ATLANTA — As temperatures become bitter cold, doctors are saying if you have to get out in the cold, it’s best to bundle up.
This includes covering your nose and mouth.
Channel 2’s Linda Stouffer talked to a physician about what to keep in mind. First on the list is layering with hats and protection for your hands to keep the blood flowing.
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“I don’t think it’s optional. I think that’s what I would call a non-negotiable. Bitter, bitter cold temperatures our bodies, especially in the South, are not used to. And we certainly know frostbite is a risk,” said Dr. Dhaval Desai, Primary Case Physician at Atlanta Internists.
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Desai says the bitter cold is when doctors see an uptick in ER visits, especially when ice forms.
“Hip fractures, arm, knee fractures all of it. So, the best bet for a vulnerable and our elderly is to stay inside, not be outside. For those of us that have to be outside, you want those boots, you want the shoes that are really going to give you traction over the ice,” Desai said.
The National Weather Service suggests you wear a hat, mittens, snug at the wrist, so that it may keep you even warmer than gloves. And it recommends covering your mouth to protect your lungs from extreme cold.
Doctors say doing this will warm your cells and immune systems, allowing them to function at their best potential.
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