What is Hypothermia? Hypothermia Symptoms and Treatment

Hypothermia is a condition that requires urgent medical intervention, characterized by body temperature falling below 35°C. Hypothermia varies depending on its severity. While the body develops reactions to protect itself in the early stages, the risk of death and coma development increases as the severity increases. Therefore, correct first aid methods should be applied until medical intervention is provided. During the first aid phase, the person should be removed from cold, windy and wet conditions and brought to a warm and dry area. There are two important purposes in first aid and medical intervention in hypothermia. This is to prevent the patient from losing more heat and to increase body temperature.

What is Hypothermia?

It is a medical emergency characterized by the body losing heat faster than it produces heat and the body temperature being so low that it is life-threatening. Environmental factors and some diseases increase heat loss from the body. Heat can be lost from the body by conduction, convection, radiation and evaporation.

• Transmission: Heat transfer occurs as a result of the body’s contact with an object lower than itself. This causes the body temperature to drop.
• Convectional: Cold air and liquid in contact with the skin causes the body temperature to decrease.
• Radiation: Electromagnetic waves radiate heat to the environment. Especially children’s exposed heads are a strong source of heat loss.
• Evaporation: The liquid on the skin turns into steam, causing heat loss. Moist skin loses heat faster.

What are the symptoms of hypothermia?

When the body temperature begins to drop, the first symptom that appears is shivering. Hypothermia symptoms are evaluated in 3 categories: mild, moderate and severe. Symptoms of mild hypothermia include body reactions to prevent hypothermia. However, in severe hypothermia, exhaustion occurs in the body. Therefore, the risk of life-threatening is high because the body cannot protect itself.

Mild Hypothermia

Symptoms that occur due to mild hypothermia when the body temperature is between 35°C and 32°C are:

• Shake
• Fatigue
• Slowing down movements
• Loss of concentration and trouble speaking
• pale skin color
• frequent urination
• Somnolence
• tachycardia
• tachypnea

Moderate Hypothermia

Symptoms of moderate hypothermia when the body temperature is between 32°C and 28°C are:

• Decrease in mental functions
• Slowed heartbeat and breathing
• Decrease in tremors
• Increased muscle stiffness
• Skin color changing to shades of blue
• Hypotension
• Weakening of reflexes
• loss of consciousness
• seeing hallucinations

Severe Hypothermia

Symptoms of severe hypothermia, which occurs when the body temperature drops below 28°C, are as follows:

• Hypotension
• Fluid accumulation in the lungs
• full muscle rigidity
• Death
• oliguria
• To come
• cardiac arrest
• cessation of tremors

What Causes Hypothermia?

Hypothermia is more likely to occur with exposure to cold, wet and windy conditions. When the body is exposed to cold weather, it first spends energy to produce endogenous heat. If this situation lasts for a long time, the energy stores in the body will be depleted. Accordingly, body temperature decreases. If the body does not warm itself again, the severity of hypothermia increases. Factors that trigger this mechanism are:

• Not wearing appropriate clothing for the weather conditions causes hypothermia.
• With aging, loss of nerve endings in the skin occurs, resulting in a deterioration in the ability to detect changes in temperature. In addition, their metabolism slows down because they are less active.
• Movement-reducing diseases such as stroke increase the risk of developing hypothermia.
• Spending time outside for long periods of time in cold weather lowers body temperature.
• Wet clothing and being in cold conditions cause hypothermia.
• Living in a house with inadequate heating reduces body temperature below normal.
• Spending time in water for a long time causes significant heat loss.

How Severe Does Hypothermia Occur?

The normal body temperature is 37°C. Hypothermia occurs when the body temperature drops below 35°C. Mild hypothermia symptoms are observed between 32-35°C. However, the risk of death increases when the body temperature drops below 32°C. If it drops below 28°C, some signs of life disappear. At this stage, the person appears cold to the touch, rigid, motionless, and there is no pulse.

How Is Hypothermia Diagnosed?

The specialist physician diagnoses hypothermia by taking temperature and physical examination. A physical examination checks whether the person is experiencing symptoms of hypothermia. Since the symptoms may be symptoms of many diseases, information should be obtained about the patient’s whereabouts before being brought to the emergency room. Thanks to this information, hypothermia is diagnosed. Blood tests play an important role in determining the severity of hypothermia.

How to Treat Hypothermia?

The treatment method includes preventing further heat loss and rewarming processes. Some medical methods used to treat hypothermia include:

• Passive heating can be provided by covering the person with a blanket and giving hot drinks. To apply this method, the patient must have a good thermogenesis mechanism, an intact endocrine system, and sufficient energy storage to produce endogenous heat. With this method, the body’s temperature gradually increases.
• Hemodialysis machines, which are normally used in dialysis patients, use the method of circulating blood and returning it to the body. In this way, the blood is heated and the body temperature rises rapidly.
• Body temperature can be increased by giving the patient warm intravenous fluids. This method supports rapid recovery from hypothermia.
• Body temperature is increased through the air by administering hot oxygen through a mask or breathing tube. With this method, heat loss through breathing is prevented.
• Warm saline solution can be administered around the lungs or into the abdominal cavity via a catheter to warm the body.

Hypothermia Treatment in Babies

Since babies have less muscle mass than adults, they may experience a faster loss of body temperature. Therefore, babies are at high risk for hypothermia. In the development of hypothermia in babies; Bright red, cold skin and extreme slowness of movement are symptoms of hypothermia. When these symptoms occur, the first things to do are:

• Babies should be protected from hypothermia in winter by wearing slightly thicker clothes than adults.
• If the baby has signs of hypothermia, the baby should be taken to a warmer environment.
• They should be helped to warm up by covering them with a blanket.

If the baby’s hypothermia does not improve, medical treatment is sought as soon as possible. Medical treatment for hypothermia in infants includes:

• Body temperature can be increased by using radiant heaters that provide heating with a natural gas source.
• The baby is warmed up by using a warm bed or by keeping him in a warm room.
• Skin-to-skin contact with the mother is ensured.

While these procedures are being performed, the baby’s temperature is checked frequently. Additionally, the temperature of the equipment used and its room should be controlled during the period. During this period, the baby should continue to feed.

Hypothermia First Aid Methods

First aid is administered to the individual until medical treatment is provided. The first aid method applied at this stage must be correct and should not harm the person. These first aid guidelines are:

• The individual with hypothermia should be treated gently. Shaking movements should be avoided. The person should not be massaged.
• The person should be given hot drinks. If the individual is vomiting, the drink should be stopped.
• If the person’s place is cold, he/she should be removed from there and carefully moved to a warm and dry place. If the individual cannot be moved, it should be protected from cold and wind.
• If the person is wet, his/her clothes should be removed.
• If the person is in contact with a cold ground, his contact with the cold ground should be reduced as much as possible.
• Warm and dry compresses should be applied to the neck, chest wall and groin area by placing a hot water bottle, hot towel or warm water in a plastic bottle.
• Hot and dry compresses should never be applied to the arms and legs. This can lead to fatal consequences.
• A direct heat source should not be applied to the body. Equipment such as hot water and heating pads should not be used.

Be sure to take necessary precautions as soon as you realize that you are experiencing mild symptoms of hypothermia. If there is no improvement, be sure to consult a doctor. If someone around you is experiencing hypothermia, apply correct first aid until emergency medical attention is given.