Hypoglycemia and hypothermia?

Question

Does hypoglycemia make your more likily to get hypothermia if your exposed to freezing temperatures such as being imersed in a bath of cold water?

Answer 1

Hypoglycemia, also called low blood sugar, occurs when your blood glucose (blood sugar) level drops too low to provide enough energy for your body's activities. In adults or children older than 10 years, hypoglycemia is uncommon except as a side effect of diabetes treatment, but it can result from other medications or diseases, hormone or enzyme deficiencies, or tumors.

Glucose, a form of sugar, is an important fuel for your body. Carbohydrates are the main dietary sources of glucose. Rice, potatoes, bread, tortillas, cereal, milk, fruit, and sweets are all carbohydrate-rich foods.

Hypothermia

Abnormally low body temperature. The condition needs treatment at body temperatures of 35C (95 F) or below. And hypothermia becomes life threatening below body temperatures of 32.2 C (90 F).

The signs and symptoms of hypothermia depend upon the body temperature. The major initial sign of hypothermia is a decrease in mental function that leads to impaired ability to make decisions. Tiredness or lethargy, changes in speech, and disorientation are typical. The person will act as if they are "drunk".

The body gradually loses protective reflexes such as shivering which is an important heat-generating defense. Other muscle functions also disappear so that the person cannot walk or stand. Eventually consciousness is lost.

Recognizing hypothermia can be difficult for the symptoms at first resemble other causes of change in mental and motor functions such as diabetes, stroke, alcohol or drug use, etc. The most important thing is to think of the possibility and be prepared to treat it.

Answer 2

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RE:
Hypoglycemia and hypothermia?
Does hypoglycemia make your more likily to get hypothermia if your exposed to freezing temperatures such as being imersed in a bath of cold water?

Answer 3

Wow that's a long answer, but it doesn't really address the question. Let me take a jab at it.

Hypoglycemia, in and of itself, won't make you more prone to hypothermia. What WILL make you prone though, is the lack of activity at the cellular level. Low glucose means that you are probably not generating much energy at the cellular or sub-cellular levels. No energy means that you are going to be having an altered mental status, and unable to react to the hypothermic conditions as you normally would. So, instead of getting out of the freezing bath water, you would sit there and lapse into a hypoglycemic coma. Of course, the bath water would warm over time, but it would still have the potential to lower your body temperature dramatically.

Short answer: No.
Long answer: Yes, in a sense.

Answer 4

I have never heard of any links between low blood sugar facilitating low body temperature. But I am not sure. It would stand to reason the more fit you are all around the better you might handle colder temps but freezing is freezing.

A bath of cold water isn't freezing temperatures. 32 degrees F and below is freezing. What comes out of your tap isn't freezing.

Answer 5

It is nature's way of saving energy. I agree with Jill.