Hypothermia

When someone get's Hypothermia, it means they got so cold, their body stopped functioning and started to shut down. An easy way to prevent this is to stay warm. Pretty easy huh? The hardest part of Hypothermia is to recognize the signs. One more note, Hypothermia is a life threatening condition, so it is important to act quickly when dealing with Hypothermia.

Symptoms: As Hypothermia progresses, the victim will not be able to recognize his condition. It is very important for you to know the symptoms. A victim of Hypothermia will begin to feel cold and begin to shiver. As Hypothermia continues won't be able to think clearly. His shivering may get worse; the shivering may get more violent. In the far advanced stages, the victim may seem a little drunk. He will stumble and fall and not think clearly. If the victim stops shivering with the last two symptoms and is unconscious, he is about to die. Get medical help immediately. His life is at stake.

First Aid: This is pretty easy. Hypothermia is when the victim is really cold. Naturally the first aid would be to get the victim warm. There are many ways to do this. If the victim is conscious, give him a warm drink. Get the victim out of the cold weather, and have him change any wet clothes. If the victim is unconscious, strip you and the victim down to shorts and get in the same sleeping bag to transfer body heat. Basically, the main point is to warm the body up.

Prevention: This is also pretty easy, wear enough clothes when going outside in the cold. Keep dry when in the cold, it's amazing how fast your temperature will drop when your wet. Make sure you check your buddies for signs of Hypothermia.