HYPOTHERMIA Dr Mind, Dr Body, Dr Eye 2016 What is hypothermia? Hypothermia is defined as a body core temperature less than 35 C. Decreased consciousness occurs when the core temperature falls to approximately 32 to 30 C. Normal body temperature is 37.2 C Who is at risk for developing hypothermia? WE ALL ARE!!! BUT particularly…. people under 16 and over 65 alcohol use: alcohol makes you feel warm inside, but causes blood vessels to dilate, causing increased heat loss, and can upset thermoregulation medical illnesses that affect sensation in extremities eg feet and medications dehydration and jetlag Swimming in cold water In cold water, heat is conducted away from the body and transferred to the water. Heat is lost very quickly, 25 to 30 times faster in water than air. Swimming ie activity further increases heat loss (increase by 35-50%) How long can a person survive in cold water? Water temp // Exhaustion // Survival 4C-10C // 30 to 60 min // 1