B-r-r-ing on the Winter Weather! Published Nov. 20, 2014 By MSgt Julie Meintel 445th Airlift Wing Winter 2014 -- Year after year, right on fall's heels, winter makes its appearance. Your location determines, to a large extent, what winter looks like to you. Here in southwest Ohio, it gets cold first, and the snow and ice comes later. Some winters are much worse than others are, but we can almost always count on frigid temperatures, at the very least. As flyers, we spend a lot of our duty time exposed to the elements, as do flight engineers, scanners, loadmasters, flight nurses, and aeromedical technicians, in addition to all the ground crew who help us get off the ground. Exposure to cold air, moisture, snow, and ice can really take a toll on your body, and it takes less time than you think to develop frostbite or hypothermia. What exactly are frostbite and hypothermia? Frostbite is a reaction to cold exposure, resulting from the body's natural self-preservation instinct. In response to severe cold, the body will work to protect the vital organs first, and that means decreased circulation to the extremities like your hands, feet, and nose. When these areas are exposed to cold temperatures for long periods without the benefit of sufficient blood flow, they will begin to freeze, and frostbite can cause permanent damage. Some early warning signs of frostbite include: · A loss of feeling and a white or pale, waxy appearance to the fingers, toes, nose, or earlobes. · Skin that is hard to the touch. · Redness and/or pain in the skin--indication that frostbite may be developing. Hypothermia is a different ballgame. This is a more severe reaction to cold than frostbite and can actually be fatal. Hypothermia is a condition where the core body temperature drops to an abnormally low level, below 95 degrees F. Although it happens most often in very cold weather, even moderately chilly temperature of around 60 degrees is low enough to trigger it if you are exposed long enough and are not properly clothed. Don't underestimate the dangers of hypothermia; it kills around 28,000 people each year. According to the National Institute on Aging, most of them tend to be older folks, due in part to circulation issues, certain types of medication, and a reduced sensitivity to cold, which could mean they wouldn't notice the drop in their body temperature as readily. But 28,000 is a lot of people, and hypothermia is 100 percent preventable. I'll list a few indications of hypothermia setting in, but not all of the symptoms may occur. Watch for: · Confusion, slurred speech, memory loss, · Shallow breathing or shivering, · Numb hands or feet, · Exhaustion or drowsiness, and/or · Loss of consciousness. To help someone you suspect may be suffering from hypothermia, call an ambulance first. Better to call for help and not need it than to need it and wait too long to call. Then sit or lie close to the person and cover both of your bodies with thick blankets. The hotter you get, the more warmth you can give the other person. Don't rub the affected areas, even gently; just warm him up and wait for help. Prevention is critical when planning for the effects of the weather. Dress appropriately for your duties and for how much time you are likely to spend outdoors. Dress in layers of warm clothing, and pay special attention to your head. Most of the body heat you lose will be from your head, so make sure to cover it with a woolen or fleece hat. Cover your hands, too; they are one of the first places you will see the effects of the cold. Mittens tend to keep your hands warmer, but gloves are easier to work with. There are styles of mittens that fasten in the middle of your palm with Velcro; they have a kind of "flip top" that allows you to open them up when you need to use your fingers. Take breaks to go inside, warm up, and dry off when you can. Check the weather reports frequently; if severe weather is called for, consider putting off outside duties until it is safer, if possible. Being prepared and practicing prevention extends past the workday, though, and it's wise to have an emergency kit in your car all the time--but especially in winter. If you get stuck and have to wait for help, you will be glad you put those blankets in the trunk. Besides blankets, your car kit should include things like a flashlight and extra batteries, a cell phone charger, a first aid kit, non-perishable food items like trail mix or granola bars, jumper cables, tire chains, work gloves, road flares, and a bright cloth or sign alerting passersby that you need help. You could include more if you really want to be thorough, but this list is a good place to start. A good resource is http://www.dmv.org/how-to-guides/first-aid.php when you are ready to pack your emergency kit. Hopefully, you will never need to use your car emergency kit or your knowledge about frostbite and hypothermia, but it's better to have all of these things and not need them than to NOT have them. The old Boy Scout motto of "Be Prepared" is good for all of us to remember, especially during winter! Here's what you can do if you suspect someone is suffering from frostbite: · First, get the person inside where it's warm, without making him walk on frostbitten feet if possible. · Wrap his head in a moist warm towel if you can, or try to warm the affected areas in warm (not hot!) water. · Don't get near heater vents or a stove, and don't use a hair dryer to warm the frostbitten skin; you could burn the person before his feeling returns. Don't use hot water bottles or heating pads either, for the same reason. · If the victim's skin is blue or gray, very swollen, or blistered, and/or it feels hard to the touch even under the surface, go to the hospital right away.