With the temperatures dropping below freezing, situations can have an increased chance of contracting hypothermia.

Dallas County Emergency Coordinator AJ Seely tells Raccoon Valley Radio hypothermia is the process of when a person loses its body core temperature quicker than it can produce it. Seely notes that early signs of hypothermia point to the body shivering or feeling fatigue, but explains what more advanced symptoms look like.

“It can cause confusion, memory loss, (and) loss of coordination. At some point, shivering will actually stop and cause somebody to become drowsy or maybe go unresponsive.”

When people begin to notice early symptoms, Seely stresses that they should immediately find warmer shelter and put on extra clothing to prevent hypothermia from progressing any worse. He adds that people should call for medical help quickly after witnessing early signs of hypothermia.