Hypothermia: symptoms, causes, to treatment

Definition

What is hypothermia?

Hypothermia is a condition in which the body temperature is abnormal, or becomes very low. The body temperature of a normal person is around 37 ° C. However, people with hypothermia have temperatures below 35 ° C. Hypothermia is an emergency.

This can occur when the body is losing heat faster than it is producing. The heart, nervous system, and other organs cannot work properly and can cause life-threatening conditions.

This condition is often caused by exposure to cold weather. The main treatment for hypothermia is a method of warming the body back to its normal temperature.

How common is this condition?

Hypothermia is a condition that is more common in the elderly and young children due to the harsh winter climate. People with hypothermia should be treated as soon as possible.

You can minimize the chances of hypothermia by reducing the risk. Talk to your doctor for more information.

Signs and symptoms

What are the signs and symptoms of hypothermia?

The initial symptom that may appear is chills as the temperature begins to drop. It's your body's automatic defense against cold temperatures, which are attempts to warm yourself up.

In general, the symptoms and signs of hypothermia are:

• Feeling cold,
• Continuous shivering,
• Goosebumps,
• Blue lips,
• Unable to keep warm,
• Babies' skin can be bright red, cold, and very weak.

Symptoms of hypothermia according to the stages are:

Light

Symptoms of mild conditions that are caused are body temperature of 32.2 ℃ -35 ℃, high blood pressure, chills, rapid heartbeat and breathing, narrowed blood vessels, fatigue, and lack of coordination.

Moderate

Symptoms of moderate conditions are a body temperature of 28 ℃ -32.2 ℃, irregular heartbeat, lower awareness, dilated pupils, low blood pressure, and decreased reflexes.

Severe

Symptoms of conditions that are categorized as severe are less than 28 ℃, difficulty breathing, unreactive pupils, heart failure, pulmonary edema, and heart failure.

As the body temperature decreases, the sufferer will stop shivering and will become confused, drowsy, and stiff. Sufferers will speak slurred, mutter, and stutter. Heart rate weakens and becomes irregular. Complications can include frosbite, gangrene, chilblain and trench foot.

There may be signs and symptoms not listed above. If you have concerns about a particular symptom, consult your doctor.

When should I see a doctor?

You need emergency treatment when you experience signs of hypothermia. Especially if you have a poor health condition such as diabetes with hypothermia, go to the doctor immediately.

If you have any signs or symptoms above or any other questions, please consult your doctor. Everyone's body is different. Always consult a doctor to treat your health condition.

Cause

What causes hypothermia?

Hypothermia occurs when the body loses heat faster than it is produced. The most common causes are exposure to weather conditions or cold water.

When you are in prolonged contact with a cooler environment, you can develop hypothermia because you don't dress properly or you can't control the condition.

The specific conditions that can cause hypothermia are:

• Wearing clothes that are not warm enough
• Stay too long in cold weather
• Cannot remove wet clothes or move to a warmer, drier location
• Fall into the water, as in a boating accident
• Living in a house that's too cold.

How your body loses heat

Quoted from Web MD, during exposure to cold temperatures, the body will lose heat (up to 90%) through your skin. The rest, you exhale heat through your breath from your lungs.

Heat loss through the skin occurs mainly through radiation and when the skin is exposed to wind or moisture. If you are exposed to cold from being immersed in cold water, heat loss can occur 25 times faster than if you were exposed to the same air temperature.

Normally, the activity of the heart and liver produces most of the heat in your body. However, when the body temperature gets cold, these organs generate less heat. Low body temperature can slow down brain activity, breathing, and heart rate.

Daze and burnout hinder one's ability to understand what's going on and make smart choices for safety.

Risk factors

What increases my risk for hypothermia?

There are many risk factors for hypothermia, including:

Fatigue

Fatigue decreases your tolerance for cold temperatures.

Old age

The body's ability to regulate temperature and feel cold may diminish with age.

Some older people may not be able to communicate when they are cold or move to a warm location if they feel cold.

Very young age

Children lose heat faster than adults. Children may also ignore the flu because they are too busy having fun. They also may not have the awareness to dress appropriately in cold weather.

Mental problems

People with mental illness, dementia, or other conditions can make you less aware of the risks of cold weather. People with dementia may hang around outside or get lost easily. They are more likely to become stranded in cold or wet weather.

