HOLLAND, MI (WHTC-AM/FM , Feb. 4, 2022) – With heavy snowfall through much of southern Michigan this week, and lake effect snow predicted for the weekend along the Lakeshore, residents need to be aware of the health risks that come from shoveling sidewalks and driveways.
Retired Holland-area internal medicine & heart specialist Dr. Tom Burns cautions those who may be a little more seasoned than others, and/or those whose routine may not be as physically strenuous, that harm could come not only from the amount of snow shoveled, from also from the exertions created by that shoveling. “You haven’t been doing regular, heavy work, so you go out and bundle up and you start shoveling and you’re getting sweaty,” he explained on “WHTC Morning News” during a Wednesday appearance. “So you take off some of your coats and stuff, and all of a sudden, you start getting chills, and considering your age or conditioning, it could put you in a precarious position to be in, so be very wise when you decide on clearing the snow.”
National Weather Service forecasters also say that cold wind chill values can be expected, at times, to be below zero degrees Fahrenheit.
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