Prepare to do a lot of shoveling this weekend, but also think about being safe

OTTUMWA, Iowa (KYOU) -We could see several inches of snow on Saturday, January 1st. Before you head out to tack those driveways and sidewalks, a local family nurse practitioner Heather Worth has some advice to make sure you do it safely and not end up in the emergency room.

She says any known risk of heart disease, hypertension, or conditions along that line they need to make sure they are in fact medically safe to be out shoveling to start with before.

Before you go out to shovel you should be checking the temperatures to make sure your clothing is appropriate for the temp you are going to face

She says make sure you are using the right size shovel, but also remember to take frequent breaks, don’t overdo, and make sure you are getting plenty to drink allowing yourself to warm up between episodes

Everyone needs to know the symptoms of hypothermia.

If you are shivering, exhausted, confused, have slurred speech, she says those are things that are concerning.

You need to quickly get their body temperature back up, any temp below 95-degree Fahrenheit should head straight to the Emergency room.

She also recommends everyone carry a cell phone while they are out just in case they would start to exhibit symptoms of a cardiac event such as chest pain, arm pain, severe shortness of breath, nausea, vomiting, and sometimes abdominal pain.

“A lot of the time our loved ones know we are outside but they are not checking on us as frequently as we think they are so it’s important to keep some kind of device with you so you can make that phone call as need be,” says Worth.

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