Winter is coming: emergency services warn against freezing to death
There are ways to protect against hypothermia, and even after it has set in, there are ways to treat yourself or someone else – that is, until emergency services need to step in.
The South African Weather Service has warned it will be a dreadfully cold week, and in response, ER24 has sent out a press release warning against the signs and symptoms of hypothermia.
https://twitter.com/ER24EMS/status/1001075490717929472
Temperatures will reach a low of 3°C by Friday, 1 June, Krugersdorp News reports.
ER24 reports that hypothermia is a condition where the body loses heat faster than it can produce it.
It is important to note that hypothermia is not just having a low body temperature or someone who is shivering. Heat loss in cold, wet weather increases the risk for hypothermia and injury. Heat loss can occur in warm temperatures through conduction. Swimming or sitting in cool or cold water can cause the body to lose heat very quickly and increase the risk for hypothermia.
Medical emergency services classify hypothermia as a body temperature of less than 35°C. Normal body temp is in the region of about 37°C.
How does hypothermia occur?
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