"Hypo" means low. "Thermia" has to do with temperature. So hypothermia is dangerously low body temperature, usually below 95° F (35° C). You get hypothermia when you're in a cold place for a long time Hypothermia is more likely if it's windy, you're in cold water or wet, or you can't move around to keep warm At first, hypothermia makes you shiver As hypothermia gets worse, you become confused and lose awareness People may die if their body temperature gets below 88° F (about 28° C) Babies and older people are at the greatest risk of hypothermia See a doctor right away if you think you have hypothermia.

Quick Facts: Hypothermia - Merck Manuals Consumer Version

Brought to you by

What is hypothermia?

What causes hypothermia?

What are the symptoms of hypothermia?

How can doctors tell if I have hypothermia?

How do doctors treat hypothermia?

How can I prevent hypothermia?

Cold Injuries

Frostbite

Hypothermia

Nonfreezing Tissue Injuries

Polymositis is characterized by inflammation and degeneration of the muscles. Dermatomyositis is polymositis accompanied by skin inflammation. In which of the following age groups do these disorders typically occur?

Adults ages 40 to 60 years, and children ages 5 to 15 years
Children of all ages, and young adults ages 20 to 29 years
Infants and young children ages 2 to 10 years
Young children ages 2 to 10 years, and adolescents ages 12 to 19 years

Loading

Quick Facts

By

The Manual's Editorial Staff

Last full review/revision Mar 2019

Click here for the Professional Version

Get the full details

NOTE: This is the Consumer Version. DOCTORS: Click here for the Professional Version

Click here for the Professional Version

"Hypo" means low. "Thermia" has to do with temperature. So hypothermia is dangerously low body temperature, usually below 95° F (35° C).

You get hypothermia when you're in a cold place for a long time
Hypothermia is more likely if it's windy, you're in cold water or wet, or you can't move around to keep warm
At first, hypothermia makes you shiver
As hypothermia gets worse, you become confused and lose awareness
People may die if their body temperature gets below 88° F (about 28° C)
Babies and older people are at the greatest risk of hypothermia

See a doctor right away if you think you have hypothermia.

Hypothermia is caused by being in a cold place and not being able to warm your body.

You have a higher risk of getting hypothermia if you’re in a cold place and you:

Don't move your body (for example, you're injured or passed out from drinking alcohol)
Have certain health problems, such as infection, poor blood circulation, or hypothyroidism
Are very old or very young

It doesn't have to be really cold. You can get hypothermia even when it's only as cold as 55 or 60° F (about 13 to 16° C).

At first you shiver a lot and your teeth chatter.

As hypothermia gets worse, you may also:

Become slow and clumsy
Be confused and respond slowly
Have slow reactions
Lose good judgment
Fall, lie down to rest, or wander
Stop shivering and slip into a coma

Eventually, your heart stops (cardiac arrest) and you die. However, you need less oxygen when you're really hypothermic. So some hypothermic people, particularly children, can live after being in cardiac arrest for up to an hour.

Doctors tell you have hypothermia by checking your temperature. If your temperature is less than 95° F (35° C), you have hypothermia.

Anyone who's hypothermic should:

Take off wet clothes and dry off
Put on plenty of warm, dry clothes and a hat and cover up with a warm blanket
Drink something warm

If you're awake and just cold and shivering, this will warm you up eventually. If you seem confused or sluggish, someone should take you to a hospital. Doctors may have to do special warming treatments.

In a hospital, doctors may warm your body with the following:

Give you warm oxygen to breathe
Pump warm fluids into your veins through an IV or into your belly through a tube
Sometimes, warm your blood through a machine that pumps your blood out of your body, warms it, and pumps it back in

Don't give CPR to someone with hypothermia, because it could damage the person's heart. Just call 911 so the person can be brought to the hospital right away.

You can prevent hypothermia in cold places by

Wearing a hat
Staying dry
Having layers of clothes that you take off or put on to keep warm but not get sweaty and wet

Older people get hypothermia more easily, so they should:

Keep their home at least 68° F (20° C), especially in the bedroom
Wear several layers of clothing, and make sure to cover their head, fingers, and toes in cold weather
Wear clothes made of wool and other insulated materials
Eat warm foods and drink warm fluids (but not alcohol) when they're in cold places
Walk around when they feel cold, to help warm the body

If you can’t afford to keep your home warm enough, look for fuel assistance programs in your area to get help with these costs.

NOTE: This is the Consumer Version. DOCTORS: Click here for the Professional Version

Click here for the Professional Version

Frostbite

Was This Page Helpful?

Nonfreezing Tissue Injuries

Hypothermia

Overview of Cold Injuries

Drowning

Spinal Column and Spinal Cord

Merck and the Merck Manuals

Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ, USA is a global healthcare leader working to help the world be well. From developing new therapies that treat and prevent disease to helping people in need, we are committed to improving health and well-being around the world. The Merck Manual was first published in 1899 as a service to the community. The legacy of this great resource continues as the Merck Manual in the US and Canada and the MSD Manual in the remainder of the world. Learn more about our commitment to Global Medical Knowledge.

This site complies with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information:
verify here.

TOP