SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — Fierce cold is on its way into KELOLAND, with wind chills approaching -30°F a possibility into the weekend, and with those lows comes a real risk to health.
Avera Emergency Medicine Physician Nathan Elg helped explain the dangers of exposure.
“For people who are out in the cold, it doesn’t take very long to start having effects on your body,” Elg explained. “You’re going to be losing heat very quickly; faster than your body can produce.”
This heat loss can be exacerbated by any wind as well, Elg added, noting that hypothermia can set in at as high a temperature as 40-50°F in certain conditions if wind and moisture are present.
“When you get down with wind chills and temperatures that are even in the negative digits, it doesn’t take long at all,” Elg warned.
Prevention of heat loss is the main defense against exposure, said Elg. “You want to dress warm; so having the least amount of exposure of your skin to the environment is going to help with that. That includes the hat, the gloves, the coat and multiple layers,” he said.
When hypothermia begins, the first symptom you’re likely to notice is shivering. “That should be a sign to you that you need to warm up,” Elg said. “If it continues to advance, you’re going to develop symptoms of confusion.”
Internally, Elg says all your bodily processes are slowing down as hypothermia sets in, causing weakness, slower movements and general dysfunction for the body.
If you notice these symptoms, Elg says the first thing to do is try to get somewhere warm and to prevent yourself from getting cold again. “If you happen to be wet, you definitely want to dry off first,” he said. If further symptoms develop, seek medical help, he added.
Elg says that he does see hypothermia cases throughout the winter in the ER, noting the variation in situations leading to it.
“Sometimes it’s even as simple as someone going out and shoveling their driveway,” he said. “We also see it out in the country — if you’re in a car accident and can’t keep yourself warm.”