Cold weather is a beautiful and splendid condition that brings joy and excitement to everyone and causes trouble if we overenjoy it without a precaution. Here’s a fascinating detail about cold weather and its causes.
Cold temperatures - Get your cup of hot chocolate ready!
Cold is when there is low temperature. It has physiological stress on the body. It is a relatively low temperature compared with reference to the human body.
We need to understand that the term cold is subjective. What a person feels cold may not be as cold for someone else. Therefore, there is no exact definition to define cold weather.
Whereas a freezing temperature is when the water freezes. Water freezes at 0 degrees Celsius.
How cold is cold?
The question itself is subjective. Here one size fits all approach is not possible.
There are a few factors that cause cold weather. Cold is different in different parts of the world. The tilt in the earth’s surface4 causes the difference in the temperatures.
Cold weather in the polar regions is much cooler than the cold weather in the tropical regions.
What are the health effects of cold weather on the body?
When the weather gets too cold, it may pose a few threats to humans. Some of them are
1. Frostbite
Frostbite is a result of cold temperatures that damage various parts of the body, especially the ears, nose, fingers, and toes. The skin affected by frostbite looks white or gray. It feels waxy when touched. In some rare cases, frostbite makes the skin turn black.
2. Hypothermia
Hypothermia is a condition that occurs when the temperature of the body drops below 35 degrees Celsius. This is a condition where the body is losing more heat than it can make. Hypothermia can cause shivering, tiredness, confusion, and frequent urination.
If hypothermia is left untreated, it may even result in death.
3. Cardiovascular problems.
Cold weather can increase the risk of heart problems. This is because the heart needs to pump harder when a person is in cold. The heart pumps harder to keep oneself warm. This, in turn, will increase heart rate and blood pressure
This can cause heart attacks or other problems. Having pre-existing conditions makes it worse. If a person is not used to exercise, they may be at high risk of heart problems.
Some of the other problems include:
- Dry skin
- Whiteouts
- Slipping and falling down
- Increase in a sedentary lifestyle.
How to stay safe in cold weather? Isn't it getting warmer?
Some of the ways in which we can stay warm in cold climatic conditions are:
- Wearing layers of loose-fitting clothes, shoes, and gloves to protect from cold
- Covering mouth with a scarf
- Minding the steps and avoiding falling without balance
- Staying indoors
- Preparing oneself in advance
- Having hot meals
- Keeping oneself active indoors
- Keeping oneself hydrated with hot drinks.
To sum up
Small climatic changes can have effects on a person’s health. Even though cold is a subjective topic, people living in certain parts of the world have difficulty coping with the climate.
Preparing oneself with adequate safety measures and making a few lifestyle changes may prevent them from having health issues.
