Hypothermia is a life-threatening condition that can lead to death. A drop in core body temperature of less than 95 degrees F (35 degrees C). this temperature is lower than that required for normal metabolism and body function. Normal body temperature is between 97.7 and 99.5 degrees Fahrenheit (F), which is equivalent to 36.5-37.5 degrees Celsius (C). The body's thermoregulation mechanism adapts to climatic changes. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay During extreme cold, the body receives a signal from sensory receptors. The signal will go back to the brain. The brain then sends a signal to the body to respond to cool temperatures and attempt to maintain core body temperature. This is necessary to provide vital organs with the heat necessary for them to function properly. The brain will send a signal to the smooth muscle cells in the skin's blood vessels and to the skeletal muscles. During cold, the brain's signal causes vasoconstriction of arterioles in the skin which allows the body to move blood to more blood. vital areas of the body. Another signal from the brain goes to the skeletal muscles which contract them quickly, causing shivering which helps keep the body warm. If the body is exposed to cold and the thermoregulatory mechanism is unable to conserve heat, a drop in core body temperature will occur. As body temperature drops, characteristic symptoms appear, such as chills and mental confusion. Hypothermia can be mild, moderate, severe or profound. Heat is produced by the muscles, the heart and the liver and the body loses it through the skin. Body heat increases 2 to 4 times more with muscle contraction caused by exercise or shivering. Accurate body temperature can be measured using a special low body temperature thermometer. Hypothermia can also be associated with frostbite. Symptoms of hypothermia: depend on the degree of hypothermia: Shivering Reddened lips and extremities Altered mental state due to decreased electrical activity of the CNS: such as confusion, poor judgment, etc. Slowly the patient may fall into an unconscious state. .Cold hands, feet or skin, shivering and chattering teeth or feeling cold do not necessarily mean you have hypothermia. Only a body temperature below 95 degrees F indicates hypothermia. Causes of hypothermia include: Exposure to low temperatures. Consumption of alcohol during exposure to cold. Bad clothes. Trauma Swimming or diving in cold water: heat is lost more in water than on land. A patient who engages in outdoor sports such as skiing or mountaineering. Patients who have undergone major surgery Excessive loss of blood and fluid. Alcohol consumption increases the risk of developing hypothermia and does not help alleviate the symptoms. Alcohol is a vasodilator and increases blood flow to the skin and extremities. Alcohol may warm the patient, but it increases heat loss through vasodilation. Older people are more prone to hypothermia because they are more frail, have lower body fat content, and are prone to worse outcomes if they have a history of heart disease. Keep the elderly home and warm. Children are also susceptible to hypothermia. Children have smaller height and reduced body surface area. A child's head is longer.