How to stay safe from frostbite and hypothermia this winter

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WAND) — Temperatures continue to drop, and it's important to stay safe. Experts say there are many ways to avoid frostbite and hypothermia.

"Avoid alcohol and avoid smoking. Those things make the skin more sensitive to the cold. Avoid getting wet so like stepping in a puddle, things like that," said OSF Healthcare Spokesperson, Tim Ditman.

Warming centers have also started seeing an uptick of people stopping by. To prepare, they pull out extra beds and ask for extra volunteers.

"What we do is reach out to the community. We have a list of volunteers who have asked to be placed on an email list. We'll give them a call or email them to let them know that the weather is changing, it's becoming dangerous, and we'll see if we can get some additional hands," said Community Relations Coordinator, Charlene Murray.

If you feel like you may have frostbite, there are ways to stop the pain at home temporarily if you aren't able to make it to a hospital.

"If you have a case of frostbite obviously get the person inside, get them into a warm environment. Cover the person up, get some blankets cover them up and basically get them warm," said Ditman.

It's recommended people use warm water over hot water to help with frostbite.