Recognizing Hypothermia in Yourself and Others
Thesigns and symptomsof hypothermia are divided roughly by the severity of the hypothermia.
Cold exposure can come on slowly, affecting someone before he or she realizes there’s a problem.
Suspicion ofhypothermiais almost as important as recognizing the signs and symptoms.
Illustration by Joshua Seong. © Verywell, 2018.
Mild Hypothermia
As the body cools, it will take steps to prevent the heat loss.
Shivering comes from the body expending energy to create heat and is a coping mechanism for cold exposure.
Actual hypothermia triggers when the core body temperature falls below 95 degrees.
Uncontrollable shivering is the first and most obvious sign of mild hypothermia.
Signs of Mild Hypothermia
If you are removed or protected from the cold environment (e.g.
with blankets, dry clothes, hot cocoa), mild hypothermia can be reversed fairly easily.
If not, the core body temperature is likely to continue to drop.
As the corebody temperature dropsbelow 83 degrees, you will most likely be unconscious and unresponsive to most stimuli.
Severe hypothermia is a serious medical emergency.
Even rewarming will require close monitoring in the event that the patient suffers a cardiac arrhythmia.
This is where it is hardest to flood tissues with a constant flow of warm blood.
This has the undesirable effect of not warming those distal points.
Freezing environmental temperatures will cause freezing in tissues without fresh, warm blood to counteract it.
When to See a Doctor
The mildest hypothermia can betreatedwithout any help from a healthcare provider.
Simply moving the patient to a warm, dry environment will usually do the trick.
Moderate to severe hypothermia requires the intervention of a healthcare provider.
Always call 911 for a patient who is confused or unconscious, even if the cause is unknown.
While waiting for an ambulance, if possible, move the patient to a dry, warm environment.
Remove any wet clothes.
A dry patient with a thin blanket is better than a patient covered in multiple layers of wet clothing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Keep warm in cold weather by dressing in layers.
Remember to cover up exposed skin by wearing items like gloves, hats, and scarves.
Hypothermia can occur even in cool temperatures above 40 degrees.
If hypothermia is more severe, seek immediate medical care or call 911.
U.S. National Library of Medicine.
MedlinePlus.How to prevent frostbite and hypothermia.
Cleveland Clinic.Hypothermia (low body temperature).
Berko J, Ingram DD, Saha S, Parker JD.
