Hypothermia – Symptoms and Causes

What Is Hypothermia

Hypothermia happens when your body temperature falls below 95°F (35°C), which is much lower than the normal body temperature of 98.6°F (37°C). This condition is serious and requires immediate medical attention.

When hypothermia occurs, your body loses heat faster than it can produce it. This temperature drop affects how well your vital organs work.

Your heart, nervous system, and other organs begin to function poorly as your body gets colder.

Common causes include:

• Exposure to cold weather
• Falling into cold water
• Staying in cold environments without proper protection

Without treatment, hypothermia can become life-threatening. The condition can cause your heart and breathing to slow down or stop completely.

Treatment focuses on warming the body back to a safe temperature through various methods.

Warning Signs

Hypothermia develops when your body loses heat faster than it can produce it. As your body temperature drops, you may experience several symptoms that signal this dangerous condition.

Common symptoms include:

• Shivering (often the first sign)
• Slurred speech or mumbling
• Slow, shallow breathing
• Weak pulse
• Poor coordination or clumsiness
• Extreme tiredness or drowsiness
• Confusion or memory problems
• Loss of consciousness
• In babies: bright red, cold skin

Many people don’t realize they have hypothermia because the symptoms develop slowly. The confusion that comes with hypothermia makes it hard to recognize what’s happening, which can lead to risky behaviors.

Emergency Medical Help

Seek immediate medical attention if you notice hypothermia symptoms in someone. Call 911 right away.

While waiting for help:

1. Move the person gently to a warm place if possible
2. Remove wet clothing carefully
3. Cover them with dry blankets or coats
4. Avoid rough movements that could affect their heartbeat

Don’t wait for all symptoms to appear – hypothermia is a serious condition that requires quick action.

What Causes Body Temperature to Drop

Your body naturally makes heat to stay at the right temperature. When you get too cold, several things happen that make your body lose heat faster than it can create it.

Body heat escapes in different ways. The main way is through radiation from skin that isn’t covered. When you don’t wear a hat or gloves in cold weather, heat leaves quickly from these exposed areas.

Direct contact with cold objects pulls heat from your body. This happens when you touch cold metal, sit on frozen ground, or fall into cold water.

Water takes away body heat about 25 times faster than air at the same temperature. This is why wet clothes in cold weather are so dangerous.

Wind makes you colder through the “wind chill effect.” It blows away the thin layer of warm air that normally surrounds your body. Even on a 40°F day, strong wind can make it feel much colder to your body.

Common situations that lead to dangerous cooling include:

• Inadequate clothing for cold conditions
• Staying outdoors too long in cold weather
• Inability to get dry after becoming wet
• Water accidents like falling through ice or boating mishaps
• Cold living conditions from poor heating or excessive air conditioning

People most at risk include outdoor enthusiasts, homeless individuals, and those without proper heating in their homes. Elderly people and very young children lose body heat more quickly and may not be able to tell when they’re getting dangerously cold.

Risk Factors

Several factors can increase a person’s chance of developing hypothermia:

Physical Factors

• Fatigue and Exhaustion: When tired, the body struggles to handle cold temperatures effectively.
• Age Considerations
  • Older adults may have reduced temperature regulation abilities and might not recognize when they’re cold.
  • Children lose heat more quickly than adults and often ignore cold while playing.

Mental and Behavioral Factors

• Cognitive Impairments: People with mental illness or dementia might not dress appropriately for cold weather or understand cold-related risks.
• Substance Use: Alcohol causes blood vessels to expand, increasing heat loss despite creating a false feeling of warmth. It also reduces natural shivering, a key defense against cold.
• Judgment Issues: Both recreational drugs and alcohol can impair decision-making about seeking shelter or wearing proper clothing.

Medical Conditions

• Underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism)
• Poor nutrition or eating disorders
• Diabetes
• Previous stroke
• Severe arthritis
• Parkinson’s disease
• Physical trauma
• Spinal cord injuries

Medications

Certain medicines can disrupt the body’s temperature regulation, including:

• Antidepressants
• Antipsychotics
• Narcotic pain relievers
• Sedatives

Frostbite Risk Factors

Frostbite, a related cold-weather injury, involves actual freezing of body tissues. It occurs more frequently than many people realize. When temperatures reach 5°F with minimal wind, frostbite becomes a concern.

