Hypothermia victims need medical help as soon as possible. Working quickly to get people out of the cold is important. However, hypothermia victims must be moved slowly and gently.
Any rough or sudden movement can force cold blood from the arms, legs and hands deep into the warmer middle of the body. This sudden flow of cold blood can create shock, a serious condition. It can also cause an abnormal heartbeat.
Members of search-and-rescue teams have a saying that hypothermia victims are not dead until they are warm and dead. The process of "rewarming" a person needs to be done slowly, in a hospital setting.
An extremely low body temperature can cause the heart to beat so slowly that a pulse may be difficult to find. In other words, a person who is suffering from the effects of severe cold may seem dead, but still be alive.
And that's the VOA Special English Health Report, written by Caty Weaver. If you missed last week's advice about how to avoid cold-weather injuries, you can find it at voaspecialenglish.com.
We also invite you to share your stories of the coldest weather -- or the hottest weather -- you have ever experienced. You can share your stories on Facebook and Twitter at VOA Learning English. I’m Faith Lapidus.
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2013-11-25
2013-11-25
2013-11-25
2013-11-25
2013-11-25
2013-11-25