Hypothermia

Hypothermia occurs when body core temperature drops below the level required for normal metabolism and/or bodily functions to occur. When the body is exposed to colder temperatures, its internal heating mechanisms may be unable to replenish the heat that is being lost to the body's surroundings.  In severe cases of hypothermia, the cellular metabolic processes shut down.  Major organs fail and clinical death may occur.

• If severe symptoms of hypothermia are present, especially confusion or changes in mental status, the local emergency service should be immediately contacted.
• Take the person inside to room temperature and cover him or her with warm blankets, in order to prevent further heat loss. If going indoors is not possible, get the person out of the wind and use a blanket to provide insulation from the cold ground. Cover the person's head and neck to help retain body heat.
• Remove any wet, cold or constricting clothes and replace them with dry clothing.
• Monitor the casualty's airway and breathing.  Begin CPR if required.
• Stay with the person until medical help arrives.
• DO NOT use your own body heat to re-warm the casualty as this may very well cause you to become hypothermic.
• DO NOT assume that a casualty found lying motionless in the cold is already dead.
• DO NOT use direct heat (such as hot water, a heating pad, or a heat lamp) to warm the person.
• DO NOT give the person alcohol.
• DO NOT rub the person's limbs because this may cause further tissue damage

• Most heat is lost through the head and therefore, hypothermia can thus be most effectively prevented by covering the head.
• Wear appropriate clothing for the weather. Fluid-retaining materials like cotton can be a hypothermia risk.  
• For outdoor exercise on a cold day, it is advisable to wear fabrics that keep sweat and moisture away from the body. These include wool or synthetic fabrics designed specifically for rapid drying.

Take a Standard First Aid course to learn about strokes and how to deal with them in more detail.