General hypothermia of the body: causes and consequences. First aid for hypothermia

The human body can withstand a lot, but there are boundaries, the transition for which can lead to tragic consequences. Provoke a disruption of life is possible such a factor as low air temperature. When the person is exposed to cold for a long time, the body can become hypothermic. In this case, the body temperature drops to critical levels, the work of all systems and organs is disrupted.

Causes

The general hypothermia of the body occurs more often in physically depleted, involuntarily immobilized people, young children, the elderly and those who are in an unconscious state. To aggravate a situation the received traumas, a strong wind, crude clothes, narcotic or alcoholic intoxication, high humidity, overfatigue can. Supercooling of the body can be caused even by swimming in a cool pond. At the same time, the degree and consequences will depend on how long the stay was in the water.

Symptoms

Recognize the symptoms of hypothermia of the body is not so difficult. At first, a person feels a surge of energy, excessive excitement, but at the same time his skin pale, there is a cyanotic nasolabial triangle. Then shortness of breath begins, the pulse becomes faster, a strong chill appears. If no therapeutic action is taken at this moment, the symptoms will progress: the excitation will be replaced by apathy, inhibition, lethargy. A person can not move, become weak, will feel drowsy. Often people lose consciousness in this situation. If you ignore the hypothermia of the body, the consequences can be terrible. Failure to provide assistance leads to the cessation of respiratory and cardiac activity, as a result of which a person dies.

Frostbite and hypothermia. Degrees

Degree of supercooling is divided into three:

• Easy. The body temperature drops to 32-34 degrees. The patient feels chills, hardly speaks because of trembling of the lips and lower jaw. He has a bluish shade of nasolabial triangle, pale skin color, the body is covered with goosebumps. The pressure remains within normal limits, in some cases slightly increases. A person can move independently. Possible the emergence of foci of frostbite first-second degree.

• Average. The body temperature drops to 29-32 degrees. Skin covers become cold to the touch, acquire a bluish tinge. The patient experiences drowsiness and apathy, what happens becomes indifferent to him. The supercooling of the body at this stage is characterized by a state of "numbness": a person does not react to speech addressed to him, external stimuli. The pressure is somewhat reduced, 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, different complications may develop, and in some cases death from hypothermia can occur.
• Heavy. The body temperature drops below 31 degrees, the pulse slows to 30-35 strokes, the person loses consciousness. Mucous membranes and skin covers acquire pronounced cyanotic shade, hands, feet, face swelling. A person has convulsions, the condition passes into a coma. The pressure drops very sharply, and breathing becomes extremely rare. For this stage of hypothermia, severe frostbite is characteristic. The patient needs emergency help, otherwise a lethal outcome can not be avoided.

How many degrees of frostbite

They are distinguished by four:

• 1st degree. First, a person feels a tingling sensation, a burning sensation, then the affected area grows numb. There is itching of the skin, pain (such symptoms can be both weakly and strongly pronounced). The affected area turns pale, after warming turns red, can have a purplish-red hue. Develops edema, but necrosis of tissues does not occur. A week after the incident, skin peeling may occur, as a rule, insignificant. By the fifth or seventh day there is a complete recovery.

• 2 nd degree. The patient in the initial period can observe a cold snap, blanching of the skin, loss of sensitivity, but such symptoms occur with frostbite of any degree. A symptom characteristic for this stage is the appearance in the first days after the incident of bubbles filled with a clear liquid. Restoring the integrity of the skin covers occurs in one to two weeks, scarring and granulation are not formed. At this stage of frostbite, pain after warming is longer and more intense than in the previous one, the person is bothered by itching, burning.
• 3rd degree. On the skin, as in the previous case, bubbles form, but they are filled with bloody contents, have a blue-purple bottom, impervious to irritations. All skin elements die, scars develop and granulations develop. When the feet or hands become frostbitten, the nails go off, they do not grow back again, but if they grow, they are deformed. In the second or third week after the incident, the rejection of dead tissue ends and scarring begins. It lasts for about one month. Pain sensations are more pronounced than in the previous stage of frostbite.

• 4th degree. All layers of soft tissues become necrotic, joints and bones can be affected. The frozen area of the skin becomes bright-cyanotic, in some cases can have a marble color. After warming immediately develops edema, it is rapidly increasing. Bubbles in this case are not formed, they are typical for 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 exposure of the human body to cold. 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 need to get rid of wet clothes, and then wrap the victim in a dry blanket or put on dry clothes. If a person is conscious, you should give him hot tea, water, milk or milk.

With the help of water

Supercooling of the body can be eliminated by placing the patient in a warm bath, the temperature of the water should be gradually increased, but not more than 40 degrees. At the end of the water procedures, the injured person should be placed in a warmed bed and covered with heaters. If not, you can use hot water bottles.

What to do in critical cases

In the case when a person is unconscious, it is necessary to control his pulse and breathing. If they are absent, one must immediately proceed to artificial respiration and indirect heart massage. When first aid is provided for hypothermia, you should take the person to the hospital, even if his condition is satisfactory at first glance and does not cause fear. Only a doctor can identify some complications.

First aid with frostbite

Frostbite is inseparable from hypothermia, so the initial help is to warm the victim and resume blood circulation. If your fingers are slightly frostbitten, you can warm them up by placing them in the armpits. If the nose is frostbitten, warm hands will suffice to warm it. But do not allow the warmed area to freeze again. The more often the skin freezes and warms, the more serious the damage can be. Usually, light frostbites themselves pass after one or two hours. If rubbing does not help to eliminate the immobility of the skin, you should consult a doctor.

So, as already mentioned, you first need to bring the patient into a warm room, to release the body from shoes and clothes. You can not put a person next to a source of heat: a fireplace, a heater, a battery, a hot stove. Also it is forbidden to use a hairdryer - the victim can easily get a burn, 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 with clean hands massage the skin with movements in the direction of the heart. In the presence of blisters, massage can not be done, as you can cause additional pain and infect. Prepare to rub the skin of the patient for a very long time until they become soft, red and warm. Massage should be done very carefully to avoid damage to blood vessels. After warming the skin, a sterile dressing should be applied to the affected area.

Indispensable condition

As already mentioned, an appointment with a doctor is mandatory even for minor injuries. When supercooling and frostbite, the protective forces of the organism decrease, the work of the vessels and brain is disrupted, and stress occurs. Therefore, treatment should be professional.

Finally

As you probably know, the best way out of an unpleasant situation is simply to not fall into it. Do not leave the house in a severe frost without the need, because the extreme sensations that will give the body's hypothermia, you do not need.