frigid cold reminders

[skate4life]

I couldn't put a link (would have generated 12 pages) but I do want to remind everyone so I did a copy/paste...this is from lungdiseasenews.com. I subscribe to their weekly digest.

With the Midwest and Northeast regions of the U.S. facing arctic cold temperatures, clinical associate professor of family medicine at the University of Buffalo School of Medicine Dr. David Holmes released a report alerting people who suffer from chronic respiratory conditions to take the freezing weather seriously, as it can easily aggravate their symptoms and prompt exacerbations.

Patients who suffer from chronic health conditions are more vulnerable to the health risks associated with cold temperatures. This is because the cardiovascular system needs to raise the body’s blood pressure and heart rate due to the cold, which can cause a heart attack or ventricular arrhythmia.

Due to the chilly weather, there is also a tendency for the airways to narrow, making it difficult to breathe normally. The nasal passages and airways tend to become dry after breathing cold air, which can cause bronchospasms and bouts of coughing. Patients who suffer from asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), emphysema, chronic bronchitis or heart conditions have a higher probability of developing subsequent adverse reactions or exacerbations due to the subfreezing temperatures.

The effect of the weather on the lungs and other parts of the body depends chiefly on the temperature and wind chill, which will determine how much time someone can be outside without experiencing complications. In addition to lung difficulties, freezing can result in frostbite, characterized by numbness, tingling, loss of feeling, aching and loss of color in the body part affected, most commonly the toes, fingers, nose, ears, cheeks or chin.

Dr. Holmes’ tips for braving the cold weather include wearing several layers of loose clothing, since layering enables insulation and tight clothes decrease the circulation capacity of the blood, as well as covering the ears, head, face, hands and feet.

In addition, the physician recommends the use of a warm winter jacket and pants or long underwear, and the consumption of soup, hot chocolate, coffee or tea in order to warm the body after being out in the cold.

[mary57]

Thank you for posting this for us Skate, it is a good reminder. This cold weather is really a killer, and knowing how to bundle up to survive it is of paramount importance.

[John]

Thanks Skate they are calling for - 15 * F tonight freezing

[David]

Thanks for the information

If you ever need a URL shortener then this is a good one goo.gl/

[skate4life]

Thanks David - I'll put that in my 'how-to' folder I could copy the URL but then it led to all 12 pages and might not be appreciated by people with limited bandwidth.....

We all know to bundle up but I really liked that this particular article spoke to just what would/cold happen and the risks to our lungs especially. I thought of John especially with his recent bout of difficulty with the super cold weather....

So please everyone, stay warm. Perhaps I am wrong entirely but I always thought of Canadians as having it consistently colder than we in the US Northeast (and North Dakota perhaps) during the winter months. Our newscasters keep hyping this as if we never have had it cold before this year! Dah! This is New England for goodness sake.

[puffin]

We have had some really bitterly cold weather recently. I try to stay home when it gets bad. A few days back the windchill was -52C. Definitely not a good day to gout for a walk!