How to Make Your Temperature Rise

Hypothermia is a condition that occurs when your body temperature drops too low, below normal. Your body's main systems that control blood flow, breathing, brain and muscle movement cannot function normally when your body temperature is too low. Hypothermia is a condition that can happen gradually if a person is exposed to cold temperatures for long periods of time, or it can happen in minutes in certain situations, like falling into freezing water. If you or someone else experiences the symptoms of hypothermia, you must quickly take steps to recover from and prevent hypothermia before severe damage occurs.

Things You'll Need

• Blankets
• Warm liquid to drink
• Hot packs or hot water bottle

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Instructions

• 1

  Determine if you or anyone else is experiencing the symptoms of hypothermia. Signs to look for are skin that is cold to the touch, lethargy, sleepiness, weakness, confusion, shivering (may be absent as condition worsens), seizure, slow and shallow breathing, and slow heartbeat. Hypothermia is a medical emergency in many cases. Call 911 if possible, and proceed with the next steps.

• 2

  Move out of the cold if possible. Moving indoors into the warm air is often the only treatment needed for mild hypothermia. Remove any wet clothing and replace it with dry, warm clothing.

• 3

  Use hot packs or hot water bottles. Place them under the arms, on the torso, neck and groin. Avoid using hot packs on the arms or legs, since this may encourage blood to flow back toward the heart.

• 4

  Give warm liquids to drink to increase body temperature from the inside out. Avoid giving alcohol, which causes dehydration.

• 5

  Share body heat by lying skin-to-skin with a person suffering from hypothermia.

• 6

  Give CPR if the person stops breathing, until help arrives.