Chilled to the Bone

Learning to recognize the early signs of hypothermia could save your life.

Once cold weather settles in across the country, it is important to protect yourself against hypothermia while exercising.

Hypothermia is a generalized lowering of body temperature. The greatest danger of hypothermia is that the body may lose its ability to regulate heat.

This can lead to an uncontrolled downward spiral of core temperature that could result in death, without proper medical treatment. If you exercise in a cold climate, it is essential to take precautions against hypothermia, to learn to recognize its early symptoms and to initiate proper warming before it becomes too serious.

You may be surprised to learn that hypothermia is not just a concern of mountain climbers and skiers. It also occurs in bicyclists during fall and spring road races when the temperature maybe as warm as 55 F.

A combination of moisture, wind and cold - the wind-chill factor - can quickly lead to a lowered body temperature. The condition can even occur in the summer from immersion in cold water.

A Case in Point

A runner competing in an East Coast marathon, on a spring day with an air temperature of 55 F, wore a T-shirt and shorts with no hat or gloves. She did not feel thirsty and skipped some of the early water stations. She felt fatigued at about the 20-mile mark, but was trying to "gut it out" to finish.

At the 22-mile mark she had to start walking and felt cold. By the 23-mile mark she was shivering, confused and dizzy; and she sat down by the water station. She was transported to the medical aid station, where medical personnel recorded a rectal temperature of 93 F, pulse rate of 110 and low blood pressure.

Hypothermia with dehydration was diagnosed. She was given warm liquids to drink, wrapped in a thermal blanket of Mylar material and dressed in warm, dry clothing. She recovered in an hour and was able to go home with friends.

How can you recognize the first symptoms of hypothermia?

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Foreword: Billie Jean King

Comments by Barb Harris
Editor in Chief,
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