Hypothermia

Hypothermia happens when your body temperature gets dangerously low. This happens when your body loses heat faster than it can create it. A normal body temperature is around 98.6°F (37°C). Hypothermia occurs when your body temperature drops below 95°F (35°C). It's a serious medical emergency.

When your body temperature falls, your heart, brain, and other organs don't work as efficiently. If hypothermia isn't treated, it can lead to problems with your heart and lungs, and even death.

Several things can cause hypothermia. Spending a long time outside in very cold weather, or being in cold water for too long are common causes.

Treating hypothermia involves warming the body back to a normal temperature. This might include moving the person to a warm place, and using blankets or warm drinks to help raise their temperature. It's crucial to get medical help right away if someone is showing signs of hypothermia.

When it gets cold, your body might start to shiver. Shivering is your body's natural way of trying to warm itself up. It's your body's automatic response to cold temperatures.

Hypothermia is a serious condition that happens when your body loses heat faster than it can produce it. This can happen when you're exposed to very cold temperatures for a long time. You might not even realize you have hypothermia because the symptoms often start slowly and subtly. The confusion that comes with hypothermia can also make it hard to recognize the problem. This confusion can also lead to risky behaviors.

Here are some signs of hypothermia:

• Shivering: Your body's first response to the cold.
• Slurred speech or mumbling: Difficulty speaking clearly.
• Slow, shallow breathing: Breathing becomes less frequent and less deep.
• Weak pulse: Your heartbeat becomes weaker.
• Clumsiness or lack of coordination: Trouble moving or doing simple tasks.
• Drowsiness or very low energy: Feeling very tired and sluggish.
• Confusion or memory loss: Problems thinking clearly and remembering things.
• Loss of consciousness: Passing out.
• In babies and young children: Bright red, cold skin is a warning sign.

Crucially, people with hypothermia often don't realize they're getting sick. The symptoms come on gradually and the confused thinking can prevent them from seeking help. This confused thinking can also lead to riskier behaviors, making it even harder for them to take care of themselves.

If you think someone has hypothermia, call 911 or your local emergency number immediately. While waiting for help to arrive:

• Gently move the person inside: Avoid sudden or jarring movements, which could trigger dangerous heart problems.
• Remove wet clothing: Take off any wet clothes and replace them with warm, dry blankets or clothing.
• Keep the person warm: Wrap the person in warm blankets or clothing. Try to get them into a warm bed or car.

Early intervention is key in treating hypothermia. Don't delay in seeking help if you suspect someone has this condition.

If you think someone has hypothermia, call 911 or your local emergency number right away.

While you wait for help to arrive, try to bring the person indoors if it's safe and possible. Sudden, forceful movements could cause a dangerous, irregular heartbeat. Take off any wet clothes and replace them with warm, dry clothes or blankets. Be gentle and careful.

Hypothermia happens when your body loses heat faster than it makes it. This usually happens when you're exposed to very cold temperatures, like in the winter or in cold water. But it can also occur in any environment that's colder than your body temperature if you're not dressed warmly enough or can't get to a warmer place.

Several things can lead to hypothermia:

• Not wearing enough warm clothes for the weather. If it's freezing, you need warm clothes to prevent your body from losing heat.
• Staying out in the cold for too long. Spending too much time in cold air can cause your body to lose heat quickly.
• Being unable to get out of wet clothes or move to a warm place. Getting wet and staying wet in cold conditions dramatically increases heat loss.
• Falling into cold water (like during a boating accident). Water is a much better conductor of heat than air, meaning you lose body heat much faster in water.
• Living in a poorly heated or over-cooled home. If your house is too cold, your body has to work harder to maintain its temperature, potentially leading to hypothermia.

Your body loses heat in several ways:

• Radiation: Your body gives off heat in the form of energy. Unprotected skin loses heat quickly to the cold air or ground.
• Direct Contact: Touching something very cold, like ice or cold water, pulls heat away from your body. Water is particularly effective at this, so you lose heat much faster in cold water than in cold air. Wet clothes also increase heat loss, as the water acts as a conductor.
• Convection (Wind): Wind carries away the warm air that sits right next to your skin. This is why a "wind chill" makes the cold feel even worse. The faster the wind, the faster you lose heat.

