What Happens when the Body Temperature Gets Too Low?

Before we embark upon discussing what happens when the body temperature is too low, let's first get our concept of body temperature cleared up a bit. When we say body temperature, we usually have a vague definition in our heads - for most, body temperature means either how hot or cold a human body feels to the touch or whatever figure the reading on a mercuric or electronic thermometer shows. Body temperature is all this and more. The normal body temperature is classified into two broad categories - core body temperature and basal body temperature. The core body temperature is the temperature of the body when all the internal organs of the body are operating in their normal metabolic speed. Basal body temperature is the temperature of the body when the vital functions (breathing, heartbeat, etc.) take place at a slowed down pace at a time when the body is in a resting or sleeping phase. If you've been paying any amount of attention to what I just said, you must have guessed that the core body temperature is always higher than the basal body temperature as more heat is released when the physiological processes function at a higher speed.

Body Temperature Too Low - Causes and Effects

Causes
There are a number of causes that can lead to the body temperature dipping below the minimum normal level. The most common cause behind the body getting colder than normal in humans and other warm-blooded organisms is exposure to low environmental temperatures. In humans, this may happen due to wearing insufficient or inappropriate clothing in very cold weather, being in an artificially cooled environment for a very long time, wearing wet clothes for a long time, absence of adequate provisions for heating in cold weather, etc. Other reasons that may cause the body temperature to nose dive are those that affect the body in the form of diseases, infections and hormonal changes and imbalances. For instance, a woman who is at the peak of ovulation or menstrual cycle may feel hotter or colder than usual. This is also true in case of people undergoing hormone replacement therapy or taking medications that affect the endocrine glands and interfere with their hormone regulatory functions. Diseases and infections that can lead to a dip in the body temperature include pneumonia, anemia, disorders of the adrenal glands and thyroids, Hepatitis C, sepsis, kidney failure and liver disease. Drug and alcohol abuse can also lead to lower than normal body temperature.

Effects
So, what happens when the body temperature gets too low owing to any of the above mentioned causes? This phenomenon of the body temperature dropping below the minimum normal level for a prolonged period is known as hypothermia. The physical indications begin with the appearance of goose flesh all over the body accompanied by violent shivering. The extremities such as fingers, toes, nose and ears start feeling numb and if such a low body temperature persists for a long duration, the extremities start showing signs of discoloration. The bluish hue is a result of inadequate blood circulation which causes insufficient oxygen to reach all parts of the body equally. Also, since a minimum of 95°F is required by the body to carry out proper metabolism, any drop in temperature below 95°F for a long duration slows down the metabolism and the vital functions. This slowing down can be seen in the form of low heart rate, slower breathing and an overall feeling of exhaustion and drowsiness. This is indicative of the body's shut-down process to conserve as much heat and energy as possible. This mechanism is very common in cold-blooded animals when they enter the hibernation phase during the winter season.

Coming back to humans, the body becomes susceptible to cold induced injuries such as frost bites, chilblains, frost nip and trench feet (only in case of over exposure to wet and freezing conditions). The blood pressure may go up and the heart rate increases, accompanied by rapid breathing, initially in an attempt to preserve body heat. A spurt in the blood sugar level is also normal because the insulin secretion decreases and the cells consume less glucose. This sudden spurt in these various activities take place in the initial stages to preserve as much body heat as possible to maintain the normal metabolic rate of the body. If the low body temperature persists for a longer duration, mental confusion, loss of balance and difficulty in moving the limbs set in due to mis-coordination of the muscles. These low body temperature symptoms become stronger and more pronounced as the low body temperature persist further and keeps dipping constantly. Severe hypothermia where the body temperature dips below 86°F is characterized by the skin turning puffy and bluish, the pulse and respiratory rates decreasing significantly and the setting in of stupor, amnesia and irrational behavior. This is followed by organ failure, the brain being the last to shut down.

Terminal burrowing, where the affected involuntarily seeks out and enters small enclosures such as cupboards or cramped corners, is a typical hide-and-die behavior of hypothermia victims which is common in the last stages of this condition. Also, the hypothalamus (that part of the brain that regulates and processes body temperature related information and activities) malfunctions, causing the victim to mistakenly feel a sudden flush of heat, inducing a sudden urge to disrobe in the victim. This mistaken sense of heat is also induced when the muscles that regulate the contraction of the peripheral blood vessels get tired and stop their activity, causing blood to flow to the heart and the extremities in a sporadic surge.