Common Cold-Induced Problems
Hypothermia
Hypothermia means "low-heat," which is a potentially serious health condition. This occurs when body heat is lost faster than it can be replaced.
When the core body temperature drops below the normal 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit to around 95 degrees Fahrenheit, you will see the following symptoms:
- uncontrollable shivering
- slow speech
- memory lapses
- frequent stumbling
- drowsiness
- exhaustion
Treatment
If you are not able to get medical help right away, try to warm the person up. The CDC also recommends you do the following:
- Get the person into a warm room or shelter.
- Remove any wet clothing the person is wearing.
- Warm the center of the person’s body—chest, neck, head, and groin—using an electric blanket, if available. You can also use skin-to-skin contact under loose, dry layers of blankets, clothing, towels, or sheets.
- Warm drinks can help increase body temperature, but do not give alcoholic drinks. Do not try to give beverages to an unconscious person.
- After body temperature has increased, keep the person dry and wrap their body, including their head and neck, in a warm blanket.
- Get the person proper medical attention as soon as possible.
- A person with severe hypothermia may be unconscious and may not seem to have a pulse or to be breathing. In this case, handle the person gently, and get emergency assistance immediately.
Perform CPR, even if the person appears dead. CPR should continue until the person responds or medical aid becomes available. Keep warming the person while performing CPR. In some cases, hypothermia victims who appear to be dead can be successfully resuscitated.
An employee and co-worker were securing a large tug boat that broke loose during a storm and was drifting towards waterfront homes. The two employees off-boarded the work boat and boarded the tug boat.
At some point, the work boat became detached from the tug boat and drifted away. One of the employees dove into the frigid water to catch the work boat. However, he could not reach it and re-boarded the tug boat. He found another smaller vessel on board the tug boat and boarded it. He was going to float out to get the work boat.
The small boat capsized and the employee was hanging onto the boat, waiting for rescue workers. The rescue took about 45 minutes. He was transferred to a hospital and later died from complications related to hypothermia.
Knowledge Check Choose the best answer for the question.
2-3. When do the symptoms of hypothermia begin to appear?
You forgot to answer the question!