Also called: Also called: Cold-related illness
In cold weather, your body may lose heat faster than you can produce it. The result is hypothermia, or abnormally low body temperature. It can make you sleepy, confused and clumsy. Because it happens gradually and affects your thinking, you may not realize you need help. That makes it especially dangerous. A body temperature below 95° F is a medical emergency and can lead to death if not treated promptly.
Anyone who spends much time outdoors in cold weather can get hypothermia. You can also get it from being cold and wet, or under cold water for too long. Babies and old people are especially at risk. Babies can get it from sleeping in a cold room.
Other cold-related health problems are
- Frostbite - frozen body tissue, most often the face, ears, fingers or toes
- Frostnip - an early warning sign of frostbite that leaves affected areas white and numb
- Chilblains - red, swollen skin caused by inflamed small blood vessels
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Hypothermia: A Cold Weather Hazard(National Institute on Aging) - http://www.nia.nih.gov/HealthInformation/Publications/hypothermia.htm
Also available in Spanish http://www.niapublications.org/agepages/hypother-sp.asp
- Winter Weather: Hypothermia(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.emergency.cdc.gov/disasters/winter/staysafe/hypothermia.asp
- Hypothermia(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/hypothermia/DS00333/DSECTION=all&METHOD=print
- Winter Weather FAQ(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/winter/faq.asp
- Frostbite, First Aid(Logical Images) - http://www.visualdxhealth.com/firstaid/firstAidFrostbite.htm
- Hypothermia: First Aid(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/first-aid-hypothermia/FA00017/METHOD=print
- Tips to Protect Workers in Cold Environments(Occupational Safety and Health Administration) - http://www.osha.gov/as/opa/cold_weather_prep.html
- Chilblains(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/chilblains/DS01091/METHOD=print&DSECTION=all
- Fighting Off Frostbite(American Osteopathic Association) - http://www.osteopathic.org/index.cfm?PageID=you_frostbite
- Nonfreezing Tissue Injuries(Merck & Co., Inc.) - http://www.merck.com/mmhe/print/sec24/ch291/ch291c.html
- Cold Stress Equation(Occupational Safety and Health Administration) - http://www.osha.gov/Publications/coldcard/coldcard.html
- Cold Injury(DSHI Systems) - http://www.freemd.com/cold-injury/visit-virtual-doctor.htm
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Hypothermia(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Hypothermia%22
- Article: Classic EKG changes of hypothermia. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=19325173&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Cold stress in the work environment. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=19248749&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Differential neuronal and glial metabolic response during hypothermia in an... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=19240619&tool=MedlinePlus
- Hypothermia -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=(hypothermia[majr]+NOT+hypothermia,induced[mh])+AND+english[la]+AND+humans[mh]+NOT+(letter[pt]+OR+editorial[pt])&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus
- National Center for Environmental Health(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/
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National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health - http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/
Also available in Spanish http://www.cdc.gov/spanish/niosh/
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National Institute on Aging - http://www.nia.nih.gov/
Also available in Spanish http://www.nia.nih.gov/Espanol/
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Occupational Safety and Health Administration - http://www.osha.gov/
Also available in Spanish http://www.osha.gov/as/opa/spanish/
- Hypothermia-Related Deaths -- United States, 1999 -- 2002 and 2005(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5510a5.htm
- Cold, Ice, and Snow Safety(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/parent/firstaid_safe/outdoor/winter_safety.html
- Frostbite(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/parent/firstaid_safe/emergencies/frostbite.html
- Stay Safe in Cold Weather!(National Institute on Aging) - Large PDF file - http://www.nia.nih.gov/NR/rdonlyres/2E5CDADE-FAD7-44BA-B0BE-E8764EAABB4F/0/Stay_Safe_In_Cold_Weather.pdf
- Injuries and Wounds - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/injuriesandwounds.html
- Symptoms - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/symptoms.html
The primary NIH organization for research on Hypothermia is the National Institute on Aging - http://www.nia.nih.gov/