ROANOKE, Va. (WFXR) – Following the first winter storm of 2025, temperatures in the Roanoke Valley are plummeting. Dr. Stephanie Lareau an Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine at Virginia Tech Carilion Clinic gives some tips on braving this bitter cold.
Dr. Lareau says we don’t just have to worry about the low temperatures, we’re also going to be dealing with a high wind chill. Hypothermia is a risk she wants to point out. Some symptoms are pale dry skin, slow and slurred speech, confusion and slow uncoordinated movements.
“Someone is in more moderate to severe hypothermia. That’s when it’s going to become a threat. And those people are going to be confused. They’re going to be stumbling. They’re not going to be making a lot of sense and they may not be able to seek help themselves. So those are the people that you want to try to get them out of the elements, get them off the cold ground and get them to the hospital, because sometimes we have to do more invasive things to kind of rewarm people,” said Dr. Stephanie Lareau.
Dr. Lareau’s biggest advice for dealing with the cold is to be prepared, stay inside if possible, dress in layers, and if you need to travel, pack a bag with extra blankets, snacks, batteries and anything else to keep you warm incase you get stranded.
Besides hypothermia, Dr. Lareau says another thing they see this time of year, is carbon monoxide poisoning. People who are trying to stay warm use thing like kerosene lamps which are not meant to be used inside. She says its best to always have a working carbon monoxide detector on hand.