Just as in the heat, you need to stay hydrated if you are in the cold, especially if you are engaged in physical activity. Your body actually needs fluids in order to stay warm, but when it’s cold you don’t feel as thirsty, so it is very common for people to suffer from dehydration in cold climates and not even not it. If snow is the only available water source, make sure that you melt it before you eat it. It takes your body quite a bit of energy to melt the snow in your mouth or in your digestive system, so you are actually hurting yourself by eating snow even when you think that you are helping.
Hypothermia is a very common cold emergency. Hypothermia occurs when your body is losing so much heat that it cannot generate enough to keep up, resulting in a falling body temperature and, eventually, death. Being hungry, dehydrated, or very tired increases your chance of hypothermia. Someone suffering from hypothermia will feel cold and numb, and probably tired and frightened as well. They will shiver uncontrollably and may stumble and fall down. They will likely be confused and irritable, and may lose consciousness.
Since with hypothermia the victim is getting colder all the time, the obvious treatment is to stop any further drop in body temperature and if possible helping the victim warm up. You can do this by taking him or her into a building or other shelter and giving them dry clothes, giving them warm liquids such as soup, tea, or hot chocolate, put them in a sleeping bag or under a blanket, and doing whatever else possible to warm them up.
Another common cold emergency is frostbite. Frostbite occurs when the body’s tissues are actually beginning to freeze and die. This usually happens at the extremities: the hands and feet, face, or ears. The affected body part will feel painful at first, then will go numb. Sometimes, the victim will not notice anything. If you see gray or white patches on the victim’s skin, frostbite is definitely present.
Treat by warming up the injury, but not too fast or too roughly. If you place the affected injury in water, use warm instead of hot water, and never rub frostbite — this will make the frostbite worse. If possible, get the victim out of the elements. It’s important to get the victim to a doctor after a case of frostbite.
Emergencies happen easily in the cold, but if you follow these tips you will know exactly what to do!
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