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# Cold Emergencies
## Hypothermia, getting too cold
Being too cold for too long can be deadly. It can quickly cause
confusion, affect judgment and make it harder to think clearly about
how to get warm.
Signs
* Shivering
* Fast breathing and heart rate
* Difficulty speaking clearly, clumsiness
* Confusion
* Having to urinate more
As hypothermia gets worse, the pulse and breathing may slow down.
The person may sit down, stop shivering, and in her confusion may
start to take off clothes. Eventually she can pass out or die.
Treatment
Give rescue breathing if needed. A very cold person can recover
after a long time of not breathing, so you may need to give rescue
breathing for an hour or more.
(DIR) rescue breathing
* Get somewhere warm and dry.
* Remove wet clothes.
* Cover in warm, dry blankets. Be sure to cover head, hands, and
feet.
* Do all you can to keep the person warm. Cuddle up close to the
person, heat stones and then wrap them in cloth, or use hot water
bottles to warm the person. But beware of burning the skin.
(IMG) A person being treated for hypothermia.
* Dry clothes, blankets, and a hat
* Body heat (or hot stones, or hot water bottles)
* Warm, sweet drinks
* Folded blankets or cardboard protect from the cold ground
If the person can sit up and hold a cup, give warm drinks. Do not
give alcoholic drinks. While they may feel "hot" in your throat or
stomach, alcoholic drinks cause the body to lose heat. Also give
food. Candy and sweets are especially helpful. Give a meal soon
after. Encourage the person to drink plenty of water.
If the person has severe hypothermia-a body temperature of 32°C
(90°F) or less, is unconscious, not shivering anymore-be as gentle
as you can while quickly transporting her to help.
## Frostbite (frozen body parts)
Toes, fingers, ears, and other body parts can freeze. Eventually
they "die," turning black. If you act fast at the first signs of
frostbite, you can save these body parts that otherwise might need to
be cut off.
Signs
* Skin cold, waxy, pale, splotchy
* Tingling, numbness, or pain
* The body part may be frozen hard
Light, mild frostbite turns the skin red. A few days later it peels.
If it is a bit deeper, frostbite leaves the skin feeling hard, but
soft underneath. Blisters may form the next day. When the muscle
freezes, the frostbite is deep. The area is hard. It may blister
only at the edges, or not at all. The blisters may fill with blood.
Treatment
(IMG) A woman with arms crossed and hands inside her shirt.
Get out of the cold and quickly warm the frozen part. For fingers,
the easiest thing is for the person to hold her hands in her own
armpits or between her thighs. Or wrap the frozen parts in warm, dry
cloths. Keep the frozen area still and try not to walk on
frostbitten feet.
For deeper frostbite, fill a basin with warm (not hot) water. If you
have a thermometer, try for 39°C (102°F.) Soak the frozen part in
the water. Check the water first to prevent burns. *Do not rub.*
The frozen part should thaw within 45 minutes. As it warms, it will
hurt. Give pain medicine. Do not let it become frozen again.
(DIR) medicines for pain
> It is better to let the area stay frozen than to thaw it and let
> it freeze again.
As frostbite heals over the coming days and weeks, treat it as you
would a burn.
(IMG) An Aloe vera plant.
Aloe helps heal frostbite and burns.
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