South America : Why do people die of cold?

"People in Argentina "

South America has been hit by a cold wave that has caused dozens of deaths in one of the coldest winters that have affected the southern hemisphere.

Many of the victims were homeless people living on the streets, but low temperatures can also be very dangerous for the elderly and children, even within households.

How to know when body temperature drops to dangerously low levels ?

Extreme cold is a risk because the body loses heat faster than it produces and the skin blood vessels constrict to conserve the heat.

The composition of the blood also changes with the cold. The heart must work harder to pump blood through the vessels contracted while changes in blood levels increase the risk of clots and the problems they cause.

Under extreme hypothermia occurs when body temperature drops below 35 º C and the body can not generate the heat needed to ensure proper maintenance of physiological functions.

Normal body temperature is 37 º C and a drop of two degrees, although not seem like much , can be dangerous and deadly.

Gradual process

The initial symptom of the disorder are involuntary tremors . The person is still able to walk and talk but begins to lose complex motor skills and at the same time occurs a narrowing of blood vessels in hands and feet.

As the temperature drops below 34 ° C begins a violent tremor , impaired consciousness , loss of coordination, especially in the hands , slurred speech and confusion.

Below 32 º C , the symptoms can be lethal because the body can not maintain a response and to generate heat , ie are no longer present or shaking chills .

When body temperature reaches 30 º C , which usually occurs with prolonged exposure to cold , days or weeks, while living person has stopped moving. His breathing is irregular and erratic , has lost consciousness and the heart is vulnerable to lethal arrhythmias .

How to measure hypothermia?

body tremor is one of several symptoms that can be used to assess the risk of hypothermia. If a person is able to stop shaking , its mild hypothermia . But if you can not stop shaking on a voluntary basis , is at risk of moderate or severe hypothermia .

Another test to assess risk is to observe brain functions by asking the person to count backwards from 100 in multiples of ten. This type of mental agility is lost when the temperature starts to decrease.

And a sign of severe hypothermia is the loss of pulse in the wrist, which results in the lack of circulation.

Hypothermia does not only happen abroad.

Babies, children , elderly and those whose immune systems are compromised because of other diseases can easily suffer from hypothermia in their homes.

But perhaps the most vulnerable are the elderly.

More likely

Physiologically , the blood vessels of these people are more susceptible to clotting and -because most are pensioners or unemployed , are more likely than their finances do not allow them to turn up the heat .

Moreover, as they are often socially isolated may be difficult to detect if they suffer any problems.

Old

"Elder"

"One of the effects of aging is that your body is less able to regulate temperature , "says Andrew Harrop , policy director of the British aid organization Age Concern and Help the Aged .

"It makes them less able to judge whether they are cold or heat. "

" And from being unable to properly maintain hot have an increased risk of cold-related diseases , which contributes to thousands of deaths of older people we see in winter every year. "

Severe hypothermia needs urgent medical attention.

But the basic advice to avoid it is to stop heat loss , preservation of body heat that you have and provide body contact to help you generate more heat.

It must also putting on extra layers of clothing , replacing wet clothing , to ensure that the environment is as hot as possible and offer hot liquids.

Experts say it is key to maintain the temperature of our homes between 18 º C and 21 º C.

Hypothermia can be a hazard when the temperature in our house is less than 5 º C, but if we spent more than two hours at 12 ° C this will cause an increase in blood pressure , which in turn increases the risk of a heart attack or stroke .

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