BUFFALO (WBEN) - The bitterly cold temperature Western New York is expecting this week can cause some pretty severe health conditions, according to Erie County Health Commissioner Gale Burstein.
"With frostbite, that is many time irreversible skin damage," said Burstein. "We usually see it in areas that are most vulnerable, which would be exposed areas and areas of poor circulation in the skin, so that can include the nose, ears, cheeks, chin, fingers and the toes."
She then discussed some of the symptoms, and she added that frostbite in these cold conditions may only take about 30 minutes to develop in adults, and children may start exhibiting signs even sooner.
"If you start to feel some pain in the skin and some redness, that can be an early sign of frostbite, so get inside," she said. "We usually see, with early frostbite, is numbness of the skin, usually it turns kind of a waxy white or yellow - that is a sign of tissue damage, so again, get inside, start to warm the skin with lukewarm water or other warm skin."
HYPOTHERMIA:
"That is when your body temperature drops to a dangerously low temperature," said Burstein. "Where we would see that is in people who are exposed to prolonged cold temperatures outside, especially if the clothes they are wearing are damp, it more easily becomes cold."
The initial signs of hypothermia are far different and can be much more serious than frostbite.
"What you would see with someone with hypothermia, since it affects the brain function, usually people become very fatigued, they may become confused, they could have problems with their balance, they could have slurred speech, and they could lose consciousness," she said.
HEART CONDITIONS:
"The third concern is developing a heart attack," said Burstein. "People who already have a pre-existing heart condition, even well-controlled hypertension, is at risk of developing a heart attack in these extremely cold temperatures."
She then explained why the cold can bring about these symptoms.
"Your heart has to work really hard to keep up the energy in these extremely cold temperatures, and the exertion sometimes can put people over," she said.