It is going to be bitterly cold outside this weekend, and it’s a good time to be reminded of the potential for hypothermia.

Greene County Public Health Director Becky Wolf tells Raccoon Valley Radio hypothermia is caused when someone is outside in prolonged extreme cold. She notes that when that happens, you are losing body heat quicker than it is produced, which results in your body using up its core temperature to compensate. Wolf points out that hypothermia is a serious condition that can make someone sluggish and impact their cognitive abilities.

“The person is unable to think clearly or move well and that can make it extremely dangerous for a person to have hypothermia. Because if they are not knowing what’s happening they won’t be able to do anything about it. Every once in a while when you hear of somebody that wandered off and was found dead from over exposure, it’s very possible that their brain was not functioning clearly because of the hypothermia.”

Wolf says those that are at higher risk of hypothermia include the elderly population, newborns, those who work outdoors for long periods of time and homeless individuals. The adult symptoms of hypothermia include shivering, exhaustion, confusion, fumbling hands, slurred speech, memory loss, and drowsiness. Additional symptoms for children include bright red skin and sluggishness. Wolf adds, hypothermia needs to be treated as a medical emergency and seek help. 

According to the National Weather Service the daytime highs for Saturday through next Wednesday will be in the single digits, with below zero temperatures expected at night.