How can you tell if someone is suffering from a cold-related injury?

Individuals suffering from cold-related injuries often exhibit signs linked to the body's response to extreme cold conditions. Bradycardia, or a lower-than-normal heart rate, is a common physiological response to hypothermia, a serious cold-related condition. As the body temperature decreases, heart rate can slow down in an effort to conserve energy and maintain core body temperature.

While other signs could potentially accompany cold-related injuries, such as redness of the skin associated with frostbite or superficial frostbite, these wouldn't typically involve sweating. Sweating is more common in heat-related illnesses. Additionally, an internal temperature above 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit suggests fever, usually associated with infection rather than a cold-related injury.

Focusing on bradycardia helps to pinpoint the body's response to cold exposure, making it a pertinent indicator of more serious conditions like hypothermia.