Here's what happens to your body while outside in Cleveland's frigid cold right now

Effects of Cleveland's frigid cold on your body
Updated: Dec. 12, 2017 at 3:51 PM EST
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CLEVELAND, OH (WOIO) - The forecasted low temperature for Tuesday night into Wednesday morning is 11 degrees. Adding in the wind, and the wind chill could be around zero degrees.

Your body is not going to like that.

"At temperatures such as those forecast tonight, individuals are certainly at risk for developing hypothermia and/or frostbite if they are exposed to the cold without proper clothing," according to Dr. Jerri Rose, an Emergency Medicine Physician at University Hospitals Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital.

We all know the magic number of 98.6 degrees.

That is your body's perfect core temperature. That number can range from 97 to 99 degrees and still be considered normal.

According to HealthLine you're body will start to shows signs of being cold when your core temp gets below 98.6. In the beginning they are simple signs.

  • shivering
  • an increased heart rate
  • a slight decrease in coordination
  • an increased urge to urinate

The danger is when your body's temperature gets into the range of  91.4 to 85.2 degrees. That's when more severe symptoms can pop up.

  • minimal breathing
  • poor to no reflexes
  • inability to move or respond to stimuli
  • low blood pressure
  • possibly coma

When the body temperature gets below the 71.6 degrees is when you can see some extreme health conditions.

  • muscles becoming rigid
  • blood pressure becoming extremely low or even absent
  • heart and breathing rates decreasing
  • ultimately lead to death.

Frostbite will attack exposed skin.

"Skin can become chilled within minutes, the time it takes more severe frostbite to occur depends on the temperature and wind chill factor," Dr. Rose said.

The National Weather Service uses this chart to show at what temperatures and how much wind, to show how long before frostbite can set in:

What areas of your body are most at risk?

"Extremities like the fingers, toes, ears, and nose are most susceptible," Rose said. "Early signs can include a painful, burning sensation and numbness in the affected areas. Skin can become pale, gray and blistered with more prolonged exposure and development of frostbite."

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