How to Survive Hypothermia: A Step-by-Step Guide to Staying Alive in the Cold
One of nature’s most dangerous threats is hypothermia, and it usually occurs when we least expect it. You might be on a snowy hike, in a rain-soaked downpour, or in any other situation where you find yourself wet and cold. In these conditions, your body’s core temperature can drop much more rapidly than usual. Knowing how to recognize and treat this condition along with some important tips for preventing it in the first place could save your life and that of anyone you’re with. Here are the basics, as illustrated in the following infographic and in testimony from survival experts.
Hypothermia is what occurs when your body loses heat faster than it can produce it, causing your core body temperature to drop. Although the usual adult body temperature is around 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit, a person with hypothermia will have a body temperature of 95 degrees Fahrenheit, or lower. The condition is life-threatening but is also very easy to prevent.
When your body loses heat faster than it can generate it, you can find yourself in a condition called hypothermia. This heat loss can occur at temperatures much higher than most people think. In fact, it can happen at a warm 40°F (4°C) in the wet, windy conditions some parts of the country are experiencing right now. At 95°F (35°C), which is not considered dangerously cold, your body’s many intricate functions really start to slow down. If it drops much lower than this, you’re really tempting fate because this is hypothermia’s dividing line between the somewhat safe and the life-threatening.
Hypothermia Diagnosis
Effective treatment of hypothermia starts with early recognition of symptoms. The most critical ones to identify are: The core temperature has dropped to 95°F or below: A thermometer can help, but it’s not necessary if you can see the signs. The “Umbles”: If your buddies are stumbling, mumbling, or grumbling, their motor skills and brain functions are in trouble. Shivering: Always an important early sign, shivering is the poor body’s way of attempting to generate enough heat to stay intact. In severe hypothermia, though, shivering may stop, or stop being a reliable sign that something is very amiss. Paradoxical Warmth: You wouldn’t think that alcohol could play a part in this gross bodily malfunction, but it can, big time: by creating a dangerous false sense of warmth that can lead to poor judgment and actions like leaving the warmth of a shelter.
Addressing Hypothermia
If you or someone you’re with is starting to show the signs of hypothermia, it is essential to act quickly to prevent further heat loss and stabilize the person’s condition. Here are the steps you should follow:
Shelter and Insulation: Get the person into a dry, sheltered area such as a cave or an improvised tent that is out of the wind. Then, pack any loose gear you have into the sleeping bag with the person to reduce the air gap within the bag. The better the fit, the more effectively the bag does its job. After that, you can layer on some insulation. If you don’t have any natural insulation at hand (such as dry leaves, ferns, or the like), you can use more improvised insulating materials. For instance, crumpling up newspapers and layering them around the person you are trying to keep warm will work wonders, especially if you layer those in close to the body.
Deadly Consequences and Hazards
Don’t take hypothermia lightly. In the U.S. alone, 647 people, on average, die from it every year. What causes those deaths? Well, for one thing, they may be associated with what’s known as “paradoxical undressing.” In 20 to 50 percent of hypothermia fatalities, the individuals involved remove their clothes. “Poor cognitive function and inability to understand or remember how dangerous the current situation is” are thought to be the reasons people might do this, says Dr. Duffy. “Of course, if you’re going to undress, you’re not going to survive.”
Conditions that lead to the development of hypothermia should be avoided. This means that all preventative measures ought to be taken. To obtain a successful outcome such as the thwarting of hypothermia, it is essential to avoid those conditions that lead to it.
Treatment is not nearly as good as prevention, and in cold weather, as in all situations, an ounce of prevention equals a pound of cure. To preclude the possibility of cold-induced injuries, follow this set of essential precautions when you know you’ll be in cold environments: When dressing, think insulation and moisture management. Wool, down, or similar tightly packed and layered clothing is best; never use a sweat-inducing insulating fabric next to the skin. All outerwear must be waterproof; semipermeable materials are not good enough. And whatever way you slice it, alcohol’s not your friend in the cold; it looks like fun, but it speeds heat loss.
Grasping the nature of paradoxical undressing
A most confounding occurrence in cases of hypothermia is what is known as “paradoxical undressing.” This is when a victim feels so warm that they begin taking off what little clothing they have left. This happens because the hypothermic individual’s blood vessels are as wide open as they can be. The individual feels warm, but they are in a severe state of hypothermia. Most hypothermic people don’t have the blood flowing to their extremities that they’re supposed to, and this is the body’s failed attempt at “rescuing” the cells that are too cold. Recognizing this behavior is vital because it is a sure sign that someone is paused on the edge of a cliff and hasn’t quite realized yet that they’re about to fall.
Wrapping it all Together
Hypothermia can kill, and it can do so quietly. People often aren’t aware of the danger they’re in until it’s too late. We have to strive to live in a way that gives us the best chance of making it through to the next day. The infographic is life itself, drawing a picture of not only the nature of hypothermia and what it can do to us but also the why, how, and when of our bodies responding to the element of surprise. It’s colder here; it’s colder there. When it’s colder anywhere than we’re expecting, our very survival is at stake. So, what do we do to ensure that we survive? We arm ourselves with knowledge. We prepare. We overcome complacency. And then we make the right calls in the right moments. And just like that, we live.
