Hypothermia

This is a condition in which the body temperature drops below 95 Fahrenheit (35 Celsius) degrees. It is known as hypothermia and is considered a medical emergency. People with this condition lose heat faster than the body makes it which leads to life-threatening drops in the body temperature. In normal circumstances, the body temperature is about 98.6 F (37 C) degrees.

Some people do not understand why this is a dangerous condition but we’ll try to explain. The organs (such as the heart, nervous system, and others) do not work well when the body temperature drops. As a result, it may cause serious health problems without treatment. These include respiratory system failure, heart conditions, and even death.

This condition usually happens due to exposure to cold weather or immersion in cold water. Treatment for hypothermia involves options to return the body temperature to normal ranges.

Symptoms

The body begins to shiver once the temperature drops. This is an automatic protective way for the body to warm itself. Check below some hypothermia symptoms:

  • Slurred speech or mumbling
  • Shivering
  • Lack of coordination or clumsiness
  • Weak pulse
  • Trouble breathing
  • Sleepiness
  • Reduced energy
  • Confusion or memory loss
  • Loss of consciousness
  • Bright red and cold skin (in infants)

Previous symptoms appear often gradually and people are not aware of this condition. Immediately seek medical emergency if you suspect someone has hypothermia. Avoid jarring movements because they may provoke life-threatening irregular heartbeats. You can replace wet clothes with dry coasts or blankets.

Causes

This condition usually happens when the body loses heat faster than produces it. The most common causes of this health problem are cold water and exposure to cold weather. Check below other factors that could provoke this condition:

  • Clothes that are not warm enough for weather conditions
  • Spending too much time in cold
  • Inability to get out of wet clothes and move to a dry and warm location
  • Fall into cold water (such as a boat accident)
  • Live in a house that is too cold no matter due to poor heating or too much air conditioning

Check below also some ways how the body loses heat:

  • Radiated heat – In such cases, the body loses the most heat due to unprotected body parts.
  • Direct contact – This heat loss mechanism involves touching something very cold to the body, making the heat disappear. For instance, direct contact with cold water or ground and wet clothes.
  • Wind – The heat disappears from the body from the wind that carries warm air at the skin’s surface.

Risk Factors

Anyone can experience this condition and the following factors can increase your risk even more. Examples include:

  • Exhaustion – Extreme tiredness (fatigue) decreases one’s ability to tolerate cold.
  • Age – The ability to maintain a healthy body temperature decreases with aging. Moreover, some older people cannot tell someone they are cold or move to a warm location on their own.
  • Young age – Children lose faster heat than adults and they usually do not think about the cold because have too much fun. They also do not have the judgment to dress properly according to cold weather.
  • Mental disorders – Certain mental health problems (such as dementia) can interact with judgment to dress properly according to the weather. Furthermore, people with dementia can wander from home and get lost easily, which elevates the risk of developing hypothermia in cold or wet weather.
  • Misuse of alcohol and recreational drugs – Limit or avoid alcohol intake because it tends to widen blood vessels which makes the body lose heat faster than usual. It also decreases shivering response. In addition, the use of illegal drugs and alcohol can impact judgment about getting in dry and warm places or wearing warm clothes in cold weather. That’s why a person who overconsumes alcoholic drinks is more likely to develop hypothermia.
  • Health conditions – There are some diseases that could negatively affect the body’s ability to regulate temperature. These include hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid gland), poor nutrition, anorexia nervosa, diabetes, stroke, severe arthritis, Parkinson’s disease, trauma, spinal cord injuries, and others.
  • Medications – Certain medicines can impact the body’s ability to regulate temperature. For example antipsychotics, narcotic pain medications, sedatives, antidepressants, and others.

Complications

If you ignore this condition and are exposed to cold for long periods, you may experience the following complications. Examples include:

  • Frostbite (frozen skin and underlying tissues)
  • Gangrene (it occurs when blood flow is blocked and body tissue starts to decay and die)

Is it Possible to Prevent Hypothermia?

