What is the term to describe the situation when your body loses heat faster that it can produce it?

If you get stuck in the snow, trapped in extreme cold weather outside, or unfortunately end up immersed in cold water, hypothermia may occur. For a human, it is defined as a body core temperature below 35.0 degrees Celsius or 95.0 degrees Fahrenheit. Body temperature is usually maintained near a constant level of 36.5 degrees Celsius or 97.7-99.5 Fahrenheit.

Symptoms of hypothermia vary depending on the temperature with different standardized classifications defining each category. Mild hypothermia results in shivering and mental confusion. In moderate hypothermia, shivering stops and confusion increases. In severe hypothermia there may be paradoxical undressing, seen when a person begins discarding their clothing which in turn, increases the rate of heat loss.

One explanation for paradoxical undressing behavior is a cold-induced malfunction of the hypothalamus, the part of the brain that regulates body temperature. Another explanation is that the muscles are contracting peripheral blood vessels and become exhausted and then relax, leading to a sudden surge of blood to the extremities, causing the person to feel overheated.

In the final stage of hypothermia a self-protective behavior can occur. This is known as “terminal burrowing”, or “hide-and-die syndrome”. The person will seek and try to enter small enclosed spaces, akin to how animals in the wild seek crevices and caves seen in hibernation.