Having just returned from a ski holiday I thought I would write briefly about hypothermia as a friend of mine suffered from mild symptoms whilst we were away. I believe it was due to the very low temperatures (as low as -18°C) and the extremely strong winds on the mountain but primarily due to the fact that he was not wearing sufficiently warm clothing as although slightly cold, the rest of the skiing party were unaffected.
Hypothermia can be defined as "a medical emergency that occurs when your body loses heat faster than it can reproduce heat, causing a dangerously low body temperature anywhere below 35°C." As the core temperature drops the body will divert warm blood into the core of the body allowing the extremities to become even colder.
Mild symptoms include shivering, numbness, tingling, blue extremities and blotchy skin. Whilst severe symptoms include decreased coordination (core temperatures below 33.5°C), muscle rigidity, slow breathing, and slow or irregular pulse. This can soon progress to dilated and fixed pupils, absent reflexes, and cardiac arrest and finally death below 25°C.
The basic "treatment" I gave to my friend was to lie him down, dry him and dress him in warm clothing whilst covering him with warm blankets and simply keeping an eye on him. He complained of being very tired and proceeded to sleep for over 16 hours however the next day his colour had returned and he was back to normal.
I also read this very interesting article on my return about a Swedish man named Peter Skyllberg who managed to survive trapped in his car in sub-zero temperatures for two months! There are various theories on how he managed to survive but take a look for yourself!
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