Check below some tips that can help you avoid or prevent this condition:

Stay Warm

  • Cover – You should wear a hat or other protective coverings to prevent body heat from escaping, especially in cold weather. You can also use mittens instead of gloves.
  • Overexertion – Do not engage in activities that provoke excessive sweating because wet clothes along with cold weather can cause the body to lose heat faster.
  • Layers – It is recommended to wear in cold weather lightweight, layered, loose-fitting clothes. The outer clothes should be produced from tightly woven and water-repellent material (best for wind protection). Furthermore, it is good to know that wool, silk, or propylene inner layers can keep body heat better than cotton.
  • Dry – It is also advised to stay dry as much as possible. Otherwise, you should get out wet clothes and replace them with dry ones or go to a warm and dry place. However, you can get your hands or feet wet easily, especially during winter.

Keep Children Away from Cold

  • Young children and infants should wear clothes that contain more layers than adults wear in the same weather conditions.
  • If you notice your children start shivering, it is the primary symptom of hypothermia.
  • You should also not let babies sleep in a cold room.

Diagnosis

Physicians usually diagnose this condition according to the symptoms. In severe cases, you may need to do a blood test to confirm the condition. Sometimes, it is not clear whether a person has hypothermia or not. For instance, doctors do not consider hypothermia if an old person goes outdoors and experiences confusion, lack of coordination, and speech issues.

Treatment

It is advised to seek medical care immediately if you or someone near you experience this condition. You should follow the following first-aid guidelines until the medical care is available. Examples include:

  • Be gentle – Do not do jarring movements while handling a person with hypothermia because it may provoke additional health problems sometimes even cardiac arrest.
  • Help an affected person to reach a dry and warm place – In case you cannot move the affected person, you can shield that person as much as possible from wind and cold.
  • Remove wet clothes – It is advised to replace wet clothes with dry ones but if it is not possible you can cover the person with blankets.
  • You should also insulate the body of the affected person from cold ground. In such cases, you can use a blanket or other warm surface.
  • Monitor breathing – Those who experience a severe form of hypothermia can experience breathing problems and appear unconscious. Moreover, you should immediately start CPR (if you are trained) if the affected person experiences shallow breathing.
  • Warm drinks – Give the affected person warm, sweet, nonalcoholic, no caffeinated drinks if he/she is able to swallow. This can help to warm the body.
  • Dry and warm compresses – A warm compress is a fluid-filled plastic bag that helps to warm the body when it is squeezed. These compresses should be applied to the neck, chest wall, or groin only. If you put a warm compress on the cold legs and arms the cold blood can go to the heart, lungs, and brain which can be fatal.
  • Direct heat – Never use hot water, a heating pad, or a heating lamp on an affected person because increased heat can provoke skin damage. Furthermore, direct heat can lead to irregular heartbeats.

Medical Treatment

Medical emergency care can perform the following interventions to increase the body temperature. Examples include:

  • Passive rewarming – This procedure is commonly used for mild hypothermia and involves heated blankets and warm drinks.
  • Blood rewarming – In such cases, doctors will warm and recirculate drawn blood. They usually use a hemodialysis machine (used to filter blood in people with kidney function problems) and a heart bypass machine.
  • Warm intravenous fluids – This treatment option involves a warm solution of salt water that is given to the affected person intravenously (IV).
  • Airway rewarming – The use of humidified oxygen through a mask or nasal tube also can help to increase body temperature.
  • Irrigation – A warm saltwater solution is used to warm some body regions (including areas around the lungs or abnormal cavities). This solution goes through affected regions through small tubes (catheters).

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the main causes of hypothermia?

These include exposure to cold weather for long periods, inability to get out of wet clothes, and falling into cold water such as due to a boat accident.

Is it possible to cure hypothermia?

Those who experience a mild form of hypothermia usually recover completely. However, people with moderate or severe hypothermia type can experience serious complications and without treatment, it can be fatal. Discuss with your doctor for more details.

Can hot water be used for hypothermia?

It is not advised to use hot water or heating pads for people with hypothermia because it may provoke irregular heartbeats causing the heart to stop. Hot water can also damage the skin. Ask your healthcare professional if you have additional questions.

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