Amber Worman - Revision Challenge

Nothing beats a snow day, right? No school, tons of snow, hot chocolate, and a whole day of fun outside with your friends!

When spending a long time outside in the winter, it is also important to be safe while you are having fun. The best way to be safe in the cold is to be aware of the things that can go wrong so you can protect yourself from them.

There are two main things you need to watch out for when you are playing outside in cold weather: frostbite, and hypothermia.

Frostbite

If you skin is exposed to the cold air outside for too long, you can get frostbite. Frostbite is basically what happens when your skin starts to freeze. It sounds scary, but there are three different kinds of frostbite:

  • Level 1 - Frostnip
    • Frostnip is the least dangerous of the three. If your fingertips, toes, and earlobes are numb and turning white, you might have Frostnip. You should get to a warm place as soon as possible and slowly start to warm up.

  • Level 2 - Superficial Frostbite
    • If you don't warm up after getting Frostnip, you may get superficial Frostbite. If your skin feels cold and hard, like it is frozen, get help immediately! Don't rub your skin to try to warm up, or you will cause blisters to form on your skin.

  • Level 3 - Deep frostbite
    • Deep Frostbite is very serious. If your skin is cold and hard, and is turning a splotchy blue color or blisters are showing up, get out of the cold and get help immediately! Again, rubbing your skin to try to warm it up will hurt you more than it will help.

Hypothermia

Hypothermia is not as obvious as frostbite, but it is just as dangerous, if not more! Hypothermia is what happens when your temperature is less than 98.6 F - it's like the opposite of a fever. If you feel confused, can't seem to talk right, and can't stop shivering, you may have the start of hypothermia. Get out of the cold and get help as soon as possible! If you get colder, the hypothermia will get more serious. You might start to feel sleepy, and your body will slow down. Don't fall asleep - you might not wake up if you don't get to a warmer place!


Now that you know about frostbite and hypothermia, you are probably wondering how to protect yourself. It's easy: dress in layers and wear a hat whenever you go outside; be especially careful on windy days; wear mittens instead of gloves to keep your fingers warmer; and eat lots of warm food to help keep your body running strong.

If you make sure to keep yourself protected against frostbite and hypothermia, you'll be able to enjoy your snow days without worrying about them.
Submitted by BlueSkyy on Wed, 05/21/2008 - 00:42. categories [ ]