Dangerous Wind Chills Increase Risk For Hypothermia

With dangerously low temperatures in the forecast in the days ahead, people spending time outdoors will be at risk for hypothermia.

The upcoming Arctic blast has prompted the National Weather Service to issue a Wind Chill Warning in central, northern, northwestern and western Oklahoma.

The warning will be in effect from 12 a.m. Thursday to noon Friday.  

Wind chills as low as 20 to 25 degrees below zero are in the forecast. Wind gusts near 50 mph will be possible, the National Weather Service said.

Temperatures that could lead to hypothermia. It's a medical emergency that occurs when the body loses heat faster than it can produce it, causing the body temperature to fall below 95 F, according to Mayo Clinic. Normal body temperature is around 98.6 F.

The drop in body temperature affects the heart, nervous system and other organs, and advanced stages of the condition can lead to heart and respiratory failure, eventually causing death, Mayo Clinic said.

"There are generally accepted to be five stages of hypothermia," Dr. Randall Herrin, emergency department medical director at OU Health Edmond Medical Center, explained.  

"The first stage being more of just mild. But what we typically might feel when you're exposed to prolonged cold is shivering, chills. You could have some fatigue, maybe even possibly confusion as it progresses. it can even progress to stage two, three, four, and then five, which would ultimately result in death."

"Hypothermia can start to set in, you know, in as little as 10 minutes," Herrin added. "A lot of it really is dependent upon how well you've prepared your body for the weather. As we commonly say, it's important to dress in layers."

Herrin also stressed the importance of hats.

"By some estimates, 30% of your body heat can be lost just through your head alone," Herrin said.

Although Herrin said most cases of hypothermia he'd seen involved people without homes, everyone should be careful.

"Simple trips to the mailbox or maybe to the store. You know, oftentimes, we see folks who think they're just walking outside for a brief moment. Maybe they fall. Maybe they injure themselves or hit their head and they can't get back in the house," Herrin said.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said hypothermia can happen even when temperatures are above 40 F if a person is already chilled from rain, sweat, or had been submerged in cold water.

The cold weather will prompt many people to use space heaters. To avoid a fire, experts advise plugging space heaters directly into an outlet instead of using a power strip or extension cord. Space heaters should be placed on the floor at least 3 feet from anything combustible, such as furniture.