Blog Post

Ah, winter weather. It fills you with holiday cheer and brings family together, but once the festivities are done, you still have to navigate the cold. Obviously, dressing warmly and cranking up the heat will help, but this season can bring health hazards.

While the weather forecast predicts a milder winter season in the Houston area, colder temperatures and even freezing events are still possible. Depending on where you live, they can cause problems that lead to emergency room visits. 

In Houston and Spring, Texas, you can always count on our team at Houston Medical ER for ways to stay healthy and manage whatever problems come your way as you try to safely survive the cold season. 

Let’s review the seasonal problems that can cause medical issues and show you how we can help.

Effects of cold weather on your health

The effects of lower temperatures vary with how cold it gets, but among those effects are these problems:

• Immune system — combination of more shopping and cold weather means more chances of infection
• Heart — cold weather narrows blood vessels, making blood flow harder on your heart
• Balance — wet, icy, and slippery surfaces create problems staying on your feet
• Skin — this season also dries out your skin, making you more vulnerable to illness
• Body temperature — even mild cold weather increases the risk of hypothermia
• Vehicle hazards — cars and slippery roads make a dangerous combination

Health risks more common in winter

The combination of factors we just mentioned and other problems increase the chances of issues like:

Joint and bone fractures

If you slip and fall, you can crack or break bones and joints. Studies have shown that during slippery winter conditions, the rate of patients presenting with fractures was more than double the rate on days with no such conditions.

Frostbite

The drop in temperatures also increases the risk of skin damage from frostbite, a painful condition that makes affected areas cold, sore, tingly, and numb. Frostbite also increases the risk of necrosis of skin tissue, leading to lasting damage.

Car accident injuries

You still need to get from place to place in the cold weather, but the adverse road conditions increase the risk of motor vehicle accidents and bodily harm for drivers, passengers, and pedestrians.

Dehydration

Yes, you can become dehydrated during the winter, and for several reasons. You may not notice you are sweating, you feel less thirsty (despite losing body moisture), and the dry indoor heat draws moisture from your body.

Winter sun damage

Another issue you might not consider is the impact bright sunlight has on your body in the winter, even if it’s not warm out. Ultraviolet rays are just as dangerous this time of year as at any other time, so skin cancer remains a reason to be careful outside.

How we can help

We have many ways to help if you’re affected by wintery conditions:

Injury treatments

We can treat damage from falls, car accidents, or other related issues in cold weather with a variety of methods, such as fracture and wound care, pain medications, nebulizer treatments, and oxygen therapy, depending on your needs.

Upper respiratory illness treatments

If you have a cold, flu, COVID-19, or similar upper respiratory infection, we can treat you with a variety of antibiotics, antivirals, and other medications to reduce symptoms and shorten the duration of infection.

Emergency care

If you have a severe medical problem due to an accident, frostbite, or other issue, we can treat you in our concierge emergency room.

Make every effort to avoid these wintery dangers, but if something happens and you need help, contact us at Houston Medical ER today. We’re a premier emergency room with board-certified and board-eligible physicians and ER-trained registered nurses, offering prompt care with short wait times.