GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) – With the bitter cold sticking around, it’s important to pay attention to what you are wearing when spending time outside.
Kathi Hegranes, Injury Prevention Coordinatior at ThedaCare Trauma Center in Neenah says the trick to staying warm is planning what’s under your winter jacket.
“In your underclothes, wear several light layers. Think about a light fleece.”
Keeping your hands covered while outdoors will protect one of the two main areas for frostbite, but you should protect your fingers in a certain way.
“Mittens are warmer than gloves because you are keeping your fingers together, so the fact that you are keeping your fingers in a little bundle helps them stay warmer.”
Wind Chills slightly below zero are not going to be harmful within minutes, but can be rougher on older adults.
Hegranes says with wind chills like this, they still see a common bad practice.
“The wind chills that we are at right now, they are dangerous but only if you are out and uncovered.”
Those who start feeling unaware of where they are, start having slurred speech or start to see discoloration in their skin, should seek medical attention right away.
Hegranes says the most important thing to remember is to keep skin covered and pay attention to your body responses.
“We don’t want to see you in the emergency room.”
Wearing layers, mittens instead of gloves and wearing a heavy water proof winter coat are ways to fight the frigid temperatures if you have to be outside.
