Healthy Winter

  • stay safe and warm this winter
  • bring the color of nature near you
  • tracking

In winter, be sure to stay protected from the elements with the right precautions and preparations, and exercise caution as cold stress and hypothermia can come on quickly. It is best to plan ahead and inform others if you are going to get out and explore; having someone aware when you are out is a good safety measure. If it is too cold to be outside, watching nature from the warmth of your home is mood boosting too.

Stay Safe and Warm This Winter

  • hypothermia and cold stress prevention
  • warming centers
  • Hypothermia - be safe, aware and prepared for cool and cold weather. Learn the signs and symptoms of cold stress and hypothermia. Recognizing them early can save lives and help you to know what to do until help arrives.
  • Warming Centers - find a local warming center near you. A warming center is a place to warm up from the cold during the day. This map shares contact and access information under normal business operations. Keep this resource on hand for your best health plan.

Cold stress and cold-related illnesses can be reduced by following these WARMUP Missouri tips

Warming centers are available near you to take daytime breaks from the cold and connect with others in your community.

Appropriate clothing in loose layers provide insulation and protection from cold. Layers allow warm body heat to circulate without stopping it from reaching the areas of your body that lose heat quickly. Wear hats on heads, socks on feet, and gloves on hands.

Replenish with warm liquids and water to stay hydrated. Don’t wait until you’re thirsty. Besides water, drinking broths, juice and sports drinks are good choices for staying hydrated. Avoid caffeine and alcohol as they interfere with the body’s ability to regulate temperature.

Monitor for signs and symptoms of cold stress or cold-related illness in your family, friends and co-workers. Use a buddy system; often the person affected does not recognize these in themselves. If traveling, research weather conditions ahead of time. Notify others of planned travel routes and when they can expect you to arrive at your destination.

Use of alcohol or recreational drugs can increase the risk of hypothermia, as excessive alcohol use or recreational drugs can impair judgment and affect your body’s ability to respond to temperature changes. Some medications may also affect how your body regulates its temperature and responds to the cold. Check with your doctor or pharmacist.

Prevent chapped skin with protective lotions and apply them more often. Protect exposed skin with hats, gloves or mittens and a scarf. Wear a warm water-repelling or waterproof coat and boots. Pack extra clothing if outdoors or traveling should your clothes become wet. Keeping dry is important in keeping safe from cold.

Make a Healthy Home this Winter

install and check carbon monoxide alarms

  • Carbon Monoxide - prevent carbon monoxide poisoning by installing or replacing batteries in your carbon monoxide alarm. Carbon monoxide gas is produced by anything that burns fuel, including furnaces, fireplaces, and stoves. For more information on where to install and how often to check your alarms, visit the Office of the State Fire Marshall at Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarms.

Request a Free Radon Test Kit

Radon Testing

Winter is an ideal time to test for radon gas in your home. Closed windows and doors help to create ideal conditions for testing indoor air for radon. Testing should be done on the lowest floor of your home where you or your family spends time or sleeps.

Every family is different, and so are our homes. You cannot determine if radon is a problem by looking at your home. Any home, new or old, can have a radon problem.

Radon testing is easy and the only way to know your home’s radon level. Request a Radon Test Kit today. Radon test kits are free of charge to Missouri residents while supplies last.

Radon Testing is Easy

Download or print this Home Radon Test Checklist to follow helpful tips on testing your home’s radon level.

home radon test checklist page 1
home radon test checklist page 2

Radon gas occurs naturally in the soil and rocks below our homes. It tends to travel upward and may make its way into buildings. In some situations, this radon gas may accumulate to unsafe levels that, over time, can lead to the development of lung cancer. 

Data from Missouri shows about 1 in 3 homes tested have elevated levels of radon.

For more information on radon testing, or how radon in indoor air may affect your health, visit the DHSS Radon Program at health.mo.gov/radon or call the Missouri Radon Hotline at 1-217-241-050.

Additional Resources:

  • AgriStress Helpline for Missouri - 833-897-2474
  • Injured on the Farm? AgrAbility

The National Environmental Public Health Tracking Program

Environmental Public Health Tracking Program

Missouri Environmental Public Health Tracking (EPHT) is a program within the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services and funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. EPHT is part of a network of people and information systems which delivers a core set of health, exposure, and hazards data, information summaries and tools to enable analysis, visualization and reporting of insights drawn from data. Those insights are intended to help data drive actions and improve community health.

Environmental Public Health Tracking