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voa special english 4 2007-12-26 20:14:18 | VOA健康报道第四期
Winter in many places means ice skating, sledding and snowball fights. But unless
someone is prepared, outdoor fun can also mean frostbite and hypothermia. Today
we talk about how to stay warm, dry and safe.
Frostbite is damage that happens when skin is exposed to extreme cold for too long.
It mainly happens on the hands, feet, nose and ears. People with minor cases of frostbite
that affect only the skin may not suffer any permanent damage. But if deeper tissue is
affected, a person is likely to feel pain every time the area gets cold. If blood vessels are
damaged, people can suffer an infection, gangrene. Sometimes, doctors have to remove
frostbitten areas like fingers and toes.
Hypothermia happens when the body cannot produce as much heat as it loses. The
condition comes on slowly. Signs include uncontrollable shaking, unusually slow
breathing and difficulty thinking clearly. If not treated, hypothermia can be deadly.
The best way to avoid cold-related injuries is to be prepared for the outdoors. Here is
a simple way to remember four basic steps to staying warm. Think of COLD -- C.O.L.D.
The C stands for cover. Wear a hat and scarf to keep heat from escaping through the
head, neck and ears. And wear mittens instead of gloves. Gloves may not keep hands
as warm because they separate the fingers.
The O stands for overexertion. Avoid activities that will make you sweaty. Wet clothes
and cold weather are a bad mix.
L is for layers. Wearing loose, lightweight clothes, one layer on top of another, is better
than a single heavy layer of clothing. Also, make sure outerwear is made of water
resistant and tightly knit material.
Can you guess what the D in COLD stands for? D is for dry. In other words, stay as
dry as possible. Pay attention to the places where snow can enter, like the tops of boots,
the necks of coats and the wrist areas of mittens.
And a couple of other things to keep in mind, one for children and the other for adults.
Eating snow might be fun but it lowers the body's temperature. And drinking alcohol
might make a person feel warm, but what it really does is weaken the body's ability to
hold heat.
Next week, experts talk about what to do, and not to do, to help someone injured by
extreme cold.
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