result, it cools down, it's hypothermia. This is defined as a drop in the body's core temperature below 35oC. Although it is a rare phenomenon, hypothermia is a sneaky disorder that occurs quickly without being realized and can be fatal. Vigilance is therefore required. Hypothermia only occurs during prolonged immobilization in the cold. Injured hikers and the homeless are particularly at risk. But the elderly or sick, children, pregnant women and anyone taking psychotropic drugs (alcohol, sleeping pills, etc.) are also affected. Namely: hypothermia is an immediate danger when the temperature of the house does not exceed 15oC. Here are the signs not to be overlooked when it's very cold:
- Mild hypothermia (35 to 32oC): the person is cold, shivering and has goosebumps. She feels numb. His breathing and pulse are accelerating.
- Moderate hypothermia (32 to 28oC): the skin becomes pale and cold. Lips and extremities are blue. Members have lost their flexibility. The victim begins to have behavioural problems or inappropriate language. Speech can be difficult. She doesn't shiver anymore.
- Severe hypothermia (28 to 25oC): Breathing and heart rate are virtually undetectable. Death by cardiac arrest can occur at any time.
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