During hypothermia, what happens to the body temperature when it falls below 85-90 degrees?

• A. Shivering intensifies
• B. Shivering ceases
• C. Muscle spasms occur
• D. Metabolic rate increases

Answer: (B)

When the body temperature falls below 85-90 degrees Fahrenheit, shivering ceases. This is a critical point in the physiological response to hypothermia. Shivering is a thermoregulatory mechanism that generates heat through muscle activity. However, as body temperature continues to drop, the body's ability to produce heat diminishes. Eventually, when the core temperature falls to a level that is significantly low, shivering stops altogether because the body becomes too cold to generate muscular contractions effectively.

At this stage, the risk of further complications increases, as the body's defenses against hypothermia weaken. Consequently, alternative mechanisms for maintaining body temperature, such as non-shivering thermogenesis, are insufficient to counteract the cooling effect. Thus, the cessation of shivering at this temperature range signifies a dangerous progression into more severe stages of hypothermia, where other vital processes can be compromised as well.