Cold Weather

Overview

Cold weather is not an illness. It is a set of seasonal conditions that can affect your health, especially when it is very cold, windy, wet, or when your home is hard to heat. The main health risks are getting too cold (hypothermia, which means dangerously low body temperature), frozen skin (frostbite, which means freezing damage to skin and tissue), falls, and long-term heart or lung problems getting worse.

Cold weather is a normal part of winter in many places. Mild problems like cold hands, dry skin, coughs, and colds are very common. Serious cold-related illness is less common, but it can happen quickly.

Everyone can be affected, but risk is higher for older adults, babies and young children, people who are homeless or live in cold or damp homes, people with long-term health conditions, people with poor mobility, and people who drink a lot of alcohol or use drugs.

Symptoms

Common symptoms

• Feeling cold and shivering
• Cold, numb fingers, toes, ears, or nose
• Dry, itchy, or cracked skin and chapped lips
• Runny or blocked nose, cough, or sore throat, as winter infections are more common
• Tiredness or low mood when days are short
• Stiff joints or aches
• Chilblains: itchy, red or blue swellings on toes or fingers after cold

Symptoms in children

• Shivering, cold hands and feet, or unusual sleepiness
• Fussiness, poor feeding, or fewer wet nappies
• Fast breathing, cough, or runny nose
• Pale, blue, or grey lips or skin — call your local emergency number
• Not wanting to play or being hard to wake — call your local emergency number

Symptoms in older adults

• Feeling cold even indoors, or a home that feels cold
• Confusion, slowed speech, or unusual sleepiness
• Low energy, poor appetite, or falls
• Cold, pale, or blue skin, or slow breathing
• Worsening long-term conditions
• Older adults may not shiver much, even when their body is dangerously cold

Causes

Main causes

• Low temperatures, wind, rain, and wet clothes
• Being outdoors for a long time without enough layers
• Cold homes, poor heating, power cuts, or trouble affording heat
• Not eating or drinking enough
• Alcohol or drugs, which can increase heat loss and affect judgment
• Health conditions or medicines that affect the body's ability to control temperature
• Falls or being unable to move to a warmer place

Risk factors

• Older age, babies, and young children
• Homelessness or poor housing
• Long-term heart, lung, kidney, thyroid, or diabetes conditions
• Dementia, mental health conditions, or poor memory
• Medicines that affect sweating, shivering, or alertness — ask your pharmacist or doctor
• Alcohol or drug use
• Poor mobility, frailty, malnutrition, or dehydration
• Working outdoors in cold conditions

When to see a doctor

See a doctor urgently if:

• You cannot get warm, or you keep shivering and feel very cold.
• You have numb, white, waxy, or very painful skin that may be frostbite.
• You have had a fall, especially with a head injury or severe pain.
• You have new or worsening breathlessness, a cough, or chest discomfort.
• A baby or older adult is unusually cold, sleepy, not eating or drinking, or not themselves.

Book a routine appointment if:

• You often feel cold at home or are worried about heating costs.
• You have chilblains that keep coming back.
• You have a long-term condition and want advice about cold weather.
• You take medicines and want to know if they affect your body temperature.
• You feel low or anxious during winter.
• You have repeated falls or poor mobility.

Diagnosis

There is no single test for cold-weather illness. A doctor or nurse will ask what happened, check your temperature, breathing, pulse, and skin, and look for signs of hypothermia, frostbite, or another illness. If you are very cold or confused, they will start warming you while they check you.

Tests that may be done

• Body temperature check
• Heart and breathing checks
• Blood tests to check general health and how well your organs are working
• Heart tracing (ECG) if needed
• X-rays if you have an injury from a fall
• Urine tests if an infection is suspected

What to expect at your appointment

You may be seen in a clinic, at home, or in hospital. Staff will remove wet clothes, wrap you in warm blankets, and monitor you. They will also ask about your home, medicines, and support. If you are safe to go home, they will explain how to stay warm and when to get help again.

Treatment

Treatment depends on how cold you are and whether there is frostbite or another problem. The first step is always to stop heat loss and warm up safely. Severe cases need hospital care.

Self-care at home

• Move to a warm, dry place as soon as you can.
• Remove wet clothes and put on dry layers, including a hat and gloves.
• Wrap yourself in blankets and warm the centre of your body first — chest, belly, and head.
• Drink warm, non-alcoholic drinks and eat a warm meal if you can.
• Do not rub numb or frostbitten skin, and do not put it directly on a hot water bottle, radiator, or fire.
• Do not walk on feet that are numb or might be frostbitten.
• Check on others who may need help, especially older neighbours.
• Call for advice if you do not warm up, feel unwell, or are worried.

Medical treatments

In hospital, staff may warm you slowly and gently with warm blankets or warm air, give warmed fluids and oxygen, and monitor your heart, breathing, and temperature. They treat frostbite, injuries, and any infections. Severe hypothermia needs careful handling because moving someone too roughly can affect the heart.

When is surgery considered?

Surgery is not usually needed for cold-weather illness. It may be needed for severe frostbite damage or for injuries such as a broken bone after a fall.

Living with this condition

Plan ahead for cold snaps. Keep warm clothes, blankets, food, and a torch where you can reach them. Heat the rooms you use most and keep bedroom windows closed at night in very cold weather. Check the weather before going out and tell someone where you are going.

Lifestyle tips

• Wear several thin layers rather than one thick layer.
• Use a hat, gloves, scarf, and waterproof shoes.
• Keep moving but avoid too much strenuous activity in freezing weather.
• Have your heating and cooking appliances checked by a qualified person.
• Fit a carbon monoxide alarm if you use gas, oil, wood, or coal heating.
• Keep a phone charged and emergency numbers handy.
• Check on family, friends, and neighbours during cold spells.

Diet and exercise

Eat regular meals and have warm drinks through the day. Staying active indoors helps circulation and mood. If you go outside, warm up first, wear layers, and choose cleared, non-icy paths. Ask your clinician before starting hard exercise outdoors if you have a heart or lung condition.

Mental health and emotional wellbeing

Cold, dark days can make some people feel low, anxious, or isolated. Winter can also be hard for people worried about heating bills or who live alone. These feelings are common, and support is available. If you or someone else has thoughts of self-harm or suicide, contact your local emergency number or a local crisis service right away.

Prevention

Many cold-related health problems can be prevented. Keeping warm, eating well, planning for cold snaps, and checking on each other makes a big difference.

Vaccines

Ask your healthcare provider which winter vaccines are recommended for you and your family. Vaccines can lower the risk of some infections that are more common in cold weather.

Screening programmes

There is no routine screening test for cold-weather illness. If you are at higher risk, ask your clinician about a general health check and about local help with heating, housing, or social support.

Complications

If left untreated

• Hypothermia — dangerously low body temperature — which can affect the heart, brain, and breathing
• Frostbite — freezing damage to skin and tissue — which can cause long-term injury
• Falls and injuries on ice or snow, including broken bones and head injury
• Worsening of heart, lung, kidney, or other long-term conditions
• Carbon monoxide poisoning from faulty heaters, blocked flues, or using camping stoves indoors
• Low mood, anxiety, and isolation during dark, cold days
• Chilblains and dry, cracked, or infected skin

Long-term outlook

Most people recover well from cold-weather problems when they warm up and get help early. Severe hypothermia and frostbite can be serious, but emergency and hospital care can save lives and limit damage. Planning ahead helps you stay safe and well.

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