Use of alcohol and drugs

Alcohol can make your body feel warm, but it can cause your blood vessels to expand and lose heat more quickly. The body's natural shivering response is reduced in people who drink alcohol.

Additionally, the use of alcohol or illegal drugs can influence your mind about whether to avoid cold weather.

Certain health conditions

Several health conditions affect your ability to regulate body temperature. Examples are an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism), poor nutrition or anorexia nervosa, diabetes, stroke, severe arthritis, Parkinson's disease, trauma, and spinal cord injuries.

Drugs

Some drugs can change the body's ability to regulate temperature. Examples include certain antidepressants, antipsychotics, narcotic pain relievers, and sedatives.

Having no risk factors does not mean you cannot get this disease. These factors are for reference only. Consult your doctor for more information.

Treatment

The information provided is not a substitute for medical advice. ALWAYS consult your doctor.

What are my treatment options for hypothermia?

Hypothermia is an emergency condition that can be treated with certain tips. The following are treatment options that you can take to treat hypothermia:

First aid

Here are first aid tips for dealing with hypothermic people:

• Do it gently. If you are helping someone with hypothermia, treat them gently. Restrict movement if not needed. Don't massage or scrub. Violent and excessive movements can trigger cardiac arrest.
• Move from a cool location. Move the person to a dry, warm location, if possible. If not, protect them from the cold and wind as much as possible. Make sure their position is lying down.
• Get rid of wet clothes. If someone is wearing wet clothes, take them off immediately. Cut the clothes to avoid excessive movement.
• Use a blanket. Use a blanket or jacket to warm them. Support their heads with a blanket or other warm object.
• Monitor breathing. A person with severe hypothermia may appear unconscious, without obvious pulse signs. If their breathing stops or seems very low, begin CPR immediately.
• Provide warm drinks. If they are conscious and able to swallow, offer them a drink that is warm, sweet, non-alcoholic, and decaffeinated to help warm their bodies.
• Use a warm, dry compress. Use a warm compress in the form of warm water put in a heated bottle or towel. Only place the compress on the neck, chest, and groin.
• Do not use direct heat. Do not use hot water, heating pads, or heating lamps to keep the person warm. Extreme heat can damage the skin or cause an irregular heartbeat, leading to cardiac arrest.

Medical treatment

Depending on the severity of hypothermia, emergency treatment for hypothermia may include the following procedures to raise body temperature:

• Warming efforts. For someone with mild hypothermia, it is enough to cover himself with a blanket and offer warm water to drink.
• Attempts to warm the blood again. Blood can be drawn, warmed, and circulated back into the body. A common method for warming the blood is the use of a hemodialysis machine, which is a device normally used to filter blood in people with poor kidney function. Machine heart bypass may also be needed.
• Warm intravenous fluids. A warm intravenous water saline solution may be inserted into the vein to help warm the blood.
• Warmth through the air. Using moisturized oxygen through a mask or nose wash can warm the airways and help raise your body temperature.
• Irrigation. A warm saltwater solution can be used to warm certain areas of the body, such as the area around the lungs (pleura) or the abdominal cavity (cavity peritoneum). Warm fluid is inserted into the affected area through the catheter.

Complications during recovery can include pneumonia, cardiac arrhythmias, ventricular fibrillation (dangerous heart rhythm), cardiac arrest, and death.

What are the usual tests to diagnose this condition?

Doctors suspect hypothermia is a condition that occurs and is found in cold environments. A special thermometer that can measure a low body temperature can confirm the diagnosis, usually a thermometer is located in the emergency department of a hospital.

Other tests to rule out damage to vital organs such as electrocardiography, laboratory tests and x-rays.

Home remedies

What are some lifestyle changes or home remedies that can be done to treat hypothermia?

Lifestyle and home remedies that can help you deal with hypothermia are:

• Dressing appropriately can also prevent colds when traveling to cold locations, such as mountains.
• Consume enough warm foods and fluids.
• Stay aware of the dangerous weather and plan accordingly.
• Change wet clothes to dry clothes as soon as possible.
• Get out of the cold water immediately. Within minutes it can be deadly!

For the people most at risk for hypothermia, namely infants, the elderly, people with mental or physical problems, and people who are homeless, social support can go a long way toward preventing hypothermia.

If you have any questions, consult your doctor for the best solution to your problem.