By Boris Groh

by Boris Groh

me reading any of my own writing: what the fuck are you talking about

Writing characters who are exposed to cold and hypothermia

Because I know many people live in countries without cold winter and I’ve read way too many otherwise amazing fics where the MC faints after an hour in 20 F° (about - 6.5 C°), all this while clad in heavy clothing, sweaters, scarfs and winter coat.

Hypothermia

While everyone reacts differently to different temperatures, there are some rules and symptoms of hypothermia. Symptoms, in order as hypothermia progresses:

Shivering, which may stop as hypothermia progresses

Slow, shallow breathing

Confusion and/or memory loss

Drowsiness or exhaustion

Slurred or mumbled speech

Loss of coordination, fumbling hands, stumbling steps

A slow, weak pulse

In severe hypothermia, a person may be unconscious without obvious signs of breathing or a pulse

Body temperatures of different stages of hypothermia:

Mild: 89-95 F° (31-35 C°)

Moderate: 82-89 F° (27.5-31 C°)

Severe: lower than 82 F° (27.5 C°)

Keep in mind that some people are more sensitive to cold due to their age or physique. People with increased risk of hypothermia include:

The elderly, infants, and children without adequate heating, clothing

Underweight people

People who are outdoors for extended periods

People in cold weather whose judgment is impaired by alcohol or drugs

Treatment

Everyone with hypothermia needs immediate medical assistance, but until that arrives the character can be helped with the following actions:

Moving them to a warm, dry place if possible, or sheltering them from the elements

Removing wet clothing

Covering their whole body and head with blankets, leaving only the face clear

Providing skin-to-skin contact (fanfic material™)

Providing warm drinks if the person is conscious, but never caffeine or alcohol

Carrying out CPR if the breathing stops

If the shivering stops even though the character hasn’t returned to a warmer place, that’s actually a very bad sign and means that the person’s heat regulation systems are shutting off.

Another thing to note is that when a person faints from the cold, their body temperature is already so low that they must be warmed up immediately, otherwise they die.

writing playlist: on

google docs: open

mind: ready

tropes that will always f*ck me up

composed characters losing their composure

kind characters snapping

characters hugging each other after one or both of them have been through hell

character cradling their significant other’s face while they kiss

character says something hurtful. later on in the movie they are in a similar situation and say something kind instead.

self sacrifice

griefstricken women (who under normal circumstances wouldn’t hurt a fly) lashing out and striking the person responsible for the loss of their loved one

ugly crying

characters struggling to talk because they’re about to cry

characters reuniting with someone whom they thought were dead

FOREHEAD KISSES

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