Feeling cold in the body during the winter is normal, but when someone’s temperature is below 35 ° C it is considered hypothermia . In these types of situations, the body begins to fail, mainly those mechanisms that are responsible for preventing the body from losing more heat than it should. That is, it happens when the speed with which the body loses heat is greater than it can recover it, and this can be caused by being exposed for a long time to low temperatures or by not being protected against large changes in temperature from abrupt manner.
If low body temperature is not treated properly, it can put the person’s life at risk, so it is essential to know the symptoms of hypothermia, call an emergency doctor and act immediately while waiting for professional help . For this reason, in the following FastlyHealarticle, we detail how to raise a low body temperature so that you can help anyone who needs it.
Table of Contents
Contact emergency and identify symptoms
When the body loses heat faster than it can recover it, there is a risk of hypothermia, so it is important to know the symptoms of this disorder in order to call an ambulance and monitor the patient, thus avoiding the condition worsens as it may be life-threatening or permanently damaged.
If the patient is experiencing mild hypothermia , symptoms such as:
- Shaking chills
- Sickness
- Dizziness
- Rapid pulse and breathing
- Fatigue
- Difficulties speaking
- Problems coordinating movements normally.
In the case of more severe hypothermia , the symptoms described above may become more severe, shallow breathing begins, babbling, speaking with difficulty, the pulse becomes weak and the person may feel confused.
Observe the clothes you are wearing
If an unconscious person is nearby, who has lost a great deal of body heat and urgently needs attention, the clothing they are wearing should be observed, as it is vital to try to regain body heat.
If you are in trouble and wondering how to raise body temperature quickly, it is advisable that if the victim has wet or damp clothes, they change directly into clothes that are dry. If you cannot do this, it is essential to take the person to a covered place, remove their clothes and try to warm them with your body temperature.
Protect the victim
It is essential that the person who is having a low body temperature is protected from the cold , so it is important to take them to a place that is warm, add clothes and cover them with blankets. Also, if you are in a windy place, it is advisable to move the person with hypothermia to a sheltered place where the blizzard is less felt.
At the same time, it is important that the victim is not touching the ground if it is cold and first try to cover the neck and head, because these parts of the body are where the heat is lost the most.
Use warm compresses
One of the things that should never be done when a person is with a very low body temperature is to apply direct heat to their body, since it would reactivate the blood circulation without the blood having recovered the correct temperature and, when flowing through the different parts of the body, there would be heat loss, which could be more damaging and worsen the general clinical picture.
For this reason, what should be done is to apply warm compresses to the parts of the body that best maintain heat, that is, around the neck, on both parts of the back and in the armpits . It is essential that the temperature of the compresses is warm and not totally hot, in addition, you should not try to directly heat the victim by bringing them close to fire or heat lamps.
Offer drinks and meals
If the person with hypothermia is conscious and can ingest food or drinks without any kind of difficulty, it is recommended that they be offered sweet drinks at a warm temperature to encourage the body to overheat; however, it is important that the victim is not offered alcohol.
On the other hand, it is essential that the person suffering from hypothermia is never left alone, so someone must remain by their side constantly until the requested medical help arrives.
What should not be done to raise the body temperature?
If a person has a very low body temperature and is suffering from hypothermia, one should never:
- Give the victim for dead no matter how cold it is and no matter how much the pulse is not found, since it can be very weak due to its current state.
- Never rub the person’s body or any part of it.
- Do not use hot water, fire, electric blankets or any other device that can give direct heat to the victim.
- Do not make violent movements with the person.
- Do not allow alcoholic beverages to be ingested.
This article is merely informative, at FastlyHeal .com we do not have the power to prescribe medical treatments or make any type of diagnosis. We invite you to see a doctor in the case of presenting any type of condition or discomfort.
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I am a Surgeon with a diploma in comprehensive ultrasound and surgical care residency, an area I am specializing in. During the exercise of my profession, I have realized the need for patients to know the diseases they suffer, and I can tell you that a large part of their complications is due to a lack of information. Being a health web writer allows me to transmit my experience, without borders, to all those readers eager for knowledge, educate them in the prevention of diseases and promote a healthy lifestyle.