Out in the Cold? Avoiding Hypothermia

More: Page 1 | Page 2 |

The simple way to avoid hypothermia is a) dress warmly and b) stay out of the cold.

But things don't always work out and there may come a time when a) you don't dress warmly enough and b) you're so cold you can't remember your name.

DAZED AND CONFUSED

No, really. When your body temperature drops below 95 degrees F, you're hypothermic and one of the symptoms is that you're dazed and confused, not to mention shivering violently. You also get pale, and your lips, ears, fingers and toes turn blue.

Then things could get really serious. If your temperature should drop as low as 90 degrees F, your organs begin to fail and without immediate medical attention, you'll likely die.

FORGET THE WHISKEY

Luckily, there are things you can do to reduce your chance of freezing to death. If you think you could be caught outside in very cold temperatures, dress in layers, preferably wool or other fabrics that can dry quickly. Keep your head covered. Drink plenty of warm fluids, but not alcohol or any caffeinated liquid, both of which hinder the body's heat-producing mechanisms. So forget about that shot of whiskey getting you through the cold night.

Also, do whatever you can to stay dry. Obviously, you're not going to go around flopping into streams when it's freezing outside. But if you should get wet, keep in mind that wet clothing can lose up to 90 percent of its insulating effect, so your risk of hypothermia could rise dramatically.
Read More >>