 Chilled to the Core! Hypothermia is the chilling of the inner core of the body. It is caused by exposure to cold, and it starts a process of mental and physical collapse as the body starts shutting down systems to protect the more important brain and internal organs. At about 30°C / 86°F, a Hypothermia victim will stop shivering and become unconscious. At about 28°C / 82°F the victim's breathing and heart stops. A person usually cannot be revived after such extreme cooling. Warnings signs of Hypothermia: uncontrollable shivering, memory loss, confusion, incoherence, slurred speech, drowsiness, and apparent exhaustion. If you notice these signs, take the victim's temperature - if it has dropped from the normal 37°C / 98.6°F to below 95°F / 35°C, get medical help and start warming the body slowly. Warm the body core first - NOT the extremities (Picture Left: head, hands, feet). If you warm the extremities first, the cold blood is driven toward the heart (Picture Right) and that can lead to heart failure.
Click pictures for more information and credits. Library: Health & Safety, Arctic Links: Cold Places, Arctic Arctic Maps & Weather Reports |
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DICTIONARY: Just "double-click" any unlinked word on this page for the definition from Merriam-Webster's Student Electronic Dictionary at Word Central. |
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ARCTIC LIBRARY & GLOSSARY: Check this section for an index of the rest of the things you really need to know about the Arctic. |
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ARCTIC MAPS & WEATHER REPORTS: Maps of the Northwest Passage, explorers' routes, iceberg sources, Nunavut, the Arctic by treeline, temperature... |
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ARCTIC LINKS: Even more information! Links to sites related to the Arctic and "Iceberg: the Story of the Throps and the Squallhoots". |
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GUIDE TO ARCTIC SUNRISE & SUNSET: How much sunlight or darkness is there in the Arctic on each day of the year? |
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