Frostbite Alert Issued for January 7

Written by admin, January 6, 2014

January 6, 2014 – The Peterborough Public Health has issued a Frostbite Alert for Tuesday, January 7 because of a forecasted wind chill of -38.

Extreme cold events are a potentially significant health risk and can have a severe impact on the health of vulnerable populations including infants, the elderly, people with circulatory problems, and the marginally housed.  Local social service agencies rely on Public Health frostbite alerts to determine if services should be extended or enhanced.

In order to protect the health of people in Peterborough County and City and Curve Lake and Hiawatha First Nations, Public Health advises local residents to take the following precautions:

• Check face and extremities frequently for signs of frostbite. Exposed skin can freeze in as little as 10 to 30 minutes.
• Consider re-scheduling outdoor recreational activities, especially during the evening. There is a serious risk of hypothermia if outdoors for long periods.
• Use caution when shoveling snow especially for those that have heart, respiratory (breathing) problems or other medical conditions. Snow shoveling is strenuous and can cause an onset of heart or respiratory problems.
• Check on the elderly or people with disabilities living alone.

 

Cold related illnesses include:

 

Hypothermia:
Symptoms/signs include: shivering, exhaustion, confusion, fumbling/uncoordinated
movements, memory loss, slurred speech, drowsiness. 

Frostbite:

Symptoms/signs include: white/greyish skin area, skin that feels unusually firm or waxy, or numbness.

Increases in other health problems can also be seen, especially for those with other chronic medical conditions such as heart conditions.

Further information about the health risks of extreme cold and Public Health’s Extreme Cold Response Plan can be found at www.peterboroughpublichealth.ca under “My Home & Environment” by clicking on “Extreme Weather – Cold”.

For further information, please contact:

Wanda Tonus
Public Health Inspector
(705) 743-1000, ext. 285