In recent years, it has become rare for one to die from the cold, with all the clothing and new tech we’ve been developing.
That might be subject to change, however.
“Even though we are in this warming world, cold-related deaths are still a public health issue in the U.S.,” said Michael Liu, a student at Harvard Medical School.
In keeping with Liu’s statement, cold weather measurements have been rising steadily nationwide in recent years. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have found that deaths relating to the cold have almost doubled between 1999 and 2022. In the latter year, 3,571 people died of cold-weather related reasons. The deaths were later found to be mostly made up of people of age 75 or older. This may be because the body’s ability to regulate temperature lessens as you get older, making the elderly more vulnerable to the elements.
Now, winters in America are, on average, 4 degrees warmer than they were 50 years ago due to climate change. Unfortunately, that same climate change is also causing outbursts of extreme coldness. They’re also causing polar vortexes, which is when Arctic air blows into the US.
This cold weather has the potential to be the catalyst for further serious health problems, such as frostbite or hypothermia, which both potentially lead to death.
Fortunately for us, there are many ways to combat the cold.
Dr. Neha Raukar, an emergency room doctor at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, states that dressing right may be the first step. Dr. Raukar recommends putting on layers of lightweight and loose fitting clothing and also wearing things like scarves and hats. Additionally, drinking warm fluids may help. Things like water, milk, and soup are recommended.