With the temperatures expected to hit single digits this week, there are some dangers that could come from the cold weather.
Spending extended periods of time outside when the weather is very cold can be dangerous, says Russell Maxon with Lima Memorial Health System. Some of the biggest threats are hypothermia, where a person's body temperature drops dramatically, and frostbite, which is when the skin freezes after being in cold temperatures for too long. The best way to stay safe when it gets cold like this is to stay out of the winter weather as much as possible.
"The most important thing is to stay in places that are warm - if you’re in an area that’s very cold and you’re starting to experience any of the symptoms, the most important thing that you can do is to get inside to a warm place," said Maxon.
If you start to experience any severe symptoms of the conditions we said before, like confusion, slipping out of consciousness, or seeing discoloration of fingers or toes, that's when Maxon says that you should be heading to the ER.
