CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Many people working indoors won’t have to experience the cold weather outside while working, but there are people who work outdoors who won’t have a heater readily available.
Daniel Flores, a UPS worker, says when he has to step outside of his heated car he walks at a faster pace than normal to keep warm. He said once back in his car, drinking water is especially important to keeping him hydrated and his muscles active, but he also stretches to prepare for the day.
“It keeps our muscles from getting tight on days like this . . . and if we drink fluids . . . we drink water. It hydrates the muscles and keeps our muscles in shape,” Flores said.
Whitlock-Morales, a physician for Christus Family Medicine – Kingsville, says that the type of clothing you wear and type of cold can affect if you get cold-related conditions like hypothermia or frostbite.
She says that babies and the elderly that aren’t very mobile are more affected by conditions like frostbite and hypothermia, even when they’re at home with a temperature like 62 degrees during the winter.
“Frostbite is actually freezing of the tissues and some of the signs you would see is literally like…at first redness and tingling,” Whitlock-Morales said.
The cold is one of the reasons that Todd Harris, the owner of a trash removal service, reminds his employees to bundle up with things such as gloves and a beanie.
“I make sure they wear beanies…they wear the gloves…jackets…keep the jackets on…and take breaks when they get inside to a truck to turn their heater on to stay warm,” Harris said.
Harris, Whitlock-Morales, and Flores all said that it is important to bundle up before you experience cold-related illnesses.
