Water can be much colder than air, and water transfer heat away from the body much faster than air does. Even if the air temperature are seventy degrees, water can remove heat from the body approximately twenty-five time faster than the air can. Because water remove heat from the body so quickly, a person can experience a rapid drop in body temperature.
This rapid drop in body temperature begins as soon as a person enter the water, and this rapid drop in body temperature create a physiological countdown for the person in the water. When a person enters cold water, the cold water cause a sudden and involuntary gasping reflex. A person cannot control this gasping reflex, and this involuntary gasping reflex can lead to drowning if the person is underwater when the gasping reflex occur.
Dangers of Cold Water and How to Stay Safe
After the initial shock of the cold water, the cold water will cause muscle degradation. The cold water causes the hands to become numb and causes the arms to stop responding, and these numb limb and non-responsive arms make it difficult for a person to move or float. Because the muscles stop responding to the brain, staying above the surface of the water become a physical impossibility for many people, regardless of how strong those people is.
A person can recognize the stages of hypothermia by watching for specific physical symptom. The first stage of hypothermia involve shivering and goosebumps, because shivering is the method the body use to generate friction and heat. Many people ignore shivering and goosebumps because many people believe they can continue there activity despite the shivering.
However, as the core temperature of the body continue to drop, the symptom of hypothermia change from shivering to confusion and slurred speech. Confusion and slurred speech is signs that the brain is losing coordination, and confusion and slurred speech indicate that the hypothermia have become life-threatening. If a person is stumbling or acting disoriented, that person is experiencing a life-threatening level of hypothermia.
Preparation is the primary way to defend against the danger of cold water. You should wear appropriate clothing depending on the water temperature, and you should use a rash guard for warmer water or thick neoprene and drysuit for colder water. You must always wear a life jacket, because a life jacket will keep you afloat even if your muscle fail due to the cold water.
You should also check the water temperature before you enter the water, and you should never enter the water alone. You can mitigate the initial shock of the cold water by entering the water slowly, because a slow entry help you maintain control over your breathing. Its important to realize that staying warm in water is harder than it looks.
You should of prepared for teh worst case scenarios. One should also know that water can be more dangerous than people think, actualy.