Hypothermia: Understanding the Risks and How to Protect Yourself

Cold weather can be dangerous, especially for certain people. Hypothermia is a serious condition where your body loses heat faster than it can produce it. This can happen when you're exposed to cold temperatures for a long period. Several factors increase your risk of developing hypothermia.

Factors Increasing Your Risk of Hypothermia:

• Being Tired (Exhaustion): When you're exhausted, your body has less energy to stay warm. This makes you more susceptible to hypothermia in cold weather.

• Older Age: As we age, our bodies become less efficient at regulating temperature. This means older adults may not notice they're getting cold, or they might not be able to get to a warm place quickly if they do feel cold.

• Young Children: Young children lose heat more quickly than adults and may not fully understand the dangers of cold weather. They might be too busy playing to notice how cold they're getting, and they might not know how to dress appropriately or seek warmth.

• Mental Health Issues: People with conditions like dementia, or other mental health issues, may have trouble making good decisions about staying warm. For example, someone with dementia might wander away from home in cold weather, increasing their risk of hypothermia.

• Alcohol and Drug Use: While alcohol might make you feel warm initially, it actually makes your body lose heat faster. This is because alcohol dilates blood vessels, allowing heat to escape from your skin more quickly. Alcohol also reduces your body's ability to shiver, a natural way to generate heat. Using alcohol or recreational drugs can impair judgment, making you less likely to dress warmly or get inside when necessary. If you become intoxicated and pass out in the cold, you are significantly more at risk of hypothermia.

• Certain Medical Conditions: Some health problems, such as an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism), poor nutrition, diabetes, stroke, severe arthritis, Parkinson's disease, trauma, or spinal cord injuries, can affect your body's ability to regulate temperature.

Frostbite: Another Cold-Weather Risk

Beyond hypothermia, cold weather can also cause frostbite. Frostbite happens when body tissues freeze.

• Risk Factors for Frostbite: Frostbite is more likely to occur in cold weather with low windchill. Certain groups are more vulnerable, including people with diabetes, those with a history of frostbite, older adults, very young children, and those who are dehydrated.

• Symptoms and Severity: Early frostbite might cause pain and numbness in the affected areas (like your nose, ears, fingers, and toes). The skin's color might change to red, white, or blue. Blisters can also develop. Severe frostbite can lead to tissue damage requiring surgery.

• How Cold is Too Cold? Frostbite can set in relatively quickly. Temperatures as low as 5°F with little wind can increase your risk, and windchill temperatures below -15°F can cause frostbite within half an hour.

Protecting Yourself from Cold-Related Injuries:

To stay safe in cold weather, dress in layers, stay hydrated, and seek shelter if needed. If you have any underlying health conditions, talk to your doctor about precautions you should take.

People who get hypothermia (a condition where their body temperature drops too low) from being in cold weather or water are at risk for other cold-related problems. These include:

• Frostbite: This happens when the skin and the tissues beneath it freeze. It often affects areas like the fingers, toes, ears, and nose, which are furthest from the body's core. Frostbite can cause the affected area to feel numb or very cold, and it might appear pale, waxy, or even bluish.

• Gangrene: This is a serious condition where body tissue dies because the blood flow to that area is cut off. It can happen as a result of frostbite or other severe cold-related injuries. Gangrene can cause the affected area to turn black or dark, and it usually requires medical attention to prevent further damage. If left untreated, gangrene can spread.

Essentially, hypothermia can leave a person more susceptible to further damage from the cold, including frostbite and gangrene.

Staying Safe in Cold Weather and Water

Staying warm in cold weather and safe in cold water is crucial for everyone's well-being, especially for vulnerable groups like infants, older adults, and those with health conditions or homelessness. This guide provides tips for preventing and surviving hypothermia, a condition where your body loses heat faster than it can produce it.

