Philadelphia has been cold and windy lately. It's important to protect yourself and your health when venturing out in the winter. Be sure to keep yourself and your loved-ones safe by dressing warm.
- Dress warmly in layers and stay dry. Wear hats, scarves, and water-repellent coats. Wear mittens instead of gloves; they’ll keep your hands warmer.
- Cover your mouth. Protect your lungs from extremely cold air by covering your mouth.
- Don’t overdue do it. Stretch before you go outside. Take your time while shoveling snow or pushing a car. Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated. And walk carefully on snowy, icy sidewalks!
- Wind Chill makes you colder faster, as the wind carries away heat from the body. Make sure small children stay warm - especially babies. Babies will get colder much faster than adults.
- Frostbite is frozen body tissue, usually skin. It affects the extremities first: fingers, toes, ears, and the tip of the nose. The skin might lose feeling, or look white, pale, hard or waxy. As the area thaws, skin may turn red, blue or purple. Skin can also swell or blister. The victim may also feel tingling, burning or severe pain as the frostbitten tissue thaws.
- Children lose body heat faster than adults, so they can get frostbite faster.
For more information on how to prepare for the winter or for any emergency, visit the Philadelphia Office of Emergency Management at www.phila.gov/ready. You can also follow PhilaOEM on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn, MySpace and YouTube.
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