Caring for Cancer Patients in Cold Weather

Cold winter weather can be uncomfortable, but those undergoing cancer treatment face unique challenges and risks.

Cassie Adams, RN, a nurse at Wilmot Cancer Institute, shares what you should know when caring for cancer patients in cold weather, including the potential risks of the cold and how to manage them.

Hypothermia: Side effects of treatment, such as dehydration, fatigue, and anemia, can make you more sensitive to the cold and more susceptible to hypothermia. Hypothermia is more than just having a cold body temp. It’s a condition in which your body loses heat faster than it can produce heat, dangerously lowering your body temperature.

Some kinds of chemotherapy, such as oxaliplatin, can also cause extreme sensitivity to the cold and lead to breathing problems as well as hypothermia.

Frostbite: At the other end of the spectrum, sometimes chemotherapy can make you less sensitive to the cold. It can cause a condition called peripheral neuropathy that decreases sensation in your hands and feet. Peripheral neuropathy can make it difficult to feel how cold it is, and it can put you at risk for frostbite, an injury caused by the freezing of the skin and underlying tissue.

Falls: Neuropathy can also make you unsteady on your feet, even when there’s no snow or ice. And while falls can be dangerous for anyone, people who have a condition called thrombocytopenia should be especially careful. Patients with blood cancers such as leukemia or lymphoma are at particular risk for this condition, in which there is a lower-than-normal number of platelets in the blood. Platelets help blood clot, and having too few platelets can lead to bruising or serious bleeding with an injury.

Some tips to help keep you safe this winter:

• Dress in warm layers. Wrap a scarf around your nose and mouth before heading out into the cold to avoid breathing problems.
• Wear a hat that covers your ears and put on heavy gloves or mittens to protect your fingers. Winter hats for patients receiving chemotherapy are especially important!
• Wear shoes or boots with good treads.
• Make sure walkways are clear of snow and ice.
• If you can’t avoid walking in the snow, walk like a penguin. Take flat-footed, short steps or shuffle for stability. Keep your arms at your sides (not in your pockets) to maintain your balance.
• Ask for — and accept — help with shoveling snow or running errands so you can avoid going out in inclement weather.
  
  

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