Hypothermia’s impact can be swift and deadly

So there we were, years ago, at a kids’ ski race at 49 Degrees North. We were waiting, waiting, waiting for 10-year-old Zack and Maggie’s one minute of fame as they negotiated the gates.

The children shed their coats and ski pants at the top of the racecourse and strutted around in their one-piece ski suits, like little Bode Millers or Picabo Streets. But really, they looked more like waifs in baggy hand-me-downs.

It was snowing hard, and the wind was blowing so fiercely up the hill that little Maggie could barely make it across the finish line. Daddy Jeffry gathered Maggie at the bottom of the course while the rest of us went in for a much-needed cup of hot chocolate.

By the time Jeffry got to Maggie, she was already shivering. But they had to go back up the lift to retrieve her warm ski clothes. He gave her his jacket, but she continued to shiver. He dug the Oreos out of his fanny pack and fed them to her. He made her drink some water. She started to get cross with him, and by the time they were at the top of the lift he knew that the ski patrol had to take her down. She had hypothermia.

By the time they made it to the first-aid station, Maggie’s core temperature had fallen to 94 degrees. It’s easy to see why — not enough clothing, precious little body fat for insulation, a howling wind. She was losing body heat like crazy. But blankets straight from the dryer and hot chocolate did the trick.

It was obvious why Maggie got her hypothermia. But here in the Northwest winter, ski-racing children are not the only ones at risk.

Older folks are particularly vulnerable because they often are taking medications that interfere with the body’s heat-regulation system. Those with Alzheimer’s are prone to wandering, and if they leave their home, they may not be able to find their way back, leaving them stranded and exposed to the weather.

Alcohol is a big contributor to hypothermia. It may make you feel warm inside to chug a few rum-laced eggnogs, but alcohol interferes with the body’s attempt to keep warm.

Faced with cold weather or cold water or wet clothes, blood vessels in our limbs constrict, sending the blood to the body’s core and cutting down heat loss through those extremities. But alcohol is a vasodilator, and when the blood vessels are dilated, heat fairly leaps out into the environment, where it does us no good at all.

The best way to fight hypothermia, of course, is to avoid it altogether. Prepare for outings in the elements by remembering the mnemonic COLD:

C is for cover up: Wear a hat and warm clothing. Wear mittens. They work better than gloves because the fingers keep each other warm.

O is for overexertion. If you sweat a lot, you lose body heat. In cold weather, the sweating may not be obvious.

L is for layers. Unfortunately, Maggie’s layers weren’t on Maggie.

Layers should be loose-fitting. That way, they trap air that keeps you warm.

Polypropylene is a great first layer. It wicks heat-robbing moisture (sweat) away from the skin.

D is for dry – meaning stay as dry as possible. If you get wet, get indoors and change into dry clothes. D is also for dehydration, which can make you more vulnerable to hypothermia, so stay hydrated.

If you’re with someone like Maggie and she starts shivering and gets the “umbles” – stumbles, mumbles, fumbles and grumbles – get her indoors, feed her carbohydrates to stoke the furnace, give her a warm drink and cover her up. If she appears unconscious or if her breathing has slowed, call for help.

Fortunately, hypothermia is completely preventable. So enjoy the snow (how else can a person survive the dark, dreary days of December?), but remember to bundle up yourself and your loved ones.