As hypothermia progresses, what happens to the patient?

As hypothermia progresses, one of the significant physiological changes that occurs is the cessation of shivering. Shivering is the body's natural response to cold, as it generates heat through muscle activity. However, as the core body temperature drops to critically low levels, the body's mechanisms for maintaining warmth become impaired. This leads to a decreased ability to generate heat through shivering and a overall decrease in metabolic activity.

Initially, an individual may shiver as a response to maintain body temperature, but as hypothermia deepens, shivering will stop. This is a dangerous sign since it indicates that the body is struggling to maintain its temperature and is entering a more severe state of hypothermia, where the patient's condition may worsen and lead to further complications if not treated promptly.