(Cleveland) - When temperatures take a dive into the single digits, hypothermia can become a real health threat. Tom Waters, M.D., an emergency department physician at Cleveland Clinic, says frigid temperatures can escalate into a dangerous situation quickly if we’re not prepared for the cold. One of the biggest threats to our health in bitter temps is hypothermia.
“When someone starts to become hypothermic they begin shivering; they may be stomping their feet and moving around a lot,” said Dr. Waters. “That’s usually followed by a slowing phase - when they start to get lethargic, maybe have slurred speech; they can even start to have a little trouble walking.”
Dr. Waters said the amount of time that it takes to become hypothermic depends on the temperature, as well the duration of time spent outside, and whether the person is wet or dry.
“The ambient temperature is important, but also the condition of the person,” he said. “If they’re wet, they can get colder much quicker. Water conducts heat much faster than air, so if somebody has fallen in the water, or they’re wet or sweaty because they’re working, they can get cold much, much quicker.”
Dr. Waters said it’s important to remember that a person doesn’t necessarily have to be outdoors to suffer hypothermia, as it can happen if the temperature gets cold enough inside of a home.
He said infants and the elderly, as well as those with chronic illness are most susceptible to suffering hypothermia.
If a person begins to show signs of hypothermia, he said they need to be taken to a warm area and seek medical attention right away.
(Photos by Ken Robinson/WTAM)
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