---------- Forwarded message ----------
Subject: Know your hypothermia

Hypothermia a risk in warmer climes, too

3:57 p.m. ET (2057 GMT) December 31, 1998

NEW YORK, Dec 31 (Reuters Health) =97 Even in
relatively warm locales, people can develop
hypothermia =97 a life-threatening drop in body
temperature =97 during winter, researchers with the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
report.

In a recent issue of the Morbidity and Mortality
Weekly Report, the researchers describe three
cases in which people died of hypothermia in
Georgia during the winter of 1996. In one case, a
man who had spent the evening drinking heavily
fell while outside, was knocked unconscious, and
found dead the next morning. During the night the
temperature had dropped no lower than 44 degrees.

In another case, an elderly woman with Alzheimer's
disease became confused after leaving her house at
night, fell, and was found dead the following day.
In a third case, an emaciated 35-year-old man with
AIDS was found dead in an abandoned building.
The CDC researchers comment that "in states with
milder climates (e.g., Georgia, Mississippi, and
South Carolina)... weather systems can cause rapid
changes in temperature.''

The elderly, people who have under-active
thyroids, immune system-suppressing illnesses
(such as AIDS) and other chronic health problems,
are particularly susceptible to hypothermia.

Also at risk are the homeless, those persons with
a poor or inadequate diet, people who are
dehydrated or who have been abusing {*filter*} or
{*filter*}, and those taking certain medications,
including some medications used to manage
psychiatric illness.

Early symptoms of hypothermia include shivering,
numbness, coordination problems, confusion,
fatigue, and blue or puffy skin. Untreated,
hypothermia can lead to a dramatic drop in {*filter*}
pressure, cessation of breathing, irregular
heartbeat, and death.

"Hypothermia-related morbidity and mortality can
be prevented by early recognition and prompt
medical attention,'' the editors of the report
comment.

Each year, more than 700 people die of hypothermia
in the US, and roughly half of them are elderly,
according to the CDC.

To protect against hypothermia if you will be
outside for extended periods of time in cold
weather, the editors recommend that you wear
insulated or layered clothing =97 including a hat =97
that does not retain moisture. They also suggest
that you drink enough water and other fluids to
stay hydrated, eat sufficient food, avoid {*filter*},
and avoid strenuous activities that cause
excessive sweating.

SOURCE: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report
1998;47:1037-1040.

=A9 1998, News America Digital Publishing, Inc.
d/b/a Fox News Online.

All rights reserved. Fox News is a registered
trademark of 20th Century Fox Film Corp.

=A9 Reuters Ltd. All rights reserved

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