Winter is rapidly approaching, a stable subzero temperature is about to be established. No matter how much we would like to wear light coats and jackets, we will have to say goodbye to them, because hypothermia is not a joke at all. A long stay in the cold can turn into a real tragedy. Denis Prokofiev, therapist of polyclinic No. 6 of the North-Eastern Administrative District, a member of the Russian Society of Cardiology, tells how not to get sick and save yourself from the cold.
Hypothermia, or hypothermia, is a drop in body temperature to a critical level of 33 degrees, that is, lower than what is required to maintain the normal functioning of the body. What is the threat? Hypothermia causes vasoconstriction, reduces immunity, thereby exposing a person to the risk of contracting ARVI. But this is perhaps the most innocuous nuisance of hypothermia. From hypothermia, you can fall into a coma and lose frostbitten limbs.
How to recognize hypothermia without a thermometer? Pay attention to symptoms such as pallor, “marbling” of the skin, decreased heart rate, respiratory rate, difficulty in movement, confusion.
You can expose yourself to danger not only by staying in the cold for a long time. Wearing synthetic, non-heating clothing and trying to replenish the ranks of those who are hardened can also cause hypothermia. We are not talking about a contrasting soul, but about cases when completely untrained people suddenly decide to jump weakly into the hole after the walruses. Even a short stay in cold water in frost causes a cold shock.
- Wear clothes made from natural fabrics, they retain heat better than synthetics and absorb moisture well.
- To protect the skin of exposed areas of the body – face and hands, use bio-creams based on animal fats – badger, bear, marmot fat.
- If you are going for a walk, do not wear jewelry. The abundance of rings, bracelets and earrings will only make you feel colder.
- Try not to be outside in cold weather for more than 20 minutes.
- Refrain from drinking strong drinks. Contrary to popular belief, they do not warm, but rather contribute to hypothermia. Alcohol, acting on the central nervous system, prevents the body from starting compensatory mechanisms for warming the body.
- Avoid strict diets that reduce body fat. In the cold season, our body lacks nutrients, and by going on a hunger strike, we will deprive it of energy.
If one of your loved ones returned home with symptoms of hypothermia, proceed as follows: help remove wet or icy clothes, cover the victim with a blanket or a blanket with a metallized outer reflective layer (they are now sold in pharmacies), if there are heating pads at home, fill them warm water and put it on the patient’s body or arrange a warming bath with water at a temperature of 41–43 ° C, provide the victim with a warm drink – tea with sugar or sweet compote.
It is also possible to recognize a more dangerous stage of hypothermia – cold injury or frostbite – at home. The main symptoms will be white or red color of the skin, lack of sensitivity in the leg or arm, swelling of the affected area, the appearance of blisters, as with a burn. Faced with such a danger, in any case do not massage the frostbitten part of the body with washcloths, brushes and other traumatic items. Proceed in exactly the same way as in case of hypothermia: first, remove clothing that prevents blood flow from the person, if he feels pain, give analgin, place the injured leg or arm above the level of the body, apply an aseptic bandage to the affected skin, warm the person.