Jan 15, 2009 6:53 am US/Central
Doctor Sorts Cold Weather Fact, Fiction
PITTSBURGH (CBS) ―
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Dr. Tom Campbell says gloves may not be the best option for keeping your hands warm.
KDKA
Staying warm outside can be a challenge and it turns out some things you've always heard about going out in the cold may not be true.
Do you really lose 80 percent of your body heat through your head?
Not if you're an adult, according to Dr. Tom Campbell, chairman of the emergency department at West Penn Hospital.
"That's probably only true in very young infants - because their head size is so much larger than their body," he explained.
But Dr. Campbell says a hat is a good idea.
"Because you do lose some heat."
Does drinking something warm like hot chocolate actually warm you up or is it psychological?
"It does. Especially hot chocolate and beverages that have sugars in them - because they're fuel," he said.
But as for a report online that you should actually drink cold, caffeinated beverages before you go outside to get your heart rate going, Dr. Campbell says he doesn't believe it's a true statement.
We also found a suggestion online to put your coat on a good five minutes before you go out to warm up your body inside.
That's probably not a good idea, according to the doctor. You could start sweating.
"And when you sweat that moisture actually makes your body colder," says Campbell.
It's another reason why you should dress in layers to keep any sweat closer to the body and away from the air temperature.
As for gloves or mittens, Dr. Campbell votes for mittens.
"Your fingers next each other generate warmth," he said.
And we all know to drink lots of water in hot weather, but is it true in cold weather too?
"It is true in cold weather. With dehydration your blood pressure lowers and when your blood pressure lowers, you can't heat the rest of your body that needs to be heated," he said.
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