SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) – The sidewalks in downtown Sioux Falls are mostly empty, and for a bitter, cold reason.

“Frostbite is really when you come back inside, and that pain doesn’t go away, and sometimes you have numbness or color change to your fingers,” emergency medical physician Dr. Kelly Heidepriem said. “Sometimes people can even develop blisters.”

It can take weeks, sometimes months to recover from frostbite. In severe cases, it can even become irreversible if left untreated.

“We actually recommend a warm bath, not so hot that the temperatures are going to burn your skin, but warm in order to kind of quickly rewarm it,” Dr. Heidepriem said. “If you’re able to reduce the time that you are outside, that’s the best thing. But that’s not always possible.”

Jeff Warrior has no choice but to endure the freezing temps. He lost his apartment and his job about two months ago.

“It’s like -12 out right now. I have to keep moving because if I don’t move, I get cold. So, I’m always constantly on the roam trying to stay warm, long as you keep moving,” Jeff Warrior said.

Hat, mittens and thick layers are helping Warrior avoid frostbite, something he’s had his own concerns about this winter.

Dr. Heidepriem says the right layers can help reduce the impacts of other outdoor exposures.

“Staying out of the winds, staying dry is a huge one and then trying not to be touching metal and stuff like that,” Dr. Heidepriem said.

But if that numbness and pain doesn’t go away, it might be time to visit the emergency room.

The most common places to get frostbite are your hands, toes, cheeks, ears and nose.