Hypothermia
HypothermiaHypothermia
In this essay I am going to explain what hypothermia is. How can one be exposed to get hypothermia and who are the people who are most likely to get it when exposed to the cold. I am also going to discuss How to prevent hypothermia or death when caught in cold water. What the symptoms and consequences of it are and their treatments. How it can be used for medicinal purposes.
Hypothermia is a condition in which body temperature falls drastically as a result of the exposure to the cold. The average temperature of the human body is 37 degrees Celsius. If the body temperature drops a few degrees above or below the person is at serious risk, if it drops below it is called hypothermia. It can occur rapidly, during cold water immersion with the temperature of the water at around 10 degrees Celsius and below. It depends on how long the person is immersed. Safety experts estimate that half of all drowning victims actually die from the fatal effects of cold water, or hypothermia, and not from water filled lungs.
A person can be exposed to hypothermia when they are in cold weather and improperly dressed or submerged in cool water for a long period of time. There are even reported cases of elderly people dying of hypothermia in their homes do to the non-efficient heating system. Over 50% of hypothermia deaths in Manitoba, Alberta, and British Columbia are related to alcohol and drug intoxication.(Seluge,1) Hypothermia can also occur when a person has illnesses or health problems such as heart circulatory, or thyroid diseases; diabetes, arthritis, and other conditions that prohibit mobility. Having these conditions can interfere with the body's ability to fight the cold. When a person is fatigue or in poor physical condition, or drinking alcohol, wearing inadequate clothing, or taking combinations of medications it may also lead to hypothermia in cool or cold weather. Drinking alcohol may lower the body's temperature and dull the awareness of the cold. Taking a combination of some medications can actually lower the body's resistance to the cold. Infants and the elderly are most vulnerable to hypothermia for they have less body mass. It is a proven fact that large people cool slower than small people therefore children cool faster than adults.
To prevent hypothermia one should dress warmly in cold weather, find out if the medications one is taking will may make them more vulnerable to the cold, eat nutritious well-balanced meals, and exercise daily. If a person is immersed in cold water their survival depends on many factors. They are the temperature of the water, body size, and the activity they do in the water. If a person remains still they will cool 35% slower than a person treading or swimming.(Seluge,1) They should wear a life...
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