There’s no denying that winter has arrived. Even stereotypically warm locations such as Nevada, Arizona, and most of Texas have experienced arctic air and snow this season. Northern states have already embraced temperatures well below zero!
Cold temperatures can lead to several life-threatening risks such as heart attack and hypothermia, as well as several non-lethal yet serious health concerns such as frostbite, depression, increased exposure to the flu and colds, and a trigger for asthma—just to mention a few of the most common. Colder weather also means more time spent indoors, which could expose you to dangerous levels of carbon monoxide, a potentially poisonous gas that causes more than 20,000 emergency room visits each year and nearly 450 annual deaths.
Heart Attacks
The holiday season begins what researchers have been trying to solve for years: the mystery of why more heart attacks happen around the holidays than any other time of year. Hypertension, dyslipidemia (high cholesterol), diabetes, lack of exercise, and stress—certainly elevated during the holidays!—all play roles in heart issues. And, truth be told, the holidays are often an excuse for eating outside of recommended diets and skipping routine workouts for parties or completing seasonal tasks.
Cold weather itself is a trigger for heart problems. Lower temperatures cause blood vessels to constrict, which raises blood pressure and increases the odds for blood clots. Physical activity such as shoveling snow, carrying heavy packages (gifts and holiday feast items), and the like also increase the chances of heart attacks for heart patients. Those who are being treated know their limits and shouldn’t push themselves in the spirit of the season.
However, all these contributors still don’t explain how December 25th is the most prevalent day of the year for heart attacks, with December 26 being the second, and January 1 the third. Researchers studying cases from 1976 through 2009 found that the main contributing factor isn’t our festive diets, added stress, or increased physical strain—it’s more likely that we hesitate in seeking treatment, convincing ourselves we can wait until after the holiday to find out why we’re not feeling 100%. Not wanting to disrupt the holidays with health concerns, patients are doing themselves an injustice and putting their lives at risk.
Hypothermia
Exposing yourself to cold weather or immersing yourself in cold water for long periods at a time—polar plunge fans, this warning is for you—can quickly disrupt normal body systems and spiral out of control, especially for the young and elderly. Hypothermia is when your body temperature drops below 95 F (normal body temperature is 98.6 F), which can cause the nervous system, heart, and other organs to function abnormally. If left untreated, complete heart and respiratory system failure can result in death.
On average, 1,301 people die in the U.S. each year because of hypothermia. Many of these cases can be prevented, however. In light of that, here are some general tips for reducing risks of hypothermia.
- Don’t stay outside in cold weather for long periods of time.
- Call children back indoors frequently to warm up and change out of wet clothes.
- Dress in layers.
- Be aware that certain medications and alcohol can disrupt your body’s natural reaction to cold. Take extra precaution if you take certain medications or are headed out for a night of celebration by dressing warmly and having an established transportation plan.
- Have your heating system serviced to prevent sudden outages.
- Have an extra change of clothes with you if you’re planning on spending significant time outdoors.
Frostbite
Much like hypothermia, frostbite occurs when skin is exposed to cold weather for long periods of time. It’s literally frozen body tissue (usually skin) due to contracting blood vessels, reducing blood flow and oxygen to affected body parts. The lack of oxygen and nutrients causes affected areas to physically "die." Typically, frostbite affects parts of the body furthest away from the heart, that is, extremities like hands and feet.
Children and elderly people are at the greatest risk for severe complications from frostbite; however, most cases occur in adults between 30 and 49 years of age. Reduce your risk of frostbite: dress in layers including gloves, earmuffs, and heavy socks; reduce the amount of time you spend outdoors; pay extra attention to getting out of wet clothing as soon as possible; and avoid drinking alcohol when its extremely cold. Also, it’s important to check skin for discoloration after spending time outdoors.
SAD
Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) affects people typically from the late fall through winter and is thought to be caused by decreased Vitamin D or lack of exposure to natural sunlight, as sunshine can prompt serotonin production in the brain. Although it’s most recognized in the winter, SAD can affect anyone during any time of the year.
SAD affects 10 million people each winter in the U.S. with a tendency to affect women slightly more than men—specifically 6.5% men compared to 13.1% of women studied in a U.S. Military Medicine research report. SAD shares many of the same warning signs as depression, such as less energy, trouble concentrating, fatigue, change in appetite, increased desire to be alone, and changes in sleep.
Depression and SAD alike should always be evaluated and diagnosed by a physician. However, if you’re prone to SAD, you might want to consider purchasing a Happy Lamp that can be used in home or at the office. Increased light has been proven to reduce SAD side effects.
Flu and colds
We’re halfway through the flu season, and just as in years past, doctors and the media are claiming this year to be another nasty one. While we celebrated the new year, the CDC declared that the flu had reached an epidemic level in the United States. Adding to the panic, experts say this year’s flu vaccine is not effective in guarding against the dominated mutated virus strain that is widespread throughout most of the lower 48 states.
H3N2 is the most prevalent virus of the 2014-2015 flu season, which is also the strain scientists didn’t expect to be common. If you’ve been tracking the strain over the past several years, you know this is a mutated version of the Swine Flu that reached epidemic levels in 2009, killing 10,000 Americans by December before its peak. H3N2 is just as nasty as its H1N1 (Swine Flu) parent virus; however, physicians are reporting increased preparedness this year to care for those severally affected.
No state has yet declared that its flu season has peaked. (Typically, the flu season peaks in late January or February.) Until the season starts to wind down, it’s best to take Vitamin C, get plenty of rest, and try to reduce your exposure to those who are sick. If you begin to show symptoms of a cold or the flu, do yourself and your co-workers a favor and take a few days off to rest.
Carbon Monoxide
Turning up the thermostat and hibernating until the spring thaw sounds like an excellent idea, but can lead to increased exposure to carbon monoxide. Like other deadly gases, carbon monoxide (CO) has no distinctive odor or appearance. It is produced by the incomplete burning of various fuels—coal, wood, charcoal, oil, kerosene, propane, and natural gas. Equipment powered by internal combustion engines such as portable generators, cars, law mowers and other various outside maintenance tools, as well as washers and dryers, produce CO.
Exposure risks can be moderated by having carbon monoxide detectors on each floor of your school (and home) including basement and attic spaces. Some states have legislation requiring operational CO alarms. However, even in states without laws mandating detectors be installed and routinely checked, it is in your best interest to proactively measure the amount of CO in your buildings. In addition, have routine services performed on heating equipment, ventilation systems, kitchen appliances in your cafeteria, and the like.
Finally, know the symptoms of CO poisoning. So often, these subtle symptoms of exposure are easily mistaken for other, less threatening health concerns.
- Headache
- Fatigue
- Shortness of breath
- Nausea
- Dizziness
- Mental confusion
- Vomiting
- Loss of muscular coordination
- Loss of consciousness
For more information on CO poisoning and prevention, click here.
Additional ISM resources:
ISM Monthly Update for Business Officers Vol. 11 No. 5 Holistic Flu and Cold Prevention
ISM Monthly Update for Business Officers Vol. 12 No. 6 Winter Health Tips: Shoveling Safety
ISM Monthly Update for Division Heads Vol. 11 No. 5 Snow, Snow, Go Away: Winter-Recess Policies
ISM Monthly Update for Risk Managers Vol. 4 No. 5 Protecting Yourself From What Everyone Else Is Sharing: Sniffle, Sneezes, and Coughs
ISM Monthly Update for Business Officers Vol. 13 No. 3 What’s in Your Pantry? Winter Preparedness Tips
