Thermal shock after bathing in cold water is a natural reaction of a hot organism to sudden contact with cold. Contact with water at a temperature of 13 ° C contributes to a rapid drop in body temperature, and thus - to imbalance, circulatory disorders and problems with breathing, which in extreme cases can even lead to death. Find out how to avoid thermal shock after bathing in cold water and how to give first aid to someone who has suffered such shock.
Thermal shock after bathing in cold wateris a natural reaction of a hot organism to sudden contact with cold, which results in a rapid drop in body temperature. It should be remembered that water conducts heat much better and cools the body 20 times faster than air, therefore on warm (and especially hot) days, when the body heats up very quickly, even in water with a temperature above 0 ° C, a thermal shock may occur.
Thermal shockalso contributes to hyperventilation, i.e. accelerated, uncontrolled and deepened breathing. Increased breathing rates often cause blood circulation problems, which can lead to dizziness and fainting.
Sudden contact with cold water can even lead to cardiac arrest in some people. When sunbathing on the beach, the blood vessels dilate and fill with a large amount of blood when exposed to heat. Contact with cold water causes the vessels to contract rapidly and "push" blood to the heart. The heart is not able to quickly pump such a large amount of blood and, as a consequence, it may stop working.
Other factors contributing to the thermal shock:
- period
- drinking alcohol
- fatigue of the body
What to do to avoid thermal shock?
Particular caution should be exercised on hot days, when relaxing by the sea or a lake. Remember that you should slowly get used to the temperature of the water, e.g. take a short walk along the seashore submerging only the ankles. Before entering the water, it is good to cool your face, neck area and heart, and then splash a little. Only then can you graduallywet the whole body.
Thermal shock - first aid
Thermal shock occurs when the body temperature drops suddenly. Then the rate of heat transfer through the skin changes. Therefore, the aim of first aid is to warm the injured person in order to stabilize the temperature of the cooled organism. To this end, the rescued should be moved as soon as possible to a place sheltered from the wind, warm and dry, and gradually warm him up. You should remove soaked clothes as soon as possible and gently warm your back, neck and head. The victim of thermal shock should be insulated from the cold, so it's best to cover her with a blanket. This should be followed by a slow, spontaneous heating of the body.