Winter is more than snow for some. Many people are affected by the flu, frostbite, hazardous road conditions and other outdoor hazards each year.

Check out our guide to help prevent what could ruin a perfectly good winter.

Flu

This season’s flu hasn’t hit too harshly yet, but doctors are still urging people to get the vaccine, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

That could be in part because about 140.5 million doses of the vaccine have been taken throughout the United States so far, according to the CDC.

The flu virus tends to change each year. Last year, the flu was labeled by the CDC as “moderately severe,” and the vaccine was only about 19 percent effective in preventing the illness.

Prevention

• Get a flu vaccine shot. This will help limit infection, spreading and doctor visits.

• Avoid close contact with sick people.

• Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze.

• Wash your hands often with soap and water. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand rub.

• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.

• Clean and disinfect surfaces and objects that may be contaminated with germs like the flu.

Symptoms

• Fever or feeling feverish/chills

• Cough

• Sore throat

• Runny or stuffy nose

• Muscle or body aches

• Headaches

• Fatigue

Once you have it

• If you’re already sick, limit contact with others as much as possible.

• If you are sick with flu-like illness, CDC recommends that you stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone except to get medical care or for other necessities.

• Take flu antiviral pills if your doctor prescribes them.

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Frostbite

Frostbite is an injury caused by freezing of the skin and underlying tissues, according to the Mayo Clinic. First, your skin becomes very cold and red, then numb, hard and pale, most commonly on the fingers, toes, nose, ears, cheeks and chin.

Exposed skin is most likely to be affected, but skin covered by outerwear can still be affected.

Prevention

• Limit time you’re outdoors in cold, wet or windy weather.

• Dress in several layers of loose, warm clothing.

• Wear a hat or headband that fully covers your ears.

• Wear mittens rather than gloves.

• Wear socks and sock liners that fit well, wick moisture and provide insulation.

• Watch for signs of frostbite.

• Plan to protect yourself.

• Don’t drink alcohol if you plan to be outdoors in cold weather.

• Eat well-balanced meals and stay hydrated.

• Keep moving.

Symptoms

• At first, cold skin and a prickling feeling

• Numbness

• Red, white, bluish-white or grayish-yellow skin

• Hard or waxy-looking skin

• Clumsiness due to joint and muscle stiffness

• Blistering after rewarming, in severe cases

Stages of frostbite

• With frostnip, a mild form of frostbite, the skin pales or turns red and feels cold. If exposure if continued, prickling and numbness might be felt in the affected area. This doesn’t permanently damage skin.

• With superficial frostbite, the second stage, skin may look reddened that turns white or pale, and some skin tissue may have ice crystals formed in it. When rewarmed, skin may seem blue, purple or mottled. Other symptoms include stinging, burning, swelling and fluid-filled blisters that may appear 24 to 36 hours after rewarming.

• With severe (deep) frostbite, all layers of the skin are affected, including deep tissue. Symptoms include losing all sensation of cold and discomfort in the area, joints and muscles not working and large blisters forming 24 to 48 hours after rewarming with skin turning black and hard as tissue dies.

Treatment

• Use warm but not hot water to rewarm affected areas.

• If you have superficial or deep frostbite, seek medical attention.

Source: Mayo Clinic

Winter driving

Winter driving provides more risk for car accidents than other types of weather. While what happens on the road may be out of your control, it is good to be prepared for the poor weather conditions.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration suggests people practice cold-weather driving.

Ways to practice cold-weather driving

• During daylight, rehearse maneuver slowly on the ice or snow in an empty lot.

• Steer into a skid.

• Know what your brakes will do: stomp on antilock brakes, pump non-antilock brakes.

• Stopping distances are longer on water-covered ice and ice.

• Don’t idle for a long time with the windows up or in an enclosed space.

Prevention

• Make sure the vehicle is in good shape by checking brakes, cooling system, electrical system, engine, exhaust system, tires, oil and visibility systems.

• If stranded, call for assistance but allow extra time for them to get to you.

• Keep an emergency kit in your car for instances in which you might need it.

Emergency kit suggestions

• Cellphone or two-way radio

• Windshield ice scraper

• Snow brush

• Flashlight with extra batteries

• Shovel

• Tow chain

• Traction aids (bag of sand or cat litter)

• Emergency flares

• Jumper cables

• Snacks

• Water

• Road maps

• Blankets, change of clothes

Source: Occupational Safety and Health Administration