Altitude Sickness
More Articles Related to HealthWhen traveling in high mountain areas, the survivor needs to know how to prevent, identify, and treat the various kinds of altitude sickness. Simply put, altitude sickness is caused by exposure to high altitudes and the increasing scarcity of oxygen as you gain elevation. The condition is also known as acute mountain sickness and altitude illness.
People can acclimatize to high altitudes but there is no immunity from its effects. Skiers, hikers, and climbers are most frequently in these high mountain areas and therefore suffer the most. Individuals have varying reactions to being at high altitude and even those who are in good physical condition and health can have symptoms of altitude sickness at 6500 feet or 2000 meters above sea level. At 8000 feet symptoms of altitude sickness becomes more common (2400 meters). A full twenty percent of people, or one in five, who venture over 10000 feet will develop symptoms.
Altitude sickness can also lead to high altitude pulmonary edema, also known as HAPE, and high altitude cerebral edema (HACE). When above 8000 feet for extended periods of time, a form of chronic mountain sickness called Monges Disease can develop.
Members of your party, or even you yourself, may deny or ignore symptoms of altitude illness. Reasons include fear of being left behind or holding up the climb, great desire to achieve a goal, pride, or having invested monetarily or emotionally in the trip. The group leader should take time to individually examine every member of the party on a daily basis and make sure any potential symptoms of high altitude sickness are discovered and treated as quickly as they arise.
Acute Mountain Sickness
Acute mountain sickness is the most common type of mountain illness caused by altitudes over 8000 feet above sea level.
At high altitudes nearly everyone will exhibit hyperventilation during times of exertion, increased urination, awakening a number of times in the night, and even some sleep apnea. However, you are considered to have altitude sickness if you have a headache with at least one of the following:
- gastro-intestinal upset including loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting
- a feeling of being tired and weak
- dizziness or light headedness
- difficulty sleeping
Being active worsens the condition. Lesser side effects can be a feeling of sleepiness and the swelling of hands, feet, and face.
| Definitions of Altitude | |
|---|---|
| High Altitude | 8,000 to 14,000 feet |
| Very High Altitude | 14,000 to 18,000 feet |
| Extreme Altitude | Above 18,000 feet |
People who fly to high altitude locations are twice as likely to develop symptoms of high altitude sickness than those who trek in. This is due to the effects of gradual acclimatization that the trekkers receive over the days they slowly climb in elevation that the fly-ins do not receive.
Upon descending to a lower altitude the symptoms of altitude sickness should disappear within a day or two, at which time the person acclimatized. They may then continue the ascent.
It is worth mentioning that at high altitudes dehydration is a common problem and this often leads to headaches. If someone in your group has a headache and you want to test for dehydration, simply have them drink a quart of water and take a pain reliever such as aspirin or ibuprofen. If the headache completely goes away then acute mountain sickness is not the reason for discomfort as it does not fit the above criteria.
Edema at High Altitudes
Edema is when the body accumulates fluids in its tissues. This potentially fatal condition can lead to high altitude pulmonary edema and high altitude cerebral edema.
High Altitude Pulmonary Edema
At elevations of more than 10000 feet about two percent of climbers suffer from pulmonary edema. Symptoms are a dry cough that can lead to the production of frothy pink sputum. People with this condition always tire much more easily than the rest of the group even though they may have formerly been very active. People suffering from this condition may not be able to lay flat. Often the patient has a fever and crackles, which is often misdiagnosed as pneumonia.
It is very important that the victim descend to a lower elevation as the symptoms can quickly progress and death is common. Even when evacuated, about ten percent of High Altitude Pulmonary Edema victims may die.
High Altitude Cerebral Edema
About one percent of people acclimatizing to high altitudes over 10000 feet experience high altitude cerebral edema. Symptoms of cerebral edema include
- headache
- visual impairment
- loss of bladder control
- stomach upset
- loss of coordination
- paralysis on one side of the body
- confusion
It is thought that High Altitude Cerebral Edema is actually Acute Mountain Sickness at its most clinical level. A test for this state is to ask the person to walk along a straight line heal to toe, much as is done when checking someone for intoxication. If the person cannot stay on the line they are candidates for this form of edema and should be evacuated.
As with all other forms of altitude sickness, descending to a lower altitude to allow time for acclimatization is necessary. To be on the safe side, descend to the encampment of at least two nights prior to the onset of symptoms.
How to Acclimatise for High Altitude
In order to avoid or lessen the chances of altitude sickness, your body must slowly adjust to the lower amounts of oxygen at higher elevations. The body does this by increasing its number of red blood cells Acclimatization to higher elevations cannot be rushed.
To be on the safe side, do not sleep more than 1000 feet above the place where you slept the night before. For example, if you slept at an elevation of 13000 feet then no matter how high you climbed during the day, be sure to descend to at least an elevation of 12000 in order to sleep the next night. Doing this in a series of days will eventually allow you to safely reach successively higher elevations.blood cells your blood.
When more than 10000 feet above sea level, climbers follow the Altitude Golden Rule, which is to climb high and sleep low.
- stay at a camp for a few days
- climb to a higher camp and the back down to the last camp, where you stay the night
- the next day climb back up to the higher camp and stay there overnight.
- Repeat the process as you make your way upward over time.
Acclimatization to higher elevations cannot be rushed. To be on the safe side, do not sleep more than 1000 feet above the place where you slept the night before. For example, if you slept at an elevation of 13000 feet then no matter how high you climbed during the day, be sure to descend to at least an elevation of 12000 in order to sleep the next night. Doing this in a series of days will eventually allow you to safely reach successively higher elevations.
Hypoxic Altitude Training
Hypoxic altitude training is training in reduced oxygen environments. Traditionally this has been done by living in high altitude areas. By living and training at high elevations, the human body creates more red blood cells in response to the reduced oxygen levels. As a result of hypoxic training the athlete hopes to have an advantage when he then decends to lower elevations where the amount of oxygen is high.
Modern technology has created hypoxico equipment that can be installed anywhere. Hypoxic rooms or even altitude tents are available. Through the production of normobaric hypoxic oxygen reduced air altitudes of up to 21,000ft/6,400m can be simulated.
Hypoxic training can be useful for those who plan on going into high mountain areas. By living for a time at the highest elevations available, when you do go above eight or ten thousand feet your body will be more prepared to survive the demands lower amounts of oxygen require.
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