January is here and with it comes winter weather. If Jack Frost is nipping at your nose, take heart. There are a few things you can do to survive the season and keep warm without taking your own nip.

“When the temperature dips, wearing a hat is the best way to maintain body heat. Just wearing a heavy coat is good, but is not enough,” said Cheri Volta, paramedic for Capital Ambulance. “Forty percent of body heat is lost through the head and neck.”

For women concerned about their hair, wearing a hat may not seem like much of an option. But hypothermia can happen quickly, cautions Volta, often before an elderly person realizes it.

“A drop in body temperature to 95 degrees is all it takes for symptoms to begin,” she said. “Confusion, drowsiness and slurred speech are all signs of hypothermia. Unfortunately these symptoms can be mistaken for the natural signs of aging, slight dementia or drug side effects.”

Dressing in layers that can be easily removed if you become too warm also is recommended.

“Sweating can whisk heat away from the body, which can lead to hypothermia,” Volta said. “Watch for becoming overheated.”

Remember to drink a lot of water during the winter, she added. If your body is working to fight dehydration, it will have less energy available to keep itself warm.

While spending time outside – whether shoveling or taking a short walk – be mindful of frostbite. Exposed areas of the face, such as cheeks, nose, chin, forehead and ears, are in particular danger – another good reason to wear a hat – as well as wrists, hands and feet.

Keeping your home warm can present its own challenges. When heating with a fireplace, remember that while the immediate area will be toasty, cold air will be drawn in through the rest of the house. This will cause much of your heat to go up the chimney. Before tossing on a few logs, make sure the fireplace is in good condition and has been cleaned professionally.

Space heaters are a popular choice for extra heat, but be very careful. Those that use wood, coal, natural gas or kerosene can produce carbon monoxide. Open a window because the fumes can be fatal – ventilation is essential.

Always refuel the heater outside and only when fully cooled. Fuel spilled onto hot surfaces could result in a fire.

This being Maine, storms sometimes can catch us off-guard, dumping more snow than predicted.

I’m ashamed to report that I have found myself unprepared in the past. Peeking out the window in the morning and seeing a foot of snow instead of an inch can be a little scary, especially when the cupboard holds little more than jellybeans, tomato soup, oatmeal (only used for cookies, in my case) and a loaf of suspicious-looking bread.

So learn from my mistake. Look around your kitchen. Could you survive a few days if you couldn’t get out and no one could get in?

. Keep nonperishable food on hand, such as peanut butter, crackers, canned spaghetti, baked beans, tuna, powdered milk and raisins. Be sure to have a manual can opener.

. Keep a flashlight in every room. It could be dangerous to search for one during a power outage – stumbling around in the dark increases the risk of falls. And be sure you have an ample supply of nonexpired batteries.

. Post emergency numbers near every phone – not just by the main line – so they are easily accessible.

Winter can be trying, but a little caution and a lot of patience can get you through the season. I’ll try to remember that myself the next time I’m shoveling.

Carol Higgins is director of communications at Eastern Agency on Aging. For information on EAA programs and services, call the resource and referral department at 941-2865 or log on www.eaaa.org.