What happens to your body when you get left in the cold

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Pret has reportedly apologised and said it is working with the manufacturer to ensure this doesn’t happen again.

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The ConversationThe Conversation
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https://theconversation.com/what-happens-to-your-body-when-you-get-left-in-the-cold-212637https://theconversation.com/what-happens-to-your-body-when-you-get-left-in-the-cold-212637
Retrieved on: 
Monday, September 4, 2023
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People, Blood pressure, Infection, Tissue, Frostbite, Food, Facial muscles, Hypothermia, Finger, Pret, Clothing, The, Rewarming shock, Head, Temperature, Shivering, Neck, Blood, Thermoregulation, System, Movement, Man, Body size and species richness, Freezing, Time, Risk, Confusion, Water, Heat, Research, Death, Vasoconstriction, Environment, Woman, Torso, Skin, Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning, Quarry, Poultry farming, Wood drying
Summary
Key Points: 
  • Pret has reportedly apologised and said it is working with the manufacturer to ensure this doesn’t happen again.
  • It only takes a short amount of time in the cold for the body to be seriously affected.
  • When the body deviates from this temperature, it’s either because it’s fighting an infection (causing temperature to rise) or because it’s been exposed to cold.
  • This means the body is unable to produce enough heat to keep up with the rate it’s being lost.
  • In the severe stage, body temperature drops below 28℃ and most body systems stop functioning.

Dangers of the cold

    • Although hypothermia due to cold air takes longer, air movement can cause it to set in faster.
    • Frostbite is the freezing of the skin, which progresses to deeper tissues if cold exposure continues.
    • But as hypothermia sets in this can be counterproductive as it circulates blood from the cold limbs back to the core, risking even greater body temperature drops.
    • Movement during moderate or severe hypothermia can increase the risk of death due to this rush of cold blood to the core.
    • For people with mild hypothermia, removing them from the cold, taking off any wet clothing and giving them extra layers to warm up usually helps.
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