Hypothermia is an medical condition in which a persons body temperature drop below 95 degrees Fahrenheit. Hypothermia is dangerous for the body in that drops in body temperature can lead to organ failure and, ultimately, death. Hypothermia can come in three different stages; mild, moderate, and severe hypothermia.
The first stage of hypothermia is known as mild hypothermia. At this first stage, the body begin to experience shivering. Shivering is the bodys way of make muscle contraction to create heat for the body.
Hypothermia: Stages, Signs and How to Help
In addition to shivering, a person experiencing mild hypothermia may also feel goose bumps on there skin, and their finger may feel numb. A person experiencing mild hypothermia may still be alert and have a normal heart rate. However, the person may begin to feel confusion or slurred speech.
Passive rewarming the body can treat mild hypothermia, such as by covering the person with dry blankets and finding shelter away from the cold. The second stage of hypothermia is known as moderate hypothermia. Moderate hypothermia occur when the body continues to drop in temperature.
During moderate hypothermia, the shivering may stop. Instead, a person may begin to feel drowsily, and their muscles may feel stiff. The body may lose the ability to coordinate its movement, and begin to lose memory.
The person may also begin to have poor judgment of situations around them. The heart rate of the body may also slow, and the skin of the body may turn blue from the constricting of the blood vessel to protect the vital organ of the body. The final stage of hypothermia is severe hypothermia.
Severe hypothermia is a life-threatening condition. During severe hypothermia, the muscle of the body become rigid, and the heart may begin to exhibit arrhythmia, or irregular heartbeats. Severe hypothermia can advance to cardiac arrest, which is when the heart stop beating altogether.
Severe hypothermia require immediate medical attention to reheat the body, such as with warm intravenous fluid or placement into the intensive care unit to provide care to the body. There are many factor that can contribute to hypothermia, and various factor can make hypothermia worse. One of the factor that can contribute to hypothermia is wet clothing.
Wet clothing will cause the body to lose its insulation more faster than if the person were wearing dry clothes. Exhaustion is another factor that contribute to hypothermia. When a person is exhausted, the body do not produce enough heat.
Finally, alcohol can contribute to hypothermia. Alcohol causes the blood vessel to dilate, and also mask the symptom of hypothermia. When you are attempting to assist a person who is experiencing hypothermia, there are some action that you should avoid.
For instance, you should not rub the limb of the person experiencing hypothermia. You should also not force the hypothermic patient to walk. Another action to avoid is applying heat direct to the body of the hypothermic patient.
Applying heat direct to the body can cause afterdrop. Afterdrop is when the blood vessel in the extremities of the body begin to warm, but cold blood from those extremity moves to the bodys core, causing the
