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What to do if…
your temperature is unusually low while you are ill and you feel confused or disoriented

Produced and maintained by PanicStation.org Published: Last reviewed: Editorial policy UK guide

Short answer

Treat this as urgent: call 999 now, or 112 if needed, and say you are ill, your temperature is unusually low, and you feel confused or disoriented. Start gentle warming while you wait.

Do not do these things

  • Do not try to sleep it off or stay alone while you are confused or not thinking clearly.
  • Do not drive yourself to hospital.
  • Do not use a hot bath, hot shower, heat lamp, fire, heater, or hot water bottle directly against skin to warm up quickly.
  • Do not rub or vigorously massage arms, legs, hands, or feet.
  • Do not drink alcohol.
  • Do not keep taking repeated doses of cold or flu medicine without checking what you have already taken.

What to do now

  1. Call 999 now, or 112 if needed. Say: “I’m ill, my temperature is unusually low, and I’m confused or disoriented.” Ask for an ambulance.

  2. Get another person with you immediately if you can. Ask a neighbour, friend, family member, or nearby staff member to stay with you until help arrives. If nobody can come quickly, stay on the phone with someone while emergency help is being arranged.

  3. Move to a warmer, sheltered place. Go indoors or into a warmer room if you can do this without falling. Sit or lie somewhere safe, away from cold floors, draughts, wind, or wet clothing.

  4. Start gentle warming. Put on dry layers, including socks and a hat if available. Wrap yourself in blankets, a duvet, a sleeping bag, or dry towels. If clothing is damp or sweaty, change into dry clothing only if you can do it safely.

  5. Warm the middle of the body first. Keep blankets and dry layers around your chest, back, and abdomen. Do not try to heat arms and legs quickly, and do not put direct heat on skin.

  6. If you are fully awake and swallowing normally, sip a warm non-alcoholic drink. Stop drinking if you become drowsier, feel sick, cough, choke, or find swallowing difficult.

  7. Re-check the temperature once only if it does not delay help. Use the thermometer according to its instructions. Note the reading, the time, and whether it was taken in the mouth, ear, underarm, or another way.

  8. Tell the 999 call-handler or paramedics about any illness danger signs. Mention breathing difficulty, breathing very fast or very slowly, blue, grey, pale or blotchy skin, slurred speech, extreme shivering, severe muscle pain, a rash that does not fade when pressed, not peeing much, or becoming harder to wake.

  9. Put key information where paramedics can find it. Write or say: your symptoms, when they started, the temperature reading, the thermometer type, medicines taken in the last 24 hours, long-term conditions such as diabetes, thyroid problems or heart disease, and whether you have been cold, wet, drinking alcohol, or using recreational drugs.

  10. If you become very sleepy, collapse, or stop breathing normally, tell the 999 call-handler immediately. Follow the call-handler’s instructions.

What can wait

  • You do not need to work out whether this is definitely hypothermia, sepsis, or something else.
  • You do not need to find the exact cause, such as infection, cold exposure, medication effects, thyroid problems, or another medical problem.
  • You do not need to tidy up, shower, change everything, or prove the reading with repeated checks.
  • You do not need to decide what treatment you might need later.

Important reassurance

Confusion or disorientation during an illness, especially with an unusually low temperature, is a good reason to get urgent in-person medical help. Calling 999 is a reasonable safety step; you do not have to be certain about the cause first.

Scope note

These are first steps only: get emergency help, reduce cold exposure, warm gently, and avoid actions that could make things worse. Later decisions and treatment may need doctors, paramedics, or other specialist medical staff.

Important note

This guide is general information for first steps in a medical scare. It is not medical advice, a diagnosis, or a substitute for urgent medical assessment.

Additional Resources

Closely connected guides that may be useful during the same situation or its immediate aftermath.

About this guide

This guide was produced and is maintained by PanicStation.org using its published editorial process. Official and specialist sources are checked where relevant, and AI-assisted tools may be used for drafting, organisation, and consistency checks. The site operator remains responsible for publication, revision, and removal decisions.

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