With the advance of autumn, the drops in temperatures arrive and we put on our sweaters, sweatshirts and jackets again. Consequently, our body temperature drops, but what happens when the body loses heat faster than it produces it?
This condition is what is officially known as hypothermia, a serious decrease in body temperature that occurs when it falls below 35 ° C, when the normal average temperature is 37 ° C , according to specialists from the Mayo Clinic.
What are the warning signs of hypothermia?
Hypothermia is caused by prolonged exposure to cold weather or immersion in cold water and the first warning sign, which is an automatic defense barrier for our body , is chills.
A mother takes her son’s temperature with a thermometer.
The moment the body temperature drops more than it should, our body will begin to tremble, something very characteristic during the autumn and winter months. Likewise, other symptoms of hypothermia , which are already more serious and require urgent medical assistance, are:
Skin redness and brightness (especially in babies).
Babbling when speaking
Breathing slower than normal.
Weak pulsations.
Lack of coordination.
Lack of energy.
Soft spot.
Confusion.
Drowsiness.
Loss of consciousness
What are its complications?
In fact, when the body temperature is too low it can affect the brain and ” make the victim unable to think clearly or move normally. This makes hypothermia especially dangerous, since the person may not know what is happening and will not be able to take any action “, warn from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, for its acronym in English).
Hypothermia can also lead to more serious health complications, such as freezing of body tissues and even death from interrupted blood flow.
Clinically, a person is considered to be hypothermic when their body temperature is below 35 ° C, generally.
