• First Aid

    What causes hypothermia?

    Hypothermia is a medical emergency that occurs when your body loses heat faster than it can produce heat, causing a dangerously low body temperature. This condition develops when the body temperature falls below 35 0 C (95 0 F). The effects vary depending on the speed of onset and the level to which the body temperature falls. The blood supply to the superficial blood vessels in the skin, for example, shuts down to maintain the function of the vital organs such as the heart and brain. Moderate hypothermia can usually be reversed. Severe hypothermia – when the core body temperature falls below 30 0 C (86 0 F) – is…