Yesterday I experienced some mild hypothermia. Check out the lovely symptoms:
Body temperature drops by 1–2 °C (1.8–3.6 °F) below normal temperature (35–37 °C or 95–98.6 °F[contradiction]). Mild to strong shivering occurs.[1][2] The victim is unable to perform complex tasks with the hands; the hands become numb. Blood vessels in the outer extremities constrict, lessening heat loss to the outside air. Breathing becomes quick and shallow. Goose bumps form, raising body hair on end in an attempt to create an insulating layer of air around the body (which is of limited use in humans due to lack of sufficient hair, but useful in other species). Victim may feel sick to their stomach, and very tired. Often, a person will experience a warm sensation, as if they have recovered, but they are in fact heading into Stage 2. Another test to see if the person is entering stage 2 is if they are unable to touch their thumb with their little finger; this is the first stage of muscles not working. They might start to have trouble seeing.
I felt muscle weakness, had a lot of spasms, felt thirsty and couldn't walk at my normal pace. I also felt a burning sensation throughout my body, as if I was covered in ice. I had no trouble seeing, though, and did not do the thumb-little finger test.
I was swimming in a river that was easily bellow 15°C:
Water temperatures that would be quite reasonable as outdoor air temperatures can lead to hypothermia very quickly. For example, a water temperature of 10 °C (50 °F) can be expected to lead to death in approximately 1 hour, and water temperatures hovering at freezing can lead to death in as little as 15 minutes.[6] On the other end of the scale, in water even a temperature as high as 26 °C (80 °F) may eventually (after many hours) lead to mild hypothermia.[7]
I did not drink prior to this. But I drank on the day before, just before swimming.
Very dangerous: Alcohol consumption prior to cold exposure may increase one's risk of becoming hypothermic. Alcohol acts as a vasodilator, increasing blood flow to the body's extremities, thereby increasing heat loss.[8] Ironically, this may cause the victim to feel warm while rapidly losing heat to the surrounding environment.
Believing that alcohol helps you stay worm is a long-standing mistakes. It makes you feel warm, but it actually helps the heat to escape from your body.
I only felt better after a very hot shower.
Be safe, kids
On October 7, 1849,
He shall be liftedMore at wikipedia
