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| | | |  Home  Disease Index Altitude Sickness
altitude sickness, symptoms sickness, altitude colorado, altitude pressure, health sickness, cure sickness, sickness treatment, high altitude sickness Treat altitude sickness, symptoms sickness, altitude colorado not responding to prescription drugs, scientifically - DrRaoMD altitude sickness symptom, altitude sickness medication, altitude sickness remedy, natural remedy for altitude sickness |  |
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 | Overview |
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Altitude sickness is the name given to the physiological and symptomatic reactions of the human body to the low oxygen pressure ('thinner' air) that occurs at high altitude. It is also known as acute mountain sickness.
About 20 per cent of people experience mild symptoms at altitudes between 2200 and 2500m above sea level. Many ski resorts are found at these altitudes.
The incidence of altitude sickness, which varies from one individual to another, is directly related to the rate of ascent. It is also significantly related to how long a person stays at that height.
The risk of getting altitude sickness in areas such as Nepal and the Andes mountains, where tourist regions can be as high as 3000-4000m, is very real. Each year, out of 50,000 travellers to Nepal, there are at least seven altitude-related deaths. The death rate is about 4 per cent for trips to peaks above 7000m.
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When oxygen pressure falls, the body puts in place a number of counter measures. Breathing and pulse rates increase, as does the heart's pumping efficiency, and the size and number of red blood cells, which are responsible for the blood's oxygen carrying capacity.
However, the shortage of oxygen also has a number of unwanted consequences: increased pressure in the pulmonary (lung) circulation, changes in blood pH (acidity) values, disturbances in the fluid/electrolyte (salt) balance, as well as the leakage and spread of blood or fluid into surrounding vessels and tissues (fluid extravasation or oedema).
Altitude sickness can occur by travelling relatively quickly to a greater height and staying at the new height for more than 24 hours, without adequate acclimatisation beforehand. Altitude sickness is not dependent on a person's fitness and can affect even the most experienced athletes.
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A severe, enduring headache, which is not cured by a couple of ordinary painkillers.
