ORLANDO, Fla. (Ivanhoe Newswire) — Snow blizzards, frostbite, freezing rain and ice-filled roads, winter comes with a lot of baggage. As temperatures start to fall, there are some tips to minimize your misery this winter.
On cold nights, a hot shower can warm you up quickly, but consider switching between hot and cold. The hot water will warm you up, but the cold water will improve blood circulation. Your ceiling fan can provide a great amount of warmth. Warm air rises to the ceiling, so running your ceiling fan on a low setting in a clockwise direction will push the warm air back down. You can also use pool noodles all year round. In the winter you can slide them underneath your door to block drafts. Alcohol may make you feel warm, but it could actually be dangerous. It can drop your core body temperature and reverses some reflexes that control body temperature, like the body’s ability to shiver. And finally, you want to assemble a car emergency kit, which includes water, food, and warm blankets. Twenty-five percent of winter-related fatalities occur when people are caught unprepared out in a storm according to the national oceanic and atmospheric administration.
And don’t forget about your pets. Limit walks outside to ten minutes and check for snow and ice under and between their paws. The American Veterinary Medical Association says to look out for signs of hypothermia, such as whining, shivering, anxious behavior, weakness, or looking for warm places to burrow.
Contributors to this news report include: Milvionne Chery, Producer; Roque Correa, Videographer and Editor.
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