A couple died of hypothermia after climbing the top of an ice crystal at night! How terrible is hypothermia?

Audit expert: Wang Xuejiang

Professor of Pathophysiology, Capital Medical University, PhD Supervisor

Recently, the news that a young couple died of hypothermia while climbing the Bingjing Peak of Qinling Mountains at night has attracted public attention. It is understood that someone also died of hypothermia at Bingjing Peak in the first half of this year.

So, what exactly is hypothermia and why can it be fatal? Can hypothermia occur in the summer? And how can we deal with it? Dangerous hypothermia!
What is hypothermia?
Hypothermia is also known as hypothermia or hypothermia. Hypothermia refers to the symptoms and signs when the core temperature of the human body is below 35.0℃.

The human body has a temperature regulation system that keeps the body's heat production and heat dissipation in a dynamic balance, maintaining the body's core temperature at around 37°C. When the body's heat production is lower than the heat dissipation, the body's heat becomes less and less, and is not enough to maintain normal body temperature, and "hypothermia" occurs. If the body temperature is too low, the biological enzymes in the body will fail, making it difficult for the body's metabolic reactions to proceed normally, leading to functional disorders in the body, and in severe cases, death.

Why does hypothermia occur?

The main causes of hypothermia include:

Environmental factors: Exposure to extremely low temperatures is the most common cause of hypothermia. Prolonged exposure to cold environments reduces the body's heat production and increases the heat dissipation process.

Individual factors: wearing too little clothing in the elderly, young children, mental disorders, behavioral disabilities, extreme fatigue, alcoholism, etc.

Drug factors: Anesthesia, antidepressants, antithyroid drugs, drugs for hypoglycemia, sedatives, etc., will reduce heat energy production.

What are the different stages of hypothermia?

Hypothermia does not occur all at once, and generally has three main stages of development:

Mild hypothermia (body temperature 32℃～35℃): The patient's body temperature drops at this time, and he or she experiences severe chills, cold limbs, pale face, slurred speech, memory loss, slowed pulse, etc., "goose bumps" appear on the skin, and urination increases.

Moderate hypothermia (body temperature 28℃ ~ 32℃): As the patient continues to lose heat, muscle incoordination becomes more obvious, movements become slower and more difficult, and are often manifested as unsteady gait, confusion, pale face, blue lips, ears, fingers and toes, and some people experience abnormal undressing.

Severe hypothermia (body temperature below 28°C): At this stage, the body temperature drops severely and the situation is the most critical. The patient loses consciousness and enters a state similar to "hibernation", which is manifested by muscle stiffness, slow pulse and breathing rate, a sharp drop in blood circulation on the surface of the body, and loss of consciousness. If emergency measures are not taken immediately, the patient may face the risk of death from cardiopulmonary failure at any time.

Will people with hypothermia take off their clothes?

In Andersen's fairy tale "The Little Match Girl", the little girl did not feel cold at the end, but felt warm. Why is that? In fact, people who died of hypothermia basically did not feel cold before they died, but felt very hot, so they took off their clothes.

When a person is about to freeze to death, the central nervous system will be suppressed and the whole body will be paralyzed. Although the body temperature is gradually decreasing, the hypothalamus temperature regulation center will send out an erroneous signal of "abnormal heat sensation".

At this time, limb movements rely on muscle contraction to release heat to resist the severe cold. When the body is weak, it will be very cold because blood is flowing back from the limbs to the trunk to protect the internal organs. When the limbs are frozen and numb, blood will flow back to the limbs again, and the internal organs are in a state of ischemia. The body's stored energy in the internal organs is finally released as heat.

Hypothermia has nothing to do with season

When it comes to hypothermia, most people may think that this situation only occurs in cold seasons, but in fact, deaths caused by hypothermia have occurred in May of this year, July 2023, and May 2021. This shows that hypothermia has nothing to do with the season, and it can cause hypothermia even in summer.

The human body is a thermogen, and it transfers heat to the outside world anytime and anywhere. Temperature, humidity and wind are the most common factors that cause hypothermia. Even in summer, there is a temperature difference between morning and evening. If clothes are soaked with water or sweat, and there is heavy rain and strong wind, the water will dissipate the body temperature faster through heat conduction, causing rapid heat loss, which in turn increases the risk of hypothermia.

Hypothermia Response Manual

Mild hypothermia: If you feel cold and begin to shiver, stop exercising immediately, conserve your strength, and seek shelter to reduce the effects of wind chill.

If your clothes are wet, take them off immediately and change into dry clothes. Use hot water bottles, heating patches and other items to warm your neck, armpits, groin, soles of feet and other parts.

After the body slowly warms up, you can supplement it with some liquid, high-calorie foods at room temperature, such as concentrated sugar water, chocolate, etc., so that the person with hypothermia can obtain the energy needed to produce heat.

Severe hypothermia: Do not sit by a fire or drink hot water, otherwise rewarming too quickly will cause low blood pressure and shock. Wrap your body with dry and warm clothes, sleeping bags, etc., and seek medical treatment immediately.