Knowing the Signs Of Hypothermia And How To Avoid It

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Hypothermia occurs when a patient’s core body temperature falls way below normal, this can easily happen when one is exposed to wetness or extremely cold winds. The body automatically starts to shiver in order to keep itself warm. As a person’s energy is expended in order to keep warm, the body may reach a point where it would not be able to re-warm itself. If this condition is left untreated, the body will slowly shutdown and the person may die.

Hypothermia Symptoms

According to the information provided by the Mayo Clinic, one can easily guide themselves against hypothermia by simply being aware of the signs of this condition and taking immediate action in order to treat it if or when it occurs. The progressive signs of hypothermia include:

•Shivering – This is an early symptom of hypothermia. Shivering typically starts mildly, but it can escalate to becoming more severe and finally convulsion sets in prior to ceasing
•Loss of coordination – This may start with the difficulty of being able to zip one’s clothing or tie one’s shoelaces, and eventually lead to falling or stumbling.
•Speech becomes slurred – Patient finds it difficult to speak, speech is almost unintelligible
•Confusion
•High blood pressure
•Apathy/disinterest/lack of motivation (i.e. the patient is finding it difficult to take care of his or her own needs)
•Increased heart rate
•Irrational behavior

Treatment of Hypothermia

If you recognized any of the aforementioned hypothermia symptoms, it is truly important that you take quick action. If the patient becomes unconscious, medical help should be sought as soon as possible. Taking care of a hypothermic patient include:

•Quickly move the patient to a sheltered area. Be extremely careful when moving an unconscious patient, since the patient’s heart is fragile and quite sensitive to jarring.
•Take off the wet clothes and replace them with dry and warm clothing.
•If the patient is alert and conscious enough to hold a cup, give the patient a warm (not hot) fluid to drink. Sweet beverages are particularly helpful. You should never give drinks or food to an unconscious person, because he or she might choke.
•If the patient is conscious and strong enough, moderate excises like walking will help generate some heat to warm up the patient.
•If the patient is unconscious or is not able to exercise, simply place the patient in a sleeping bag; this will help speed-up the re-warming process, insulate the sleeping bag with a tarpaulin or plastic sheet above and pad the bottom.

Thankfully, there are some steps that you can take in order to avoid hypothermia.

How to Avoid Hypothermia

You can easily avoid getting hypothermia if you simply guide yourself against cold winds, fatigue, dehydration and wet clothing. Make sure you do the following:

•Stay dry
•Dress warmly, preferably in layers
•Protect yourself from cold winds, snow and rain – you can do this by wearing clothing and footwear designed to block out moisture and wind.
•Do not over-expend your energy
•Consume high energy snacks and drink lots of water
•Be sure to pack a “Survival Kit” when you go hiking