Passport to Texas

Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife

Cold temperatures and strong winds increase Texans’ risk for hypothermia, a potentially serious condition where the body’s core temperature drops below normal.

Dorian Drigalla is an assistant professor of emergency medicine at Scott and White Memorial Hospital. People are most at risk for hypothermia if they somehow become wet when outdoors.

The first thing to try to do is to get the patient to the warmest possible environment, whether that be getting them out of the wind or out of the water. So the first two things to be concerned about on a hike or in the wilderness are basically to remove everything possible wet, get the patient dry and try and get them into a warmer environment. Even if that just means out of the wind behind shelter even of a hillside.

Then you want to try additional measures, whether that’s using insulating materials like a sleeping bag or dry clothing to warm the patient and also ingestion of warm liquids can help. If the person is cold and they’re already in water, the water between them and their clothing is actually insulating. The heat is conducted out of the body and into the water but it’s maintained between them and their clothing. And it’s only if those clothes can come off and all the water can be removed that that’s actually helpful.

That’s our show…with research and writing help from Kate Lipinski… For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

Hypothermia Treatment Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife

In January, temperatures in some state parks can drop below 19 degrees. Cold temperatures and strong winds increase Texans risk for hypothermia.

Dorian Drigalla is an assistant professor of Emergency Medicine at Scott and White Memorial Hospital.

Hypothermia is a condition where the body’s temperature drops below normal and certain physiologic changes happen the body because of that.

There are three stages of hypothermia:

Stage one – or mild hypothermia – is when the body’s temperature drops from what is considered normal down between 1 and 3 degrees below that. Stage two becomes a little bit more obvious in that the person starts to realize they are more than just cold and while they are still conscious, they do realize that they are shivering more, the shivering becomes more noticeable and the rest of the body’s movements are less coordinated. It’s at this point that the body starts to appear more pale. Stage three is when the body temperature drops below ninety degrees. At this point, the body’s reflexes start to fail, the shivering intended in the prior two stages to help warm the body starts to fail. Concentration, speaking and thinking become more difficult.

Severe hypothermia can lead to organ failure and death.

Back country treatment of hypothermia tomorrow.

That’s our show…with research and writing help from Kate Lipinski… For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

Hypothermia Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife

Winter is hard skin, whether you’re spending time outdoors or in.

Winter is a tough time because the relative humidity is much lower due to the central heat and air. And it’s especially a problem because the hands can get dry and cracked.

Dr. Jaculeen Dano is a board certified dermatologist with a practice in Austin. Dry, cracked skin on the hands, and overly dry, itchy skin elsewhere, can turn an outdoor adventure into and ordeal.

Dr. Dano says one way to prevent your skin from over-drying in winter is to wash in cool water, and stay away from harsh chemicals.

I always recommend using non-deodorant, non-anti-bacterial cleansers-–they tend to be a lot harsher—and moisturize, moisturize, moisturize. So, cooler water in the colder temperature? I know. It doesn’t have to be cold, cold, but not excessively hot water.

Sunscreen helps moisturize exposed skin in addition to protecting from the damaging rays of the sun skin. For the hands…

When you’re choosing a hand moisturizer, looking for one with dimethicone in it is a good idea. It’s kind of a sealant that prevents it from washing away as easily, and it keeps things from irritating the skin.

Some people do have an allergic reaction to dimethicone creams, so check with your health care provider before using products containing it.

That’s our show for today…for Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

Cold Weather Skin Care, 2 Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife

Cold, dry winter air makes extended time outdoors feel more invigorating. Unfortunately, it can also leave skin feeling dry and irritated if its not protected properly.

I think when you’re talking about protecting the skin, I think you want to protect it from two things: mainly over drying and too much sun exposure.

Dr. Jaculeen Dano is a board certified dermatologist with a practice in Austin.

In the winter months, in general, what you do day-to-day is to make sure when you cleanse the skin—face, body, hands—just make sure to use lukewarm water; try to use a gentle cleanser, especially a moisturizing body wash is nice. And then get moisturizer on after your shower.

Although sun damage is less likely in winter than in summer, don’t put away the sunscreen just yet.

Look at the UV index for the day. If the UV index is three or higher, you’re going to need at least an SPF of fifteen. If the UV index is two or lower, you don’t need to really be as cautious about applying sun protection. When you apply the sunscreen, make sure that you apply it liberally; get it on before you get outdoors. If you’re going to be out for more than two hours—you need to reapply it.

More winter skin care tips tomorrow.

That’s our show for today…for Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

Cold Weather Skin Care, 1 Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife

It took ten years and four million dollars, but the Texas Clipper is finally at the bottom of the gulf as an artificial reef.

Sinking the ship is just the beginning to me.

Dale Shively coordinates the artificial reef program at Parks and Wildlife. The Clipper is part of the Ships to Reefs program.

I think that once we start our biological monitoring, which will start immediately, we will have an underwater environment where we’ll be studying artificial reefs for many years to come.

On November 17, after several delays, contractors towed the ship from Brownsville where it had been cleaned up, 17 nautical miles off the coast of South Padre Island, where it was sunk.

I like to look at it as the ship of four lives. We’ve always talked about the three lives: as the USS Queens, the Excambion, and the Texas Clipper. But now it has the opportunity to live on in its fourth life, as an artificial reef for the state of Texas.

Artificial reefs are oases for marine life in the gulf, and improve fisheries where they exist. Learn more about the sinking of the Texas Clipper at passporttotexas.org.

That’s our show…with support from the Sport Fish and Wildlife restoration program…working to increase hunting, fishing, shooting and boating opportunities in Texas Parks & Wildlife

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

The Texas Clipper: That Sinking Feeling Play Now | Play in Popup | Download