DANVILLE, Pa. — All this week, temperatures have been in the teens and below throughout northeastern and central Pennsylvania.
While Geisinger's emergency departments are always busy in the winter months, doctors are treating patients this week with both frostbite and hypothermia. Shivering is the first thing you'll notice with hypothermia.
"Your body temperature is actually trying to adjust itself. That's where the shivering comes in because that increases energy, but your body can only sustain that for so long," explained Deb Erdman, Geisinger outreach injury prevention trauma coordinator.
After that, you may become confused with slurred speech.
Erdman says at that point, it's important to get out of the cold, as hypothermia can be deadly.
"When you start the shivering and the teeth chattering, that's your signal that you need to get warmed up. You need to do more than what you're doing. Getting out of that cold is important."
Frostbite can happen to any exposed skin, such as your nose, ears, and fingers.
"Once that happens, it's kind of a progression to where your skin will start to blister, you'll start feeling tingling and numbness, and they'll actually start turning red."
Erdman says that person needs to be warmed up as fast as possible, but not in a warm shower or tub.
"You don't want to rub that exposed skin because it can actually do more damage. You want to give them warm beverages because you want to get that internal body warmed up also."
According to Geisinger, small children and elderly people are most at risk for cold weather-related injuries. If you must be outdoors in this frigid weather, Erdman recommends wearing loose layers with synthetic material against your body rather than cotton. And don't forget hats, gloves, and scarves.
Check out severe weather tips on WNEP’s YouTube channel.