The risk increases dramatically when windchill drops below -15°F, where frostbite can develop within 30 minutes. The most vulnerable body parts include:

• Nose
• Ears
• Fingers
• Toes

Frostbite symptoms progress from pain and numbness to skin color changes (red, white, or blue) and blisters. In severe cases, tissue death may occur, sometimes requiring surgical removal.

People at Higher Risk for Frostbite:

1. Diabetic patients
2. Those with previous frostbite history
3. Elderly individuals
4. Very young children
5. Dehydrated people

The combination of these risk factors with extreme environmental conditions can significantly increase the danger of both hypothermia and frostbite.

Complications

Hypothermia can lead to other serious cold-related health issues. Frostbite may occur when skin and deeper tissues freeze due to extreme cold exposure. The affected areas often appear white or grayish-yellow and feel hard or waxy.

Gangrene is another possible complication. This happens when tissue dies because cold temperatures block blood flow to certain body parts. Without proper blood circulation, cells can’t receive oxygen and nutrients needed to survive.

Ways to Prevent Cold-Related Issues

Keeping Warm in Cold Conditions

To stay warm when temperatures drop, remember the COLD method:

• Cover up: Wear a hat to prevent heat from escaping your head. Choose mittens rather than gloves to keep hands warmer.

• Overwork: Avoid activities that make you sweat heavily. Wet clothes in cold weather can cause your body to lose heat faster.

• Layering: Dress in loose, lightweight layers. Choose wool, silk, or synthetic materials for inner layers since they trap heat better than cotton. For outer layers, pick tightly woven, water-resistant fabrics.

• Dryness: Stay as dry as possible. Change out of wet clothing quickly. Pay special attention to keeping hands and feet dry.

Protecting Children from Cold Temperatures

Children need extra protection from cold weather:

• Dress babies and young children in one more layer than adults would wear in the same weather.

• If you notice a child shivering, bring them inside immediately. Shivering is the first warning sign of dropping body temperature.

• Have children take regular indoor breaks to warm up when playing outside.

• Never let infants sleep in cold rooms.

Vehicle Safety in Winter

Winter driving requires preparation:

1. Always tell someone your travel plans, including your route and expected arrival time.
2. Keep emergency supplies in your vehicle:
   • Several blankets
   • Matches and candles
   • Clean container for melting snow into drinking water
   • First-aid supplies
   • Non-perishable food and can opener
   • Towing equipment and jumper cables
   • Navigation tools
   • Traction materials (sand or cat litter)
   • Cell phone, if possible

If you become stranded:

• Gather all supplies inside the car
• Stay close together under blankets
• Run the engine for 10 minutes each hour to warm up
• Ensure a window is cracked open and the exhaust pipe remains clear of snow

Alcohol Considerations

To reduce cold-related risks, avoid alcohol:

• Before or during outdoor activities in cold weather
• When participating in water activities
• Before going to bed on cold nights

Alcohol creates a false sense of warmth while actually increasing heat loss.

Staying Safe in Cold Water

Water doesn’t need to be freezing to cause body cooling. Follow these guidelines if you fall into cold water:

• Wear a life jacket when on boats or near water. Attach a whistle to signal for help.

• Exit the water if possible by climbing onto any floating object.

• Conserve energy by not swimming unless safety is very close by.

• Minimize heat loss by using the Heat Escape Lessening Position (HELP) – pull your knees to your chest to protect your core.

  • If your life jacket forces your face down, straighten your legs, keep them together, hold arms at your sides, and tilt your head back.

• Group together with others by forming a tight circle facing each other.

• Keep clothes on, as they provide insulation even when wet. Only remove wet clothing after you’re safely out of the water.

Supporting Vulnerable Populations

People at highest risk include infants, older adults, those with health conditions, and people experiencing homelessness.

Community resources available through local public health offices include:

• Heating bill assistance programs
• Well-being check services during cold weather
• Emergency shelters
• Warming centers for daytime use during cold spells

If you or someone you know needs help, contact your local public health department to learn about available services in your area.