Hypothermia
Hypothermia is a medical condition in which an organism's body temperature goes below the required temperature that results to failure of the body to perform metabolism and other necessary functions of the organism such as respiration and the like. In the case of warm-blooded animals such as birds and mammals, biologic homeostasis maintains their body temperature in a constant level. However, due to the exposure of the organism's body to extremely low temperatures, the organism may not be able to cope with the sudden heat loss from the body to the environment.
Hypothermia is the condition by which the body of an organism reaches a temperature below 95°F or 35°C, with -1.8°C difference from the normal body temperature of 36.8°C. The organism exhibits different symptoms for hypothermia that may vary from slurred speech, shivering, loss of skin color from the cold, memory loss, loss of body coordination and also fatigue.
Hypothermia can be observed with three stages, depending on the severity.
Stage 1 shows a variety of symptoms: Mild to strong shivers are present; Body temperature drops from the normal temperature to as low as 35° (temperature loss ranges from 1-2°C or 1.8°-3.6°F); The hands become numb, resulting to the ineffective use of hands in performing tasks such as lifting objects; manual dexterity is decreased; Quick and shallow breaths are evident; And the blood vessels constrict, preventing heat from dissipating to the environment.
Stage 2 is at work when the body's temperature drop reaches 2-4°C or 3.8-7.6°F. Shivering becomes violent as the muscle miscoordination becomes more evident. The patient would also appear to be slightly confused with his movements being more labored and slow. The patient would also appear clumsy and stumbles easily. Also, the blood vessels constrict further from that of stage 1, to protect the internal and vital organs from losing the heat that it needs to function.
Stage 3 starts when the body temperature of the patient goes down to about 32°C or 89.6°F. By this time, no shivering is present anymore; although the nerves exhibits the effects of the hypothermia as speaking becomes difficult, manual dexterity is lost compounded with the clumsier movements of the individual. The patient may also exhibit symptoms such as slurred speech and amnesia. By this time, the metabolic processes stop. However, when the temperature of the patient reaches 30°C (86.0°F), the ability to walk is also lost, more stumbling is exhibited by the individual and the skin exhibits a puffy area that has a shade of blue. At this stage, the patient may also exhibit irrational behavior and occasionally act like in a stupor. Symptoms like decrease in pulse rate while having fast breaths are also seen, which may actually lead to further complications like atrial fibrillation. Major organ failure is also seen that lead to lead to clinical deaths.
However, since the symptoms for hypothermia develop in a slow manner, people don’t even realize that they are having a medical condition already needs to be treated at an emergency facility. The most vulnerable people that are prone to hypothermia are infants, old people (especially those that have brain and nerve disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease), and homeless people. Being intoxicated also increases the risk of contracting hypothermia. Other conditions such as malnutrition, cardiovascular diseases and hypothyroidism may also contribute to the condition.
In taking care or giving first aid to someone that is suspected to have hypothermia, the first thing to do is to move the person out of the cold. Make sure to replace the wet clothes with fresh, warm clothing. Protect the extremities from the cold temperature and make sure that the body has enough insulation that can prevent the heat from coming out of the patient’s body. After dialing 911 or any emergency facility, do not use any heating lamp, hot water or heating pad on the victim. Instead, use warm compresses to apply heat on the neck, groin, and chest wall. Remember not to apply heat on the extremities such as the legs and arms as this may be fatal. Doing so would force the cold temperature of the cold extremities towards the chest cavity, the seat of the lungs and heart. If the person is not vomiting, offer non-alcoholic drinks. And also remember not to massage the patient as they are more prone to cardiac arrest.
However, it’s always said that “prevention is better than cure.” So as not to suffer hypothermia, one should wear appropriate clothes, especially with the weather. Do not wear cotton-made clothes during cold days as cotton retains moisture, which in turn, helps with heat loss. Alcohol also increases the risk of having hypothermia as it helps heat loss by increasing blood flow towards a person’s extremities. That’s why alcohol should actually be avoided during cold days.