Extreme cold conditions: What they are and how to treat them

Severe frostbite happens when skin and underlying tissues freeze, limiting blood flow to the area. (Yuliya Movchan/iStockphoto/Getty Images/File)

With windchills getting down to minus 30 on Friday in Simcoe County, Environment Canada said frostbite is a possibility.

What is frostbite?

According to Health Canada, frostbite is the combination of poor circulation and extreme cold and usually happens in body parts furthest from the heart like hands, feet, nose and ears.

Who is most at risk?

Extreme cold weather affects everyone but those who are most at risk are babies and children, older adults, people with certain medical conditions, people who are experiencing homelessness, newcomers to Canada and people who spend longer durations outside because of work.

Reducing the risk of frostbite

Wear warm clothing with materials like synthetic and wool fabrics that keep sweating to a minimum and keep the body dry.

Dressing in layers and wearing warm clothing on the extremities like warm socks, gloves, a hat and scarf is also recommended by Health Canada.

Signs and symptoms

Health Canada says there are two different kinds of frostbite: mild and severe.

Mild frostbite or frostnip is when the skin turns a yellowish or white colour but is still soft to touch. The skin might turn red as it gets warmed up but a normal skin colour eventually comes back.

Severe frostbite is when the skin appears discoloured and turns black, which means there’s permanent damage to body tissue. Over time, nerve damage becomes severe to the point of loss of feeling in the area. It’s important to get frostbite treated right away.

Treating frostbite

Frostbite can be treated through passive warming like moving to a warm room, wrapping the body in blankets or cozying up with a loved one to get their body heat with skin-to-skin contact.

It can also be treated with active warming which is adding heat directly to the area like placing the affected skin in water just above body temperature.

Other extreme cold conditions

Hypothermia comes in 3 stages, ranging from shivering to numb hands to having trouble speaking, thinking and walking.

Hypothermia requires immediate medical attention and 911 should be called.

Windburn is when cold wind takes away the top layer of oil from the skin creating excessive dryness, redness, soreness and itchiness.

To treat windburn, Health Canada says to use a therapeutic moisturizer for skin and a protective lip balm for lips.

The bone-chilling weather is expected to continue all weekend with windchills in the minus 30s.