News

Actions

With the snow and ice coming, walking around can get tricky

Posted at 10:50 AM, Jan 03, 2018
and last updated 2018-01-03 16:58:52-05

NORFOLK, Va. - The bitter cold that has gripped our region is likely to give way to snow and ice this week, and that can make walking around tricky and dangerous.

The best advice is to stay indoors and stay off the ice, but that's not a realistic option for many.

If you do have to go outside, doctors with Patient First say it is critical to make sure you are first properly dressed.

"A lot of times you may not even see the patch of ice that’s sitting there and so you always want to wear proper clothing, proper shoes when walking outside," Dr. Maulin Desai told News 3 anchor Todd Corillo.

If you are walking and feel like you're about to fall, Dr. Desai says you'll want to try to avoid your natural instinct to reach out and try to stop the fall.

"Our most common bodies response when we fall is to reach out with our hands to prevent that fall. Unfortunately that’s the most common way to end up breaking a bone," he said. "Basically try not to prevent the fall by reaching out, you may want to instead just kind of tuck in so that you’re not predisposing yourself to more injury from that."

More advice from Patient First:

Walking on ice

Icy patches can be difficult to spot.  The slips and falls that come with ice can be serious.  If you come across a patch that you believe may be icy, tap the edge of the area with your foot to be sure. Wear shoes with gripping soles to provide traction.  Also, keep your hands out of your pockets when walking in order to keep your balance on a slippery surface.

When getting out of your vehicle, check to make sure there are no icy spots near your vehicle.  If you are parked on a slippery spot, move the vehicle to a different area if you can.  Also, when entering and exiting your car while on ice, use the vehicle for balance and support.