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Summary
Cold weather can affect your body in different ways. You can get frostbite, which is an injury to the body that is caused by freezing. Your body can also lose heat faster than you can produce it. That can cause hypothermia, or abnormally low body temperature. It can make you sleepy, confused, and clumsy. Because it happens gradually and affects your thinking, you may not realize you need help. That makes it especially dangerous. A body temperature below 95 °F (35 °C) is a medical emergency and can lead to death if not treated promptly.
Anyone who spends much time outdoors in cold weather can get hypothermia. You can also get it from being cold and wet, or under cold water for too long. Babies and old people are especially at risk. Babies can get it from sleeping in a cold room.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
-
Cold Weather Safety for Older Adults
(National Institute on Aging)
Also in Spanish
-
The Hazards of Hypothermia: Stay Warm in Cold Weather
(National Institutes of Health)
Also in Spanish
Prevention and Risk Factors
- Avoid Frostbite and Hypothermia (National Safety Council)
- Cold Stress Can Be Prevented (Occupational Safety and Health Administration)
- Preventing Hypothermia (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish
Treatments and Therapies
- Hypothermia: First Aid (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
Related Issues
- Working in the Cold (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health)
Clinical Trials
-
ClinicalTrials.gov: Hypothermia
(National Institutes of Health)
Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
Find an Expert
- National Center for Environmental Health (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Also in Spanish
-
National Institute on Aging
Also in Spanish
- Occupational Safety and Health Administration
Older Adults
-
Exercising Outdoors: Safety Tips for Older Adults
(National Institute on Aging)
Also in Spanish
Patient Handouts
- How to prevent frostbite and hypothermia (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Hypothermia (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
The information on this site should not be used as a substitute for professional medical care or advice. Contact a health care provider if you have questions about your health.