Can cold air really cause asphyxiation?

[BlueSpike]

http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2202&dat=19260114&id=F9MlAAAAIBAJ&sjid=B_wFAAAAIBAJ&pg=5410,1795860

 

Man Suffocates to Death in Cold
York, Jan. 14 -- Swelling of the thymus gland in his throat due to the extreme cold Monday morning caused the death of George C. Young, a farmer of New Freedom, this county. He was suffocated when the swelling cut off his breathing.

At 5 o'clock Monday morning the mercury stood at 2 degrees below zero in that locality. Young went to his barn to do his chores and, on feeling his breath being shut off, rushed back to the house, told his wife he was choking and died in a few minutes. Physicians said the cold cause the swelling.

Last week a 17-year-old girl in Worcester, Massachusetts, choked to death when the thymus gland in her throat swell as a result of fright.

 

Looks like I'll be calling in sick every day during the winter.

Edited April 15, 2014 by BlueSpike

[hypervalent_iodine]

There is a thread on sciforums that goes over this pretty well (http://www.sciforums.com/showthread.php?140305-Can-cold-air-really-choke-someone-to-death). Essentially, it is an incorrect diagnosis. These were written at times where what was considered the size of a 'normal' thymus was incorrect, as were other conceptions about the thymus (specifically the idea that it could swell suddenly as the article implies). The opinions presented in the article seem based on bits and pieces of information that are known now to be faulty and we've never seen any evidence for this sort of thing since, which would be quite odd when you consider how many people in the Northern US, Canada, Russia and other parts of Asia and Europe live in temperatures equal to and lower than that mentioned here. The conclusion that you can draw from this is that the story is almost certainly hogwash.

[BlueSpike]

Then why did the man die? The article blatantly states he had problems breathing then died shortly after in front of his wife.

[hypervalent_iodine]

So? That doesn't mean that their explanation of his death is correct. As I've said, the exanation put forth was written in 1926 and arises from faulty and incomplete reasoning. If sudden swelling of the thymus due to the cold were a thing, you'd expect it to be prevalent in areas where -2F or colder is a common temperature. And yet we don't. I can't speculate on how he actually died in the absense of more specific and detailed information, but I can say that the diagnosis given is very unlikely.

[BlueSpike]

Yes but I don't know anyone who has been outside in temperatures below -2F for longer than a few minutes.

The article said he went to do chores so it must've been like half hour or something.

Edited April 15, 2014 by BlueSpike

[hypervalent_iodine]

Yes but I don't know anyone who has been outside in temperatures below -2F for longer than a few minutes.

The article said he went to do chores so it must've been like half hour or something.

Personally? Probably. I grew up in very cold, rural areas. Outside of that and as I've already said, -2F and colder is pretty common in the Northern US, Canada and parts of Northern Europe and Asia. I am very certain that in all those places, at least one person has spent a half hour or more outside in winter since 1926, especially in poorer and more rural parts of the world.

It's also worth noting that the thymus isn't anywhere near the throat and would not cause constriction in the manner described anyway, making the article completely incorrect in the first sentence. At best, we can say that something caused constriction of his breathing. I'm not sure what that would be or if it was the cold that did it, but it was certainly not due to the thymus.

[swansont]

When I was a teen I had a paper route in upstate NY. I'm pretty sure I was out in subzero weather, delivering papers for an hour, at least once.

[Spyman]

Yes but I don't know anyone who has been outside in temperatures below -2F for longer than a few minutes.

The article said he went to do chores so it must've been like half hour or something.

Well, I have, countless of times.

 

This winter has been very mild, but I would say that during a normal winter I spend one hour or more walking with my dog in the forest, at several days with temperatures below -20 degrees Celsius.

 

During my youth I did spend several days working outside, eight hour or more in stretch, at temperatures below -20 degrees Celsius and at least half a day at my personal cold record -46 degrees Celsius.

 

Breathing is not a problem, the air feels very fresh and oxygen rich at those temperatures.

