According to Mayo Clinic, The medical
definition of hypothermia
is a medical emergency that occurs when your
body loses heat faster than it can produce
heat, causing a dangerously low body
temperature.
Normal body temperature is
around 98.6 F (37 C). Hypothermia
(hi-poe-THUR-me-uh) occurs as your body
temperature passes below 95 F (35 C).
When your body temperature drops, your heart,
nervous system and other organs can't work
normally. Left untreated, hypothermia can
eventually lead to complete failure of your
heart and respiratory system and to death.
Frostbite is a related but
different condition that is brought about by
exposer to cold temperatures where body tissue
actually freezes or suffers physical damage
due to the cold.
Mayo Clinic is a
nonprofit medical practice and medical
research group based in Rochester, Minnesota.
They employ more than 4,500 physicians and
scientists and through their website offer in
depth medical descriptions and treatment
recommendations for numerous conditions and
diseases. I have included a link to their
website http://www.mayoclinic.org
What are the
Symptoms of Hypothermia?
- Shivering: This
is one of the first symptoms that is noticed
in a person who is exposed to cold
temperatures. Shivering is noticed till the
body is able to regulate temperature. When the
temperature drops lower, shivering stops.
- Mental Symptoms: The person
shows memory loss and confusion. The patient
also gets drowsy and exhausted. In severe
cases, the person may lose consciousness.
- Speech: The speech
becomes slurred and difficult to understand,
with no coherence.
- Pulse: Slow
and weak.
- Breathing: The
breathing becomes shallow and slow as the
temperature drops.
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