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Hypothermia - Cold Weather Health Risks

"Hypo" means under, a hypodermic syringe delivers liquid under the dermis (the skin) a hypoallergenic pillow is less likely to cause an allergic reaction, "therm" refers to temperature. Normal human core body temperature is 37°C (98.6°F), clinical hypothermia occurs when the core temperature falls below 35°C (95°F) - that's not much of a drop.

If someone is exposed to cold and inadequately protected, their body will first try to generate more heat through shivering to maintain a normal temperature. If the body can't stay warm by these means, it will start trying to decrease heat loss by decreasing blood flow to the extremities to minimize cooling. Finally, if the loss of heat carries…

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Featured

 Between life and death – the power of therapeutic hypothermia

When Anna Bågenholm fell while skiing and became trapped in icy water, her body temperature plummeted and her heart stopped, but doctors were able to bring her back to life. Her extraordinary story has led to therapeutic hypothermia being used around the world.

 How to avoid (and treat) hypothermia

Spoiler alert: staying dry is the key to life in the cold.

 Warning: In Bitter Cold, Beware The 'Umbles'

First we lose some fine motor skills, McLaren says, "and we start to fumble. And tumble. And stumble."

 What Extreme Cold Temperatures Do To The Human Body

Initially when you're exposed to the cold you'll obviously shiver and try to warm your body up. That's your initial response. But as your body gets colder and colder, your response to the cold actually becomes less and less. You'll stop shivering then your body temperature will start dropping at a more rapid rate. And if you think about your body as I guess an engine, as it gets colder it moves slower. Your mind thinks slower. Your heart moves slower.

 ‘Suspended Animation’: Can Cooling Our Bodies To Super Low Temperatures Save Us After Deadly Trauma And Blood Loss?

Imagine you are shot or stabbed and losing a massive amount of blood. Simply put, your chances of survival with ongoing blood loss are slim: the likely outcome from such serious trauma is profound shock ending in cardiac arrest (the heart stops beating). But an experimental technique that drastically lowers core body temperature in victims who have or are about to suffer a cardiac arrest could extend the window of time for trauma surgeons to repair severe and life threatening injuries.

Articles of Interest

Cold Stopped a Woman’s Heart for 6 Hours, Then Helped Save Her Life

Audrey Mash got caught in a snowstorm while hiking in the Pyrenees. Doctors say she experienced the longest period of cardiac arrest that a patient has survived in Spain.

Doctors Put a Patient in Suspended Animation for the First Time

The process requires stopping a trauma patient’s heart and cooling their body with ice-cold saline.

How to Avoid Frostbite and Hypothermia in Extreme Cold Weather

Experts warn that even a short time in the blistering cold can be extremely dangerous, with the risk of hypothermia and frostbite increasing every minute. Of course, many of us have no choice: We have to go to work, take care of others, clear snow, get supplies. If you’ll be outside for any amount of time, you should dress warmly and cover any exposed skin. Here’s what can happen if you don’t.

How to not die in a blizzard

The one simple trick? Stay inside.

Is a cold water swim good for you, or more likely to send you to the bottom?

There are centuries of references to the dangers posed by cold water: Herodotus, describing the ill-fated sea expedition of the Persian general Mardonius, wrote in 450BC that “those who could not swim perished from that cause, others from the cold”. In December 1790, James Currie, a physician, stood unable to help as the crew of a stranded American sailing ship fell into the cold sea and drowned. Currie was so affected he went on to undertake the first recorded experiments on the effects of cold water immersion on the human body.

Medical Effects Of Extreme Cold: Why It Hurts And How To Stay Safe

Just taking a brief walk outside without a hat can give people frostbite on the backs of their unprotected ears, he says. Frostbite's damage to skin and underlying tissue is the most common injury resulting from exposure to severe cold, and it usually occurs on the body's extremities — fingers, toes, nose, ears, cheeks and chin.

Minimizing Hypothermia Risk After Exposure

To treat hypothermia, the first thing to do is remove wet clothing and replace it with something dry. In addition to wrapping people in blankets or other coverings, emergency personnel would monitor breathing and start resuscitation if necessary.

Outdoor Action Guide to Hypothermia And Cold Weather Injuries

Traveling in cold weather conditions can be life threatening. The information provided here is designed for educational use only and is not a substitute for specific training or experience. Princeton University and the author assume no liability for any individual's use of or reliance upon any material contained or referenced herein. Medical research on hypothermia and cold injuries is always changing knowledge and treatment. When going into cold conditions it is your responsibility to learn the latest information. The material contained in this workshop may not be the most current.

What Are Those Foil Wrappers at the Marathon?

How to stay warm when you can’t stop sweating.

Why Peter Stark's 'Frozen Alive' Story Still Resonates More Than 20 Years Later

NPR's Ari Shapiro talks with author and historian Peter Stark about his second-person narrative "Frozen Alive" in Outside Magazine which deals explicitly with hypothermia's physiological effects.

Resources

CDC

Hypothermia (abnormally low body temperature) and frostbite are both dangerous conditions that can happen when a person is exposed to extremely cold temperatures. Stay safe this winter by learning more about hypothermia and frostbite, including who is most at risk, signs and symptoms, and what to do if someone develops hypothermia or frostbite.

How Does a Person Freeze to Death?

A person's core body temperature usually hovers around 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit (37 degrees Celsius). Hypothermia occurs when core body temperature dips to around 95 F (35 C) or lower. Surprisingly, people can experience hypothermia in relatively cool, but not freezing, air temperatures — around 30 to 50 F (minus 1 to 10 C) — particularly if they are wet...

MedlinePlus

Anyone who spends much time outdoors in cold weather can get hypothermia. You can also get it from being cold and wet, or under cold water for too long. Babies and old people are especially at risk. Babies can get it from sleeping in a cold room.

StatPearls

The definition of hypothermia is an involuntary drop in body temperature below 35C. Accidental hypothermia is not limited to regions or times of severe cold and can occur in milder climates.