Hypothermia - what is it? Subcooling the body. Body temperature

Elevated temperature is the first signal about the development of the disease. This is a well-known fact. But sometimes its decrease can be observed - hypothermia. What does this state indicate? What is the danger? And in general, hypothermia - what is it?

a brief description of

Let's understand what is hidden under such a mysterious term - hypothermia. What is it and what is it manifested in?

The condition of a person, under which acute hypothermia of the body is observed , was called "hypothermia". At the same time, the body temperature goes down so that the normal functioning of the organs is very difficult. As a result, failures occur in different systems, which can even lead to death, if no timely action is taken.

In a normal state, the human body constantly maintains a normal temperature. But if cold starts to affect him from outside, then internal mechanisms can not compensate for the loss of heat. The temperature begins to decrease. Hypothermia occurs. What it is and how dangerous it is, read on.

Causes of the condition

A person is arranged in such a way that in cold conditions (if the ambient temperature is below 36.6 degrees C), the body begins to produce heat. It quickly melts in space. And the body, if it is, of course, not protected by warm clothing, continues to produce.

As a result, there comes a time when a person gives more heat than he produces. Because of this imbalance, hypothermia begins to develop. The body gradually cools. A reduced temperature leads to failure and stoppage in the work of important organs. It is very important that hypothermia be stopped on time.

The causes of this condition:

• Prolonged exposure to cold, moisture, wind;
• Incorrectly selected clothes;
• Getting a person into cold water;
• Poor nutrition;
• Physical exhaustion;
• Illness, trauma, reducing mobility;
• Lack of sleep;
• dehydration;
• alcohol consumption.

In this case, most often with a similar situation, small children and elderly people come across.

Symptoms of a condition

It should be known that a person develops a thermoregulation disorder very quickly . Symptoms of hypothermia can occur within 1-2 hours from the onset of adverse events. After another 1-2 hours there will be serious disruptions in the body. And after 2-6 hours the body can not stand it. Death will come.

Therefore, it is very important to carefully and most responsibly treat a person who has a violation of thermoregulation.

Symptoms that indicate the initial stage of body cooling:

• Body trembling;
• Pale or gray-blue cold skin surface;
• apathy;
• Some instability on the legs, a change in gait;
• Disturbed thinking;
• Slurred speech;
• Hands and fingers with difficulty do the work, and sometimes can not cope with it.

Later, new signs are added to these signs, which signal that the person has received severe hypothermia:

• Cold body to the touch;
• Slow pulse;
• Hard muscles;
• Slowing of breathing;
• Confusion;
• Weakness, drowsiness;
• Loss of consciousness ;
• When the temperature drops below 32 degrees, trembling disappears in the body.

Stages of pathology

Depending on the condition of the patient and the processes occurring in his body, the following stages of hypothermia are distinguished:

1. Early. The first sign of hypothermia is a shiver. There is a cold snap of the extremities, blue lips. A person experiences pain from cold. There may be confusion - lack of response to directions, questions, reaction slows down. Some people may exhibit sharp transitions from excitement to apathy.
2. Average. Body temperature drops to 35-30 degrees. At this stage, shaking may stop. This is a very dangerous symptom. A person suffers weakness, numbness. Observed disturbed behavior, anxiety, loss of consciousness. Such people are not able to help themselves, sometimes there is delirium.
3. Heavy. This is a critical stage. With it, the temperature drops to 30-28 degrees. The person loses consciousness. Sometimes he has involuntary movements of the limbs - convulsions, muscles are tense, his eyes may occasionally open. The pulse hardly probes, and only on large arteries (20-50 beats / min). Very weak breathing. 4-10 breaths per minute can be done. Skin covers acquire a green-blue color. Pupils do not respond to light as a result of brain hypoxia. In such situations, there is often a shock and clinical death.

Pathology in children

The child may suffer from fever for a variety of reasons. Initially, it should be said that hypothermia for newborns and premature infants is not a pathology. This is the physiological norm, since thermoregulation in such crumbs is not yet fully developed. The baby is just beginning to adjust to the world around him. In all other cases, hypothermia in children indicates certain problems in the body.

The causes of this pathology can be hidden:

• In reduced immunity;
• Prolonged illness;
• Exacerbation of chronic ailments;
• Diseases of the adrenal glands, thyroid gland;
• Anemia;
• Colds;
• Deficiency of vitamins (as a rule, C);
• Strong intoxication of the body;
• Oncological diseases.

In addition, hypothermia can provoke:

• Insufficiently warm clothes during cold;
• Falling of the kid in water;
• Walking crumbs in wet or damp clothes in the cold season;
• Prolonged bathing in the water, even in summer.

Parents should pay attention to the behavior of the baby. If he sharply became apathetic, languid, does not want to play, lost his appetite, that is, it makes sense to measure the temperature.

In the case of hypothermia, be sure to eliminate sources that triggered hypothermia. Wrap the child in a blanket, let him drink a warm drink. To keep the baby warmer, hold him to him. The heat of your body will help much faster than a blanket.

First aid

It is important that there is a person with the victim who knows perfectly well if hypothermia has occurred, what it is and how to act. After all, often the life of a patient depends on the correct actions, rendered in a timely manner.

At an easy stage it is necessary to conduct the following complex of measures:

1. The victim is taken to a warm place. If the clothes are wet, then you should definitely get rid of it. However, stripping a person, it is necessary to dress him immediately, so as not to provoke an additional loss of heat.
2. It is recommended to wrap the sufferer in warm blankets. You can use the warmers.
3. It should be known that under such conditions, a person should be warmed not only from the outside, but also from the inside. So be sure to give a warm drink. However, remember: to drink alcohol when hypothermia is strictly prohibited!

As a rule, after such measures, an easy degree passes without a trace. But the patient should definitely show the doctor.

Help with a severe degree

If there is enough severe hypothermia, treatment should be done by experienced medics.

First aid includes:

• An ambulance call;
• Warming the patient with blankets, warmers, bottles of water (no higher than 41 degrees)
• A warm drink if the patient is conscious;
• Resuscitative measures in case of cardiac arrest.

It is forbidden:

• Rubbing limbs, this will provoke a shock;
• Put the victim in a hot bath, such measures can cause heart failure.

Artificial hypothermia

However, sometimes such a state can be useful. For example, local hypothermia is widely used in medicine. This is a condition in which individual organs or parts of the body are cooled. In them metabolic processes decrease, their need for oxygen decreases. Such hypothermia has found wide use in surgery. It is used for surgical interventions on the organs of the peritoneum. Used before surgery for injuries of the foot, hand; With the removal of cataracts, glaucoma. Local hypothermia is resorted to in restorative surgery on the limbs, varicose veins.