The human body is able to endure a lot, but there are limits, the passage of which can lead to tragic consequences. A factor such as low air temperature is capable of provoking a violation of vital activity. When a person is exposed to cold for a long time, hypothermia can occur. In this case, the body temperature drops to critical levels, the work of all systems and organs is disrupted.
Reasons
General hypothermia is more common in physically exhausted, involuntary immobilized people, young children, the elderly and those who are unconscious. The situation can be aggravated by injuries, strong winds, damp clothes, drug or alcohol intoxication, high humidity, and overwork. Hypothermia of the body can be caused even by swimming in a cool pond. However, its extent and consequences will depend on howit was a long stay in the water.
Signs
Recognizing the symptoms of hypothermia is not so difficult. At first, a person feels a surge of strength, excessive excitement, but at the same time, his skin turns pale, there is a cyanosis of the nasolabial triangle. Then shortness of breath begins, the pulse quickens, a strong chill appears. If no therapeutic action is taken at this moment, the symptoms will progress: arousal will be replaced by apathy, lethargy, lethargy. The person will not be able to move, become weak, feel sleepy. Often people lose consciousness in such a situation. If hypothermia is ignored, the consequences can be dire. Failure to provide assistance leads to the cessation of respiratory and cardiac activity, as a result of which the person dies.
Frostbite and hypothermia. Degrees
There are three degrees of hypothermia:
Easy. Body temperature drops to 32-34 degrees. The patient feels chills, speaks with difficulty because of the trembling of the lips and lower jaw. He has a bluish tint of the nasolabial triangle, pale skin color, the body is covered with goosebumps. The pressure remains within normal limits, in some cases it rises slightly. A person can move independently. Frostbite of the first or second degree may occur
- Average. Body temperature drops to 29-32 degrees. The integuments of the skin become cold to the touch, acquire a bluish tint. The patient experiences drowsinessand apathy, what is happening becomes indifferent to him. Hypothermia of the body at this stage is characterized by a state of "numbness": a person does not respond to speech addressed to him, external stimuli. The pressure decreases slightly, breathing becomes more rare, the pulse slows down. The ability to move independently is lost. Foci of frostbite can be up to the 4th degree. If you do not help the patient, various complications may develop, and in some cases death may occur from hypothermia.
- Heavy. The body temperature drops below 31 degrees, the pulse slows down to 30-35 beats, the person loses consciousness. Mucous membranes and integuments of the skin acquire a pronounced cyanotic hue, hands, feet, face swell. A person has convulsions, the state goes into a coma. The pressure drops very sharply, and breathing becomes extremely rare. This stage of hypothermia is characterized by severe frostbite. The patient needs emergency help, otherwise death cannot be avoided.
How many degrees of frostbite
There are four of them:
1st degree. First, a person feels a tingling, burning sensation, then the affected area becomes numb. There is itching of the skin, pain (such symptoms can be both mild and pronounced). The affected area turns pale, after warming it turns red, may have a purple-red tint. Edema develops, but tissue necrosis does not occur. A week after the incident, peeling of the skin can be observed, as a rule, insignificant. By the fifth or seventh day comes completerecovery
- 2nd degree. The patient in the initial period may observe a cold snap, blanching of the skin, loss of sensitivity, however, such signs occur with frostbite of any degree. A symptom characteristic of this stage is the appearance in the first days after the incident of blisters filled with a clear liquid. Restoration of the integrity of the skin covers occurs in one to two weeks, scars and granulations are not formed. At this stage of frostbite, the pain after warming is longer and more intense than at the previous one, the person is worried about itching, burning.
- 3rd degree. Blisters form on the skin, as in the previous case, but they are filled with bloody contents, have a blue-purple bottom, immune to irritation. All elements of the skin die, scars and granulations develop. With frostbite of the feet or hands, the nails come off, they no longer grow back, and if they grow back, then they are deformed. In the second or third week after the incident, the rejection of dead tissues ends and scarring occurs. It continues for about one month. Pain is more pronounced than in the previous stage of frostbite.
4th degree. All layers of soft tissues become dead, joints and bones can be affected. The frostbitten area of the skin becomes bright cyanotic, in some cases it may have a marble color. After warming, edema immediately develops, it rapidly increases. Bubbles in itcase are not formed, they are characteristic of areas with a lower degree of frostbite. The temperature of the skin in the affected area is much lower than in the surrounding areas
First aid for hypothermia
The main thing that needs to be done is to stop the effect of cold on the human body. To do this, it should be brought or brought into a warm room. If this is not possible, it is necessary to put the patient in a place protected from precipitation and wind. Immediately you need to get rid of wet clothes, and then wrap the victim in a dry blanket or put on dry underwear. If a person is conscious, you should give him hot tea, water, juice or milk to drink.
With water
Hypocooling of the body can be eliminated by placing the patient in a warm bath, the water temperature should be gradually increased, but not more than 40 degrees. At the end of the water procedures, the victim should be laid in a warm bed and overlaid with heating pads. If not available, hot water bottles can be used.
What to do in critical cases
In the event that a person is unconscious, it is necessary to control his pulse and breathing. If they are absent, you should immediately start artificial respiration and chest compressions. When first aid for hypothermia is provided, the person should be taken to the hospital, even if his condition is satisfactory at first glance and does not cause concern. Only a doctor can identify some complications.
First aid forfrostbite
Frostbite is inseparable from hypothermia, so the initial help is to warm the victim and restore blood circulation. If your fingers are slightly frostbitten, you can warm them by placing them in the armpits. If the nose is frostbitten, the warmth of the hand will be enough to warm it. But do not let the warmed area freeze again. The more often the skin freezes and warms, the more serious the damage can be. Mild frostbite usually goes away on its own after one to two hours. If rubbing does not help relieve the immobility of the skin, you should consult a doctor.
So, as already mentioned, first you need to bring the patient into a warm room, free the body from shoes and clothes. You can not place a person near a heat source: a fireplace, a heater, a battery, a hot stove. It is also forbidden to use a hair dryer - the victim can easily get burned, because he does not feel the frostbitten part of the body. If there is no swelling and blisters on the affected area, wipe it with alcohol or vodka, and then massage the skin with clean hands in the direction of the heart. In the presence of blisters, massage should not be done, as it can cause additional pain and infection. Get ready that you will have to rub the patient's skin for a very long time until they become soft, red and warm. Massage must be carried out very carefully to avoid damage to blood vessels. After warming the skin, a sterile dressing should be applied to the affected area.
Indispensablecondition
As already mentioned, a visit to the doctor is mandatory even with minor injuries. With hypothermia and frostbite, the body's defenses decrease, the work of blood vessels and the brain is disrupted, and stress occurs. Therefore, the treatment must be professional.
In closing
As you probably know, the best way out of an unpleasant situation is simply not to get into it. Do not leave the house in severe frost unnecessarily, because the extreme sensations that hypothermia will give you are useless.