[Phi for All]

Looks like I'll be calling in sick every day during the winter.

 

Why jump to such an extreme conclusion based on an almost 90-year-old diagnosis of an isolated case?

 

Then why did the man die? The article blatantly states he had problems breathing then died shortly after in front of his wife.

 

Symptoms like this are common to other disorders as well. Asthma, for one, which might also be exacerbated by the cold.

 

Yes but I don't know anyone who has been outside in temperatures below -2F for longer than a few minutes.

The article said he went to do chores so it must've been like half hour or something.

 

Do you see what you're doing here? You don't know anyone who has been outside longer, so it can't happen? That's an argument from incredulity. Then you have to speculate ("it must've been like half an hour or something") to make your argument fit. The article just says he "went to his barn to do his chores, and, on feeling his breath being shut off, rushed back to the house..." Why do you think "it must've been like half an hour or something"?

[Greg H.]

I live in the Midwest - it routinely gets to be -10 degrees here in midwinter, -30 with the windchill, and people still go out and do what they do. If asphyxiating due to cold were a thing, the Inuit people would have died out a long time ago.

 

More likely, the man died of something that closed off his airway, such as a severe allergic reaction, or inhalation of something toxic.

[CharonY]

This is just silly. So many areas hit -22 F and lower and people still have to do choires outside. Sure, frostbite is an issue but suffocation? Trying to argue that point based on an anecdote is really, well, silly.

[John Cuthber]

Yes but I don't know anyone who has been outside in temperatures below -2F for longer than a few minutes.

The article said he went to do chores so it must've been like half hour or something.

How conceited does someone have to be in order for them to think that their lack of experience to count as evidence?

 

BTW "told his wife he was choking"

And exactly how did he force air through his vocal cords to speak?

Seriously; when the evidence contradicts itself you shouldn't believe it.

Edited April 15, 2014 by John Cuthber

[pwagen]

Yes but I don't know anyone who has been outside in temperatures below -2F for longer than a few minutes.

[Endy0816]

It is well known that the "Asphyxiation Risk Excuse" is only accepted when temperatures reach below -300 F.

[vampares]

I ride a rode bike in 0 degree weather. Full body circulation and coverage are critical and it is just short of Flatliners, if you remember the movie. At about 45 minutes the unavoidable sweat cools the groin to the point of being painful.

 

I usually wear a wet face mask. I also wear a turtle neck type piece which is the most important garment. The air can get cold to the extent where there is a sensation of being in a walk in freezer.

 

There is this "breathablity" and "wicking" technology they always try to sell these garments with. Key is air lock. Sweat drips out the ankles or is locked into the outer windbreak jacket. I use poly-urethane coated fleece material. Invaluable for an arctic expedition.

I heard of numerous cases of people dieing from various causes. The most likely cause is never blamed and that is pollen. Especially pine pollen due to the thickness. They always try to blame it on an enlarged heart or mold spores. Obviously pollen.

Edited April 15, 2014 by vampares

[mechatronicsman]

Hi nw here. Came across this story on cnn how a teenager survived a trip in a wheel well from Califronia to hawaii at 39,000 feet. In simular stories, the person never survives. Amazing.

 

http://www.cnn.com/2014/04/21/us/hawaii-plane-stowaway/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

[MirceaKitsune]

This is NOT fact and should not be taken as something certain. But from what I heard, cold air only becomes a problem to the lungs when it's so cold that it causes liquid to freeze inside the lungs. Sadly I don't remember more than that, but just thought to mention hearing about this in a documentary long ago.

[CharonY]

That is pretty much impossible, or rather you take damage elsewhere before the lungs. There is an extremely efficient heat exchange system in the anterior portion of the nose cavities that rapidly heats up the air via mucosal surfaces. As result the air passing that area is quickly heated up to around 30-37 C before entering the lungs.

In order to freeze intake the mucosal surfaces would have to be at a very low temp close to freezing point themselves, which pretty much means that the body is already dead.