Jack Frost Nipping at Your Nose

Jack Frost is here! With temperatures low enough to leave lovely lacy ice patterns on the grass in the morning, it's time to bundle up when you head out to play. While it might be easier to run around without the extra layers, those layers are actually pretty important. Unlike other creatures roaming this earth, humans don't have fur to keep us warm or extra layers of fat designed to keep us from turning into popsicles in freezing temperatures. We need the extra layers of insulation to keep our body temperature stable.

So, what happens if you choose not to wear those extra layers? Well, first, you'll notice your body start shivering. This happens because your muscles flex and relax quickly to try to generate heat to keep your temperature up. And your teeth chattering? That's your face muscles trying to help as much as they can. Shivering can be a sign that you need some extra warmth. A nice, hot mug of hot chocolate or a fuzzy blanket are great options for getting rid of those shivers.

If you let your body get too cold, which is easy to do during winter, it's possible to develop frostbite. This is a condition where the skin and the underlying tissues freeze. At the earliest stage, known as frostnip, can be recognized by numbness in the extremities. No lasting damage is done, but your fingers and toes might start tingling and hurting when you warm them up again. Superficial frostbite is the next stage and can leave some lasting damage. In this stage, your skin may begin to change colors and will feel warm or hot. If you rewarm yourself at this point, you might feel pain, like stinging and tingling in the affected areas and your skin may become mottled (spotty). Finally, if the frostbite gets to the severe stage, the affected parts may turn black, a sign of deep tissue damage, and might even fall off.

So, how do you avoid this? Make sure to bundle up when it's cold out. When your fingers and toes (and ears and nose) get cold, get to a place where you can warm up. And, of course, wear the right kind of clothes, like waterproof boots instead of tennis shoes and gloves or mittens. Don't let Jack Frost get the best of you this holiday season. Stay warm everyone!