Identifying frostbite and hypothermia during dangerously low temperatures
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
With extreme windchills across Missouri and much of the country, there is potential risk of hypothermia.
Friday through Wednesday are ABC 17 Stormtrack Weather Alert Days for extremely cold temperatures. Per ABC 17 Stormtrack Chief Meteorologist Jessica Hafner, the temperatures Mid-Missouri is experiencing are rare this time of year. On average, the high is usually around 39 degrees during this time of year.
As temperatures Sunday barely reach above zero without the windchill, people heading outside will be at risk of hypothermia and frostbite. In weather like this the exposure time before frostbite and hypothermia become a factor is around 20 minutes.
According to the Department of Health and Senior Services, 52 people died in Missouri as a result of low body temperatures due to prolonged exposure to cold weather in 2022.
ABC 17 spoke with assistant professor at Family Community Medicine Laura Pickard about the warning signs of frostbite. The first sign of trouble is if there is redness on your toes or fingers.
"If you don't see the redness in the toes would probably be some tingling sensation in the toes and or numbness," said Pickard. "That's a sign that you're having some schema changes in the tips of your fingers or your toes saying that the vascular system or your circulation system is shutting down, trying to conserve the heat."
The second stage of frostbite would include blistering, that's when people should seek out medical attention. If you experiencing these stages, its best to get out of the cold and avoid any more exposure. When out of the cold, you want to warm up and not too quickly.
Pickard said when you get to the third and fourth degree of frostbite that's when you're looking at hypothermia. That could even cause something called septicemia which is an infection in the bloodstream.
People with certain health issues can be very susceptible to frostbite.
"We also have a population of diabetics and those with peripheral vascular disease preexisting who are very susceptible to frostbite, those who are immuno compromised and those who have something called Raynaud's phenomenon, which is a vascular spasm," said Pickard. "They are very, very susceptible to frostbite. And obviously anybody who's had previous frostbite is very susceptible to frostbite."
The redness of the frostbite will go away with time but if you have blistering or gangrene then you are at risk of loosing a body part.
"If it's past that into the fourth degree," Pickard said. "You're also looking at moving up the foot from the toes into the which would be a possible amputation that would be needed."
The best thing you can do to avoid frostbite is to layer up and make sure you are wearing waterproof boots or shoes to keep your feet dry.
