A young woman living in the world’s coldest city has revealed some of the negative impacts the extreme cold has on the body – along with months of very little sunlight.
YouTube creator Kiun B lives in the Siberian city of Yakutsk, where the temperatures have been known to plunge below -83.9F (-64.4C) in the winter and in the summer, it thaws out a little with the daily mean being around 68F (20C).
In a new video, she also explains that ‘a thick fog obscures the sun for most of the year’ and the metropolis is akin to ‘a scene from a science fiction movie.’
During the short film, Kiun looks at the damaging effects of the cold and dark on her physical and mental wellbeing, starting with frostbite.
YouTube creator Kiun B lives in the Siberian city of Yakutsk, where the temperatures have been known to plunge below -83.9F (-64.4C) in the winter
In a new video, she also explains that ‘a thick fog obscures the sun for most of the year’ and the metropolis can be compared to ‘a scene from a science fiction movie’
During the short film, Kiun looks at the damaging effects of the cold and dark on her physical and mental wellbeing, starting with vitamin deficiency
Showing a series of rather gruesome video clips of locals blighted by severe frostbite on their fingers, Kiun explains: ‘In Yakutsk life doesn’t stop [when it gets cold].
‘We still go outside, go to school and work. Getting frostbite and hypothermia in Yakutsk is almost as common as the cold itself.’
Kiun says she often ends up with ‘mild frostbite’ on the exposed parts of her face, which is mainly her nose and cheeks.
When she starts feeling a ‘numbness’ – one of the symptoms of frostbite – she will ‘rush to a warm place like a mall or a heated bus station’ to prevent any serious damage.
The filmmaker says the condition is big problem among the homeless community and because of this, the government has taken steps to ‘build more shelters to provide warmth and protection.’
The hospitals also have specialized wards and specific doctors to deal with ‘even the worst cases’ and on top of this, ‘every citizen and resident has access to a free basic health care services.’
As some of the communities in the Yakutsk region are very spread out, Kiun says some people perish while making long journeys, as some trips can take up to 48 hours.
The Siberian native reveals: ‘In such cold, car batteries can freeze leaving travelers stuck… which can be fatal. Sadly, every year about hundreds of people freeze to death in Yakutsk.’
Showing a series of rather gruesome video clips of locals blighted by severe frostbite on their fingers, Kiun explains: ‘Getting frostbite and hypothermia is almost as common as the cold’
As some of the communities in the Yakutsk region are very spread out, Kiun says some people perish while making long journeys, as some trips can take up to 48 hours
Along with severe cold damage, Kiun says respiratory problems are rife in Yakutsk.
Detailing why this is the case, she says: ‘The freezing air can really stress your breathing.
‘So during the really cold days here, we often cover our face completely and it’s not only protect our skin but it also protects our lungs.
‘I also heard many times from the newcomers who came to visit Yakutsk for the first time how the air is difficult to breathe.’
Moving on to the next topic, Kiun touches on vitamin deficiency.
Kiun tells viewers on the subject: ‘Vitamin deficiency, especially vitamin D, is also a significant concern in Yakutsk due to our extreme climate and limited exposure of sunlight during the long winter months.
‘As you might know, vitamin D is crucial for our bone health, our immune function and overall wellbeing I’ve been dealing with vitamin D and anemia for as long as I can remember.’
Many people in Yakutsk do not eat many vegetables, Kiun says, which also means they lack certain nutrients.
In a bid to help her body, Kiun takes vitamin D and iron pills.
In the documentary, she attends a medical check up with her sister and the doctors confirm that the pills have helped with her vitamin D levels, as tests show them to be above average.
Her sister’s levels however, are very low and she tells viewers that she will need to take supplements to improve it.
Another complaint linked to the lack of sunlight, Kiun says, is a type of depression known as Seasonal Affective Disorder.
In the documentary, Kiun attends a medical check up with her sister and the doctors confirm that pills have helped with her vitamin D levels. However, her sister will need supplements
‘It’s been a huge help to connect to a therapist online… Having therapy sessions has helped me understand myself better,’ Kiun says when she addresses mental health
She says on the subject: ‘In winter, the lack of sunlight and the constant cold can really get you down.
‘It’s tough to even step outside when you need to bundle up in hundreds of layers, so we spend quite a lot of time indoors.
‘But staying indoors all the time can make you really feel tired, sleepy and I can feel my mood dropping.’
Kiun says that finding help in regards to mental health in Yakutsk ‘is not easy’ and ‘especially in the remote areas.’
However, in recent years access to resources has become easier thanks to the internet and she has been using the mental health platform BetterHelp for more than a year.
‘It’s been a huge help to connect to a therapist online… Having therapy sessions has helped me understand myself better and explaining the reasons behind my feelings,’ she says.
One of the third issues which Kiun addresses is infertility.
She claims the cold weather can impact ‘internal organs’ along with vitamin deficiencies.
However, IVF clinic Neelkanth IVF says that cold weather and infertility are often incorrectly linked.
The clinic website says: ‘While the idea of cold weather having a negative impact on fertility may be intriguing, the scientific evidence does not support this notion as a significant factor in conceiving.
‘Instead, age, reproductive health, lifestyle choices, timing, and emotional well-being are more critical aspects to consider when trying to conceive.’
While in recent times, celebrities and health buffs alike have turned to cryotherapy and cold water therapy to ward off aging, Kiun says the sub-zero temperatures aren’t quite as kind where she is.
Pointing to recent findings, she says: ‘Studies have shown that we in Yakutsk tend to age faster.
‘While cryotherapy is known for its health benefits including slowing down aging, our situation is more complex research has found that our long-term adaptation to the harsh climate leads us biologically aging three to four years faster than Caucasians.
‘This accelerated aging is believed to be due to our increased metabolic rate as our bodies work harder to generate the energy needed for the warmth.
‘It’s very interesting… because I always thought that living in Yakutsk is slowing down our aging.’
To date, Kiun’s video detailing life in Yakutsk has been watched more than 160,000 times, with many viewers thanking her for the insights.
One viewer wrote: ‘Love watching your videos. I could never live where it’s anywhere near that cold.’
Another fan added: ‘Love the channel btw, very interesting, and informative. It helps me to endure the (for you very mild, even warm) Hungarian winter!’