Those who work and play out- 

 doors in cold weather should be aware 

 of a silent killer — hypothermia. 



Anyone unprepared for cold 

 weather or cold water could be a 

 potential victim. Hypothermia lowers 

 the temperature of the body's core, 

 especially the heart, lungs and brain. It 

 places the body in a state of shock, 

 depresses normal functions and, if left 

 unchecked, can cause death. 



Freezing temperatures are not 

 required to produce hypothermia. 

 Although it is certainly a greater 

 danger in colder, northern areas, 

 hypothermia still poses a danger in 

 temperate North Carolina. Any time 

 your body's heat loss exceeds heat 

 production, this cold killer can strike. 



Types of Hypothermia 



There are two types of hypother- 



mia. Acute, or sudden-onset hypother- 

 mia, is usually the result of sudden 

 immersion in cold water, which can 

 cool the body up to 25 times faster 

 than air. In cold water, chilling begins 

 immediately and progresses rapidly. 

 Some individuals may be endangered 

 in water only slightly cooler than body 

 temperature (98.6 F), so no one who 

 spends time on the water should 

 dismiss this danger. 



16 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 1996 



