What is hypothermia

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What Are the Symptoms of Hypothermia? What Causes Hypothermia? What Are the Risk Factors for Hypothermia? What Are the Treatment Options for Hypothermia? Get the person into a warm room or shelter. Remove any wet clothing the person is wearing. You can also use skin-to-skin contact under loose, dry layers of blankets, clothing, towels, or sheets. Warm drinks can help increase body temperature, but do not give alcoholic drinks. Do not try to give beverages to an unconscious person.

After body temperature has increased, keep the person dry and wrap their body, including their head and neck, in a warm blanket.

Get the person proper medical attention as soon as possible. Perform CPR, even if the person appears dead. CPR should continue until the person responds or medical aid becomes available. Keep warming the person while performing CPR. In some cases, hypothermia victims who appear to be dead can be successfully resuscitated.

Top of Page. You may have a greater chance of developing frostbite if you have poor blood circulation are not properly dressed for extremely cold temperatures. If 1 a person shows signs of frostbite, but no signs of hypothermia and 2 immediate medical care is not available, do the following: Get the person into a warm room as soon as possible.

Unless absolutely necessary, do not walk on feet or toes that show signs of frostbite—this increases the damage. Do not rub the frostbitten area with snow or massage it at all. If the person is moderately or severely hypothermic, move them as gently as possible. Below approximately 30 o C the heart is very vulnerable and there are case studies of simple movements like rolling the person over prompting a cardiac arrest. Remove wet clothing — replace with a dry covering, preferably warm.

Try to warm the person — do not use hot water immersion. Make sure that the person is dry. Insulate them from the environment to retain whatever heat they are producing.

Use whatever heat source is available — heaters, hot water bottles, heat packs, an electric blanket — to begin slowly warming the person. The heat source should not be too hot or too close to the person. A slow and gradual warming is ideal and whatever heat source is used only has to be warmer than the person to be donating heat. When applying heat close to the skin — such as with hot water bottles or heat packs — be careful not to make them too hot, as the person may have impaired sensation to their skin and is at risk of suffering burns.

If using multiple small sources of heat, such as heat packs, preferentially pack them around the torso, into armpits and the groin to focus warming on the central area.

Then cover both bodies with a blanket or get into a sleeping bag if possible. If the person is alert and is able to swallow, have them drink warm, non-alcoholic beverages. Do not offer liquids if they are vomiting. Do not leave the person alone— stay with them at all times. If unsure, dial triple zero — operators will advise you what to do. Continue CPR until the person starts breathing on their own or until medical help arrives. They may not be breathing, have no pulse, be cold to touch, have fixed pupils and be rigid — but they may still be alive.

Preventing hypothermia when outdoors Exposure to cold weather, even for a short time, can be dangerous if you are not prepared. Shivering and feeling cold or numb are warning signs that the body is losing too much heat.

Simple ways to prevent hypothermia include: Avoid prolonged exposure to cold weather. Be alert to weather conditions that may increase the risk of hypothermia and act accordingly. For example, seek shelter during a snowstorm. If driving through a cold weather environment, particularly if there is a risk of ice or snow on the road increasing the chances of a crash, do not rely on the vehicle heater to stay warm while driving.

Dress for the weather outside the car and leave the heater turned down so that in the event that you are incapacitated by an accident or snowstorm, you have a better chance of avoiding hypothermia. Wear several layers of clothing to trap body heat, rather than just one bulky layer. Natural fibres like wool are better at holding heat. Use a weatherproof outer layer to stay dry. Use gloves, scarves and socks, with spares to replace when wet.

Wear insulated boots. Hypothermia is a medical condition. It occurs when you are exposed to bitter cold for a long time. Normal body temperature is This is usually due to a person being wet, sweaty, or trapped in cold water. It is dangerous and can be life threatening. If left untreated, hypothermia can cause a heart attack , liver damage, kidney failure, or death. Hypothermia is different from frostbite. You can have frostbite by itself or with hypothermia.

It depends on the type. Frostbite is an injury you get when a part of your body freezes. Common locations of frostbite are your nose, ears, fingers, and toes. The effects can be long-term for severe injuries.

It may require amputation. Hypothermia is caused by a drop in your body temperature. When your temperature drops, your body uses stored energy to stay warm. Hypothermia begins when the stored energy is used up. Your body can no longer produce heat. There are a few types of this condition with varying causes. This occurs when your body temperature drops suddenly. This can happen if you fall into cold water.

It also can happen if you are wet and in the cold. Hikers, hunters, and people who are without housing are at risk. People who are stranded outside in the cold for too long are at risk. This occurs when your body temperature drops over a period of time.

Elderly people and babies have a harder time controlling their body temperature. They are at risk of getting hypothermia over time. This occurs when your body temperature drops because it is too tired to produce heat.

People who are sick, have certain health conditions, or have substance use disorders are at risk.