Editor's note: In The WellNest Watch, master's degree candidates in the public health program at EMU's School of Health Promotion and Human Performance explore news, research and standard practices in the field of health and wellness.
It is that time of year when we adjust the clocks, get firmer tires, and, most importantly, adorn ourselves in our warmest coats as we embrace the cold of Michigan winters. What lingers in our minds is whether this year’s winter will be any different from what we are used to. Unfortunately, Michigan is expected to experience heavier and colder temperatures, especially in the second half of winter. Meteorologists predict the return of La Niña, a climatic phenomenon that allows for cooler and wetter winter patterns. This weather pattern, often attributed to climate change, is expected to impact most of southern Michigan, whilst the north remains erratic.
This summer, we witnessed the other side of the spectrum, where extreme heat provoked record-high daily temperatures across major cities, causing medical emergencies, and spread of drought across various states in the U.S. and Puerto Rico that left farmers struggling to meet market demand.
The consequences of adverse, low temperatures are hypothermia, frostbite, and respiratory illnesses like the flu.
As public health practitioners, we encourage college students to indulge in more cold-protective interventions like wearing adequately-heated clothing, discourage outdoor exposure in harsh weather conditions, adjust their room temperatures to ambient conditions, avoid driving in thick snow, and, more importantly, take the flu vaccine.
Contributors to the WellNest Watch health column are Kegan Tulloch and Ebrima Jobarteh, graduate assistants in the Office of Health Promotions, and Shafaat Ali Choyon and Nathaniel King, graduate hall directors in the Department of Residential Life. All four are master's degree candidates in the Public Health Program from the School of Public Health Promotion and Human Performance at Eastern Michigan University.
