Hypothermia

Chicago is world-famous for many things: some of the best sports teams and most devoted fans in the nation; its yearly art, music, and cultural festivals; and pizza and hot dogs made the right way. But befitting its title as The Windy City, Chicago's location on the shore of Lake Michigan leads to some of the most intense winters in the nation.

As every Chicagoan knows, staying warm in the middle of winter can be difficult. A power outage or mechanical defect can lead to a broken heater; poorly-installed insulation can leave you cold and drive your energy costs up. And, of course, too much exposure to intense cold can even lead to hypothermia.

Symptoms of Hypothermia

The severity of hypothermia can be divided into three “stages.” Stage 1 hypothermia involves mild to moderate shivering and numbness, and in many cases nausea. If it intensifies to Stage 2, patients may start to feel warm again. The dangers of this are obvious. Someone who is moving into Stage 2 hypothermia will start to lose muscular control and might become unable to touch their thumb and little finger. They may also begin to have difficulty seeing.

Stage 2 hypothermia involves more intense shivering and loss of muscular coordination. Often (although not always) people experience confusion. They become pale and their lips and fingers may turn blue. As Stage 3 hypothermia sets in, risk of death increases.

People suffering Stage 3 hypothermia usually stop shivering and experience difficulty thinking and speaking. Their skin may become blue and they may behave irrationally. Their body temperatures are so low that cellular processes slow down, and organs may begin to fail. If not given treatment, Stage 3 hypothermia is often fatal.

Hypothermia Prevention and Treatment

The simplest and most direct way of preventing hypothermia is to wear appropriate clothing. Cotton clothing can be particularly dangerous in intense cold: if it absorbs sweat or other moisture, the wet cotton rapidly absorbs heat from the body. Wool and synthetic fabrics offer much better protection.

Contrary to the beliefs of some people, alcohol does not warm you. Alcohol opens up blood vessels, allowing heat to escape more quickly. The origin of this myth is the warm feeling alcohol can cause: rather than being a sign that your body is warmer, it actually means you're losing heat more quickly than normal.

Giving additional clothing to someone suffering from hypothermia is often only useful for less severe cases of hypothermia. The insulation extra clothing provides is only useful for retaining heat the body is already producing. In more severe cases, the body might not produce enough heat for the insulation to be effective. Rather than trying to hold heat in, the best solution is always to move the person to a warmer place or to add heat to the environment.

Contact Us

If you or a loved one has suffered from hypothermia because of someone's negligence or a poorly-maintained or malfunctioning heater, you may be entitled to damages. For more information, contact the Chicago personal injury lawyers of Friedman & Bonebrake, PC today at 312-466-8200.