Stony Brook Medicine doctor shares advice on staying safe amid frigid temperatures
Dr. Marshall Leonard with Stony Brook Medicine advises people to make sure to dress in layers and warm up indoors when possible.
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Doctors say it’s safe to be outside in frigid temperatures if proper precautions are followed.
People were ice skating, sledding and snowboarding at Syosset-Woodbury Community Park on enjoying winter activities on Sunday.
“Today we went sledding down the hill and we were walking our dog around the park. We’re staying warm by wearing a lot of clothes and using stuff like hand warmers," said Gabriel Chung, of Syosset.
“Just the gear. It’s all about the gear. It’s fine to be outside as long as you have the good gear," said Chris Breen, of East Norwich.
Dr. Marshall Leonard with Stony Brook Medicine advises people to make sure to dress in layers and warm up indoors when possible.
“Our body has a defense mechanism that it begins shivering. I think we’ve all shivered before if we’re a little too cold. That’s not to be too worried about, but that’s your body actually trying to warm yourself up," Leonard said.
He says prolonged exposure to the cold without the proper clothing could lead to frostbite. Warning signs include tingling or numbness in one's fingers or toes.
“Your body is not able to create enough heat, and it’s giving off too much heat, and your temperature in your body starts decreasing, and that’s what really hypothermia is," Leonard explained.
Other advice from Leonard is to look out for each other, check on neighbors and make sure they’re warm.
