Tips for Preventing Hypothermia in Winter

● Hypothermia

(1) What is hypothermia? Hypothermia occurs when the human body is exposed to cold and loses heat faster than it can produce heat, causing body temperature to drop below the normal range. If the body is exposed to cold for a long time and body temperature falls below 35˚C, it may be an emergency, so you should go to a hospital immediately. It is a representative winter illness. Even if body temperature drops by only 0.5˚C, muscle tension and shivering begin, and if body temperature falls too much, brain function is affected, leading to reduced consciousness, impaired judgment, and slurred speech. At this point, if people around the person do not recognize the condition and take proper warming measures, the person can eventually become endangered.

● Actions that make hypothermia worse

(1) Drinking alcohol in cold weather Drinking warm water or sweet beverages helps maintain body temperature. Alcohol and caffeinated drinks can cause body heat to be lost rapidly, so they should not be consumed.

(2) Doing strenuous exercise that causes sweating in cold weather As sweat evaporates into the air, it takes heat away from the body. When you are sweating, body temperature decreases 240 times faster than when you are not sweating.

● Tips for preventing hypothermia

First, keeping warm is important, so wear several layers. In particular, children and the elderly should always wear a hat and scarf. If you feel chills, wear a scarf and hat, and cross your elbows to cover your armpits so that your body does not lose any more heat. The armpits, head, and neck are where large blood vessels run closest to the heart, so heat escapes most quickly from these areas, making warmth especially important. If possible, take off wet clothes and dry them, change into dry clothes, and use towels or similar items to bring skin into contact with warmth so that the body’s core areas (chest, head, neck, etc.) stay as warm as possible. If necessary, call 119 for help and move immediately to a warm place or go to a hospital.

When hiking in winter, wear a shirt that wicks away sweat well (quick-drying) and a cold-weather outer layer. Prepare extra clothes to change into, warm drinks, and high-calorie snacks such as chocolate to stay safe on the hike.

• Cotton pants or jeans absorb sweat well but do not release it well, so they remain wet and are not suitable for hiking clothing.
• On the way up, you should avoid drinking alcohol or beverages high in caffeine. To prepare for health problems caused by winter cold, receiving first aid and CPR training can be very helpful. Knowing how to respond is very important for protecting your own health and that of others.

● High-risk groups for hypothermia

① Elderly people who do not have proper food, clothing, or heating facilities ② Infants and children ③ People with cardiovascular or cerebrovascular disease, and people with high blood pressure ④ People who are homeless, or who spend long periods outdoors in the cold, such as during mountaineering or hiking ⑤ People who have consumed alcohol or drugs

So far, we have explained tips for preventing hypothermia in winter. In the next installment, we will look at tips for preventing frostbite and chilblains in winter.

Source: Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Health Information Portal