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. Wear warm headgear. If your blood circulation is restricted, you are more prone to hypothermia. Drink plenty of fluids. Eat regularly.
Take regular breaks to reduce the risk of physical fatigue. Keep your eye on exact body temperature by taking a clinical thermometer in your first aid kit.
Change out of wet clothes straight away. Avoid alcohol, cigarettes and caffeine. Make sure your kit includes a good supply of waterproof matches. You may not be able to recognise your own symptoms of hypothermia due to mental confusion.
First aid training is strongly advised. Hypothermia at home Hypothermia can occur in the home. The elderly and some people with medical conditions are more susceptible to hypothermia. The risk can be reduced by: making sure there is adequate heat in the home seeking assistance from government agencies for help with heating, food and clothing if necessary having regular medical check-ups.
Where to get help In an emergency, call triple zero Your doctor The emergency department of your nearest hospital. Neno R , ' Hypothermia: assessment, treatment and prevention ', Nursing Standard, vol. Hypothermia pdf , St John Ambulance Australia. Give feedback about this page. Untreated, hypothermia can be fatal. If someone has hypothermia symptoms, a healthcare provider will do a physical exam.
They will also check their level of consciousness and vital signs. The provider will want to know if the person has a health condition that puts them at risk for hypothermia. Body temperature can vary depending on many factors. These include where the temperature is taken on the body, and the type of thermometer used. A low-reading thermometer is needed for an accurate temperature. A healthcare provider uses thermometers that can more accurately measure the core body temperature.
These thermometers are often inserted into the rectum to get an accurate core temperature. The goal of treatment is to prevent further heat loss and rewarm your body. People with hypothermia need medical care right away. While waiting for medical care, try these warming methods to help the person:.
Be careful to not handle the person roughly. Rough movements can trigger dangerous heart rhythms. Warm the center of the body first—the chest, neck, head, and groin—using an electric blanket, if it is available. Or use skin-to-skin contact, with your own body heat providing warmth to the person. Encourage sips of warm drinks which can be helpful. But never give a person with hypothermia any alcohol. And never try to give an unconscious person something to drink. Hospital treatment depends on the degree of hypothermia.
Rewarming methods of treatment may include:. Giving heated fluids through an IV intravenous line or other methods. This helps raise body temperature quickly.
Some other methods to rewarm the body can include hemodialysis blood is pumped through a tube into the machine to filter and warmed and returned back into the body or use of a heart-lung machine pumps blood out of the body and is rewarmed and oxygen is added and returned back to the body. Hypothermia and frostbite both occur when skin is exposed to cold and the body temperature falls.
With frostbite, the body tissues become frozen. Long-lasting permanent damage may happen if the affected area is not treated right away. In most cases, the person is not aware of frostbite because the frozen skin and tissue are numb.
In severe cases, gangrene can occur. In the most severe cases, a body part may need to be amputated. In most cases, affected body parts include the nose, ears, fingers, toes, cheeks, and chin. Carefully remove his or her wet clothing, replacing it with warm, dry coats or blankets. Hypothermia occurs when your body loses heat faster than it produces it. The most common causes of hypothermia are exposure to cold-weather conditions or cold water.
But prolonged exposure to any environment colder than your body can lead to hypothermia if you aren't dressed appropriately or can't control the conditions. Alcohol and drug use. Alcohol may make your body feel warm inside, but it causes your blood vessels to expand, resulting in more rapid heat loss from the surface of your skin. The body's natural shivering response is diminished in people who've been drinking alcohol.
In addition, the use of alcohol or recreational drugs can affect your judgment about the need to get inside or wear warm clothes in cold-weather conditions. If a person is intoxicated and passes out in cold weather, he or she is likely to develop hypothermia. As winter drags on and temperatures drop way down, your risk of cold-related injury like frostbite can go way up. Sanj Kakar Mayo Clinic Orthopedic hand and wrist surgeon says frostbite is more common than many people think. Kakar explains.
If the windchill drops below negative 15 degrees Fahrenheit, not unheard of in the northern half of the U. Kakar says. It can be white. Or it can be blue. And you can get these blisters on your hands. And it can be a very serious injury. They should run the car for 10 minutes every hour, making sure that snow is not covering the exhaust pipe and keeping the window open a crack to prevent a buildup of fumes.
People should also consider creating a winter survival kit to keep in the car. The kit should contain nonperishable food, blankets, a first aid kit, water, and necessary medications. Overexertion will not help, as this can lead to exhaustion and result in sweat-drenched clothing, both of which contribute to heat loss.
A person who begins to experience or show signs of mild hypothermia should retreat to a warmer place immediately to prevent progression to a life-threatening condition. Hypothermia can happen in summer too. Excessively cool air-conditioning or water-based activities pose a risk, especially for infants and older people who may not be able to express how they are feeling. An oral thermometer may not show a temperature this low. In either case, it is vital to seek urgent medical attention.
Hypothermia can result from a chronically cold environment, such as during winter, or it can happen suddenly, for example, if a person falls into cold water. The CDC stress that temperatures do not have to be excessively cold for hypothermia to develop.
People lose heat more quickly in water than on land. Water temperatures that would be comfortable as outdoor air temperatures can lead to hypothermia. Indoors, a lack of heating, excessive air conditioning or taking an ice bath can result in hypothermia.
Indoor hypothermia often has a poor outcome, because it tends to affect older people, and the diagnosis often comes at a late stage. Results of a study published in showed that 75 percent of people who received medical treatment in New York City hospitals for cold-related illness were outdoors when this happened.
Around half were sleeping rough, and another 25 percent had no heating at home. Substance abuse or having a mental or physical health condition increased the risk. Other causes of hypothermia include metabolic disorders that result in a lower basal metabolic rate. These disorders cause the body to generate less heat internally. Exposure to toxins and dysfunction of the thyroid, adrenal, or pituitary glands may also be underlying causes. Heat exhaustion occurs if the body is dehydrated and is unable to regulate its internal temperature.
Without treatment, it can develop into heatstroke,. But should we be so dismissive of low temperatures?
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