Staying Warm in Cold Weather

The key to staying warm in cold weather is to prevent heat loss. Think of the acronym COLD:

• Cover Up: Protect your head, face, and neck with a hat. Mittens are better than gloves for your hands because they keep your fingers together, trapping more warmth.

• Avoid Overexertion: Don't do strenuous activities that make you sweat. Wet clothes and cold air can quickly lower your body temperature.

• Layer Up: Wear multiple layers of lightweight clothing. Choose fabrics like wool, silk, or polypropylene for the inner layers, as they hold heat better than cotton. The outer layer should be tightly woven and water-resistant to shield you from wind.

• Stay Dry: Get out of wet clothes as soon as possible. This is particularly important for your hands and feet, as snow can easily get inside mittens and boots.

Protecting Children:

Dress infants and young children one layer warmer than you would dress yourself in similar conditions. If they start shivering, bring them inside immediately. Encourage frequent indoor breaks for children playing outside. Never let babies sleep in an unheated room.

Traveling in Bad Weather:

If you're traveling in bad weather, tell someone your route and expected arrival time. This helps emergency responders if you get stranded. Keep an emergency kit in your car with essentials like blankets, matches, candles, a way to melt snow for drinking water, a first-aid kit, non-perishable food, a can opener, a tow rope, jumper cables, a compass, and sand or kitty litter for traction. A cell phone is also helpful.

If Stranded:

If you get stuck, bring all necessary items inside the vehicle with you. Huddling together and staying covered is vital. Run the car's engine for 10 minutes every hour to stay warm, but keep a window slightly open and make sure the exhaust pipe isn't blocked by snow.

Alcohol and Cold Weather:

Avoid alcohol, especially if you'll be spending time outdoors in cold weather, boating, or before bed. Alcohol lowers your body's ability to regulate temperature.

Staying Safe in Cold Water:

Water doesn't need to be extremely cold to cause hypothermia. Any water colder than your body temperature can cause heat loss. If you fall into cold water:

• Wear a Life Jacket: If you're on a boat, always wear a life jacket. It helps you float without using energy and provides insulation. Attach a whistle to the life jacket for signaling.

• Get Out of the Water: If possible, get out of the water onto something that can float you (a boat, a floating object).

• Don't Swim Unless You're Close to Safety: Swimming in cold water expends energy and can decrease your survival time. If you're far from safety, stay in place.

• Minimize Heat Loss: Use the heat escape lessening posture (HELP). Pull your knees to your chest, tuck your arms to your sides, and tilt your head back. If a life jacket forces your face down, straighten your legs, bring them together, and tilt your head back.

• Huddling: If possible, huddle together with others in the water.

• Keep Your Clothes On: Do not remove wet clothing while in the water. Clothing provides insulation. Only remove clothing once you're safely out of the water and can get warm.

Community Support:

Community programs can be valuable for those at high risk of hypothermia, including infants, older adults, people with health conditions, and the homeless. Contact your local health department for resources such as assistance with heating bills, home warmth checks, homeless shelters, and community warming centers.

Hypothermia is often easily diagnosed by looking at a person's symptoms and the environment where they were found. For example, if someone is shivering uncontrollably, their skin feels very cold, and they're confused, it's likely hypothermia. The situation—like being outside in freezing temperatures—can also strongly suggest hypothermia.

Doctors can use blood tests to confirm a diagnosis and figure out how severe the hypothermia is. This helps them understand how quickly the person needs treatment.

Sometimes, a diagnosis isn't so straightforward. If someone has only mild symptoms, like confusion, trouble moving, or problems with speech, it might not be immediately recognized as hypothermia, especially if they are indoors and older. This is because these symptoms can sometimes be mistaken for other illnesses, particularly in older adults. For instance, confusion and disorientation can be signs of other conditions like a stroke or infection. In such cases, further investigation is needed to determine the underlying cause of the symptoms.