Stress and dehydration are also known to make cold illness worse. This means that simply skipping snacks and hydration breaks can be dangerous, especially when you are exposed to the elements. You need extra calories and fluids during pregnancy. Keeping your blood sugar up by stopping regularly for healthy snacks, such as crackers, nuts and fruit, and drinking at least a liter of water for every hour of activity, will keep you safer outdoors. Breaks, especially if you can warm up inside or with a hot drink, also will keep your spirits and energy up so that you can enjoy your time outdoors.

Exercise also is important. When you get cold, activating your muscles by moving around and getting your heart pumping will help your body generate heat. If you feel your fingers and toes getting too cold or if you start to feel them become numb, wiggle, squeeze and massage them to get the blood flowing again. Frostbite and frostnip are consequences of cold exposure. Most commonly, cold injury affects susceptible areas, like the ears, nose, fingers or toes. As these parts get cold, they get less blood flow. With frostnip, the outermost layer of the skin is affected, causing redness and temporary numbness. With frostbite, the deeper layers of the skin are damaged, so injury may be permanent. The key is prevention with special attention to these vulnerable areas.

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