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Dear Chilly Charlie:
Your mom is right. You should be careful to protect yourself from the cold when you go outside in
the winter. But injury from the cold frostnip, frostbite, or hypothermia is
something that generally can be prevented if you take proper precautions when it's cold and wet outside.
Ordinarily, when you are cold, you shiver. This is your body's attempt to keep warm. But under
certain conditions, shivering no longer works. Your body begins to lose more heat than it can make
and your body can no longer keep you warm. The first parts of your body to get cool are likely to
be your extremities your fingers, toes, cheeks, ears, and nose. As they get colder, the blood
vessels there close down. With less warm blood flowing to keep your skin warm, the liquid in your
skin tissue begins to freeze.... This describes frostnip and its related, but more serious cousin,
frostbite. Then there's hypothermia, the most severe cold injury. Hypothermia occurs when your body
simply gives up trying to keep any part of your body warm and your temperature "normal." So instead
of 98.6 degrees your temperature drops and drops.
If you're outside and discover your limbs starting to hurt or become numb, your the skin on
your fingers or toes becoming hard and whitened, or yourself becoming sleepy and confused, you may
have a cold injury. You need to get inside immediately! You need to alert an adult who probably
will turn to a medical professional who may warm your extremities, or your whole body, with
blankets or in warm water or use other medical procedures. But what's most important to remember is
that these injuries are easy to avoid. When it's cold outside, you need to cover your head, your
nose, your neck, and your hands, dress in layers and stay both warm AND dry. And, if it is below
freezing, pay attention to both the wind and the temperature. Don't stay out too long! If you are
cold and wet, get inside immediately! For worms like me winter is one long snuggle with a dirt
ball, but for the rest of you winter is a Wonderland! So, please, just take care of yourself and
enjoy it!
Signed,
Wendell
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