Temperatures Drop, Risk of Hypothermia Goes Up
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JACKSON, Tenn.- Hypothermia seems like a condition you can only suffer from if you are stuck out in a blizzard, but a local nurse practitioner said that is a misconception. “Every year we do have some hypothermia that comes in. It’s not a huge amount, but we do have some,” said Andrea Hay, a nurse practitioner at Regional Hospital of Jackson. Hay said although it does not happen that often, every time you step outside in freezing temperatures, you put yourself at risk. “You should make sure you wrap up. Your skin is where you lose heat, so cover all of that. Cover your head, wear coats, and cover your mouth to keep air going into your lungs.” She says the first signs of hypothermia are lowered heart rate, confusion, dizziness, and shivering. “Shivering is a good thing with hypothermia. When you get to the point where you don’t shiver anymore, that’s when it becomes more severe,” Hay said. She also said the best way to protect yourself is to bundle up and monitor your body temperature. “Hypothermia starts at 95 degrees. When it gets into the 80’s that is when it becomes severe.” Hay said children, the elderly and people who work outside are more at risk. She said there is no limit on how long you should stay out in the freezing temperatures, but to make sure you think about your size and how well you are covered before you stay outside for long periods of time. When people crank their heat up to decrease chances of hypothermia, they are then at risk of carbon monoxide poisoning too. According to the CDC, there are about 1,000 hypothermia-related deaths in the US each year.
