How Long Does It Take To Die From Hypothermia? - EMedicineHealth

• Hypothermia (Low Body Temperature) Symptoms
  • What Are Symptoms of Hypothermia?
• Causes
  • What Causes Hypothermia?
• Diagnosis
  • How Is Hypothermia Diagnosed?
• Treatment
  • What Is the Treatment for Hypothermia?
• Complications
  • What Are Complications of Hypothermia?
• Prevention
  • How Do You Prevent Hypothermia?

Hypothermia is a medical emergency caused by prolonged to very cold temperatures and your body temperature drops below 95°F/35°C. A person can die from hypothermia in as little as under one hour.

Hypothermia is a medical emergency caused by prolonged exposure to very cold temperatures and the body loses heat faster than it can produce it. Normal body temperature is about 98.6°F/37°C. When body temperatures drop below 95°F/35°C it is considered hypothermia.

The onset of hypothermia can occur slowly and it can affect the brain, so many people who have hypothermia are not aware of it.

How long it takes to die from hypothermia depends on several factors, including whether the cold exposure is in air or water, how cold the temperatures are, and the person’s underlying health and age. Depending on the conditions, hypothermia can occur within minutes to hours, or slowly over days to weeks.

In the air, hypothermia can develop in as little as five minutes in temperatures of minus -50°F/-45.5°C in people who are not dressed properly and have exposed skin. At -30°F/-34.4°C, hypothermia can occur in about 10 minutes. Death can occur in under an hour in extremely cold conditions.

People die of hypothermia faster in water than in air, because water has a high thermal conductivity that can cool a person at least 24-times faster than air.

A person who is immersed in near-freezing water at temperatures of 32.5°F/0.3°C will have symptoms of mild hypothermia in under 2 minutes and will be unconscious in less than 15 minutes, with an expected survival time of 15 to 45 minutes.