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Hypothermia- Unlike other warmblooded animals that have a layer of hair or blubber to keep them warm, you need an extra layer of clothing to keep you warm when it's cold outside. Without that extra layer of clothing, more heat escapes from your body than your body can produce. If too much heat escapes, the result is hypothermia. Exposure to cold water and certain medical conditions also can cause hypothermia. Hypothermia occurs when your body's control mechanisms fail to maintain a normal body temperature. Signs and symptoms that may develop include gradual loss of mental and physical abilities. Severe hypothermia can lead to death. For most Americans, hypothermia isn't a serious risk. Still, each year nearly 700 people in the United States die of hypothermia. In addition to prolonged exposure to cold temperatures, factors that commonly increase your risk of hypothermia include advanced or very young age, substance abuse, impaired mental status and immersion in cold water. When you're outdoors enjoying such activities as camping, hunting, fishing, boating and skiing, be aware of weather conditions and whether you or others with you are wet and cold. The best approach to being cold and wet is to move indoors and get warm and dry early - before you develop hypothermia. Signs and symptoms- Hypothermia usually comes on gradually. Often, people aren't aware that they need medical attention. Common signs to look for are shivering, which is your body's attempt to generate heat through muscle activity, and the "-umbles" — stumbles, mumbles, fumbles and grumbles. These behaviors may be a result of changes in consciousness and motor coordination caused by hypothermia. Other signs and symptoms may include:
The severity of hypothermia can vary, depending on how low your core body temperature goes. Severe hypothermia will eventually lead to cardiac and respiratory failure, then death. Causes- Your normal core body temperature is usually right around 98.6 F. In hypothermia, your body fails to maintain a normal temperature. An internal body temperature of 95 F or lower signals hypothermia. The cause of hypothermia usually is extended exposure to cold temperatures or a cool, damp environment. Other contributing causes include inadequate clothing and neglecting to adequately cover your extremities, particularly your head — a disproportionate amount of heat is lost through your head. Hypothermia can happen not just in cold winter weather, when there are low temperatures or low wind chill factors, but under more mild conditions as well. A rain shower that soaks you to the skin on a cool day can lead to hypothermia if you don't move inside to warm up and dry off. If you stay outside, evaporation of the water from your skin further cools your body, dropping your internal temperature. A wind blowing over the wet parts of your body greatly increases evaporation and cooling. An accidental fall into cold water also may lead to hypothermia. Hypothermia may develop within minutes of being exposed to cold water or it may take several hours, depending on the water temperature. Water doesn't have to be icy cold to cause hypothermia. Your body loses heat more quickly in water than in air. Any water temperature lower than body temperature causes your body to lose some heat. Water Temperature Chart- |
