ALL ABOUT HEALTH (AAH)

Your body will experience hypothermia, also known as low body temperature, if its temperature falls below 95 degrees Fahrenheit (35 degrees Celsius).

A person’s normal body temperature is 98.6 F (37 C) on average. It is a “medical emergency” to have hypothermia.

Both your body and brain are unable to operate normally when your body temperature is too low. Hypothermia can result in cardiac arrest, if left untreated.

Symptoms of hypothermia differ according to how severe the illness is. Hypothermia can occur in three stages: mild, moderate, and severe.

Mild hypothermia

Your body temperature falls between 95.6 and 95.6 F (35 and 32 C) if you have mild hypothermia. A few indicators of mild hypothermia are:

• Shivering and chattering teeth.
• Exhaustion.
• Clumsiness, slow movements and reactions.
• Sleepiness.
• Weak pulse.
• Fast heart rate (tachycardia).
• Rapid breathing (tachypnea).
• Pale skin color.
• Confusion and poor judgment/loss of awareness.
• Excessive urination.
• Trouble speaking.

Moderate hypothermia

Your body temperature falls between 32 C and 28 C, or 89.6 F and 82.4 F, indicating moderate hypothermia. Among the symptoms of mild hypothermia are:

• Slow down in breathing and heart rate.
• Slurred speech.
• Decline in mental function.
• Hallucinations.
• Decreased shivering.
• Bluish color to skin (cyanosis).
• Increased muscle stiffness.
• Dilated pupils.
• Abnormal heart rhythm.
• Decreased blood pressure.
• Weakened reflexes.
• Loss of consciousness.

Severe hypothermia

If your body temperature is lower than 82.4 F (28 C), you have severe hypothermia. Severe hypothermia symptoms include:

• Loss of shivering (shivering helps the body generate heat naturally).
• Low blood pressure (hypotension).
• Fluid in lungs.
• Absence of reflexes (stiffness).
• Complete muscle stiffness.
• Loss of voluntary motion.
• Low urine output (oliguria).
• Heart stops beating (cardiac arrest).
• Coma “that may mimic death”.
• Death.

Risk factor of low body temperature (hypothermia)

After being exposed to cold, damp, or windy weather, hypothermia sets in. Your body uses energy to keep you warm when it is cold outside. Your body eventually expends its stored energy when exposed to cold temperatures, causing your body temperature to drop. You can not get yourself to warm up again. With continued exposure, mild symptoms will become severe.

Who is at risk for developing hypothermia?

While hypothermia can affect anyone, certain individuals, circumstances, and states raise the chance of getting it. Among them are:

• Older people. With aging comes a decrease in body temperature regulation. Due to their decreased activity levels, older individuals also have a tendency to expend less energy, which produces heat to keep their bodies warm. Furthermore, older individuals typically have less fat to act as insulation.
• Young children. Children may use up their energy reserve while playing and not realize they are cold because they use more calories than adults do. Due to their larger surface area relative to their body size, children lose more heat.
• Babies. Babies are more susceptible to losing body heat than adults are. They also lack the energy to shiver in order to retain body heat, and sleeping in a cold room can even cause hypothermia. Infant hypothermia is characterized by cold skin, bright red skin, lethargy (a state of physical or mental inactivity), and a body temperature below 95 degrees Fahrenheit (35 degrees Celsius). With regard to surface area per weight, babies have the largest and fastest heat loss.
• People who abuse alcohol or recreational drugs. Alcohol causes blood vessels to enlarge, which speeds up the removal of heat from the skin’s surface. Both drug and alcohol abuse can make it difficult for a person to detect cold or to make wise decisions about dressing for the weather or staying inside when it is cold.
• People who don’t have a home. People without a place to live may not have or not choose indoor shelter options with heat. They also may not have clothing appropriate for the weather conditions.
• People with mental health conditions. Individuals with dementia or other intellectual impairments may not be able to predict the weather, may get lost or wander from home, and may not dress appropriately to stay warm in cold weather for prolonged periods of time.
• People with certain medical conditions may be more susceptible to cold temperatures as the body would be weak to fight on its own.
• People participating in cold-weather sports.

complications associated with hypothermia?

Hypothermia, if untreated, can result in a number of illnesses, such as:

• Cardiac arrest.
• Liver damage.
• Kidney failure.
• Coma.
• Death.

Hypothermia could be a deadly health condition if not taken care of on time.

References :

Adewara Emmanuel Nifemi (All about Health)

Cleveland clinic

ALL ABOUT HEALTH