Steps to help someone with hypothermia
Hypothermia is when your body starts to lose heat, and it cannot produce heat fast enough.
An easy way to remember what hypothermia means is that the prefix hypo means low, the root word therm means heat, and the suffix “ia” means pertaining to.
Hypothermia is caused by being exposed to extremely cold weather for too long, or if your body is submerged in cold water. Hypothermia is a medical emergency because if your body cannot produce enough heat, your organs will not work normally and it could cause your heart to shut down. Treating hypothermia immediately and correctly can increase the chances of survival. To help someone with hypothermia, you should first call 911 then take the following first aid steps until emergency medical services arrive. First, gently move the person out of the cold into a dry, heated area. Then remove any wet clothing or gloves that they have on and cover them in blankets. You can cover everything in blankets, except for their face. Make sure to put layers of blankets on the person to help them regain and retain heat. If you are in your own home, make sure your central heat is on. You can also give the person a warm or hot beverage that is non alcoholic. Make sure to check if they are breathing normally while you wait for emergency medical services to arrive. Do not apply direct heat to the person, such as hot water or a heating pad. Once the patient gets to the hospital, the medical providers may give them a warm solution in their IV.