Frostbite, hypothermia, dehydration all dangers of freezing temps across Mid-South

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) - Health officials across the Mid-South warn people to be aware of the health concerns that come with winter weather.

As our First Alert Weather team tracks another round of freezing temperatures that will result in hazardous roads, doctors across the larger-Memphis area warn of seasonal-related health conditions and injuries.

“The first two things are frostbite and hypothermia,” explained Dale Criner, Chief Medical Officer of Methodist Germantown Hospital. “But in addition to that, we tend to see a lot of slip and falls with broken bones.”

Health officials at St. Francis in Bartlett location said no patients have visited their emergency room with winter-weather related injuries or conditions.

Meanwhile, staff at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital report seeing multiple patients in just one night.

“We’ve had approximately 7 patients,” explained Rudy Kink, Pediatric Emergency Physician with Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital. “And that was just in a 9-hour span. That’s not excluding our other emergency department in Germantown as well as what the other physicians saw that same night.”

The signs of those conditions should not be ignored.

“Whenever you start feeling the tips of your fingers, your toes, your nose be numb,” Criner explained. “That’s a significant warning sign, numbness. Also, they can have a waxy texture. They can feel like wax.”

Dehydration is also a concern for people amid cold weather. Health officials also suggest people wear multiple layers when going outside.

Click here to sign up for our newsletter!

Click here to report a spelling or grammar error. Please include the headline.

Copyright 2024 WMC. All rights reserved.