Acute mountain sickness is an illness that can affect mountain climbers, hikers, skiers, or travelers at high altitudes, usually above feet meters. Acute mountain sickness is caused by reduced air pressure and lower oxygen levels at high altitudes.
The best way to prevent altitude illness is to ascend gradually. It is a good idea to spend a few days ascending to feet Above this point ascend very slowly so that the elevation at which you sleep does not increase more than feet to feet m to m per night.
Your symptoms will also depend on the speed of your climb and how hard you push exert yourself. Symptoms range from mild to life-threatening. They can affect the nervous system, lungs, muscles, and heart. In most cases, symptoms are mild. Symptoms of mild to moderate acute mountain sickness may include:. The health care provider will examine you and listen to your chest with a stethoscope. This may reveal sounds called crackles rales in the lung. Rales may be a sign of fluid in the lungs. The main treatment for all forms of mountain sickness is to climb down descend to a lower altitude as rapidly and safely as possible.
You should not continue climbing if you develop symptoms. A medicine called acetazolamide Diamox may be given to help you breathe better. It can help reduce symptoms. This medicine can make you urinate more often. Make sure you drink plenty of fluids and avoid alcohol when taking this drug. This medicine works best when taken before reaching a high altitude. Altitude sickness occurs when a person rapidly ascends to high altitudes, normally above 8, ft.
Symptoms of altitude sickness can include headaches, dizziness, and shortness of breath. If a person stays at high altitudes for an extended period, they may develop chronic altitude sickness. If they do not get medical help, this can lead to potentially fatal complications. A person can prevent altitude sickness by ascending gradually and allowing the body to acclimatize to new heights.
A doctor may prescribe several different medications to treat altitude sickness, or in some cases, recommend oxygen supplementation. However, a person may remedy altitude sickness symptoms most effectively by descending to lower altitudes. Anoxia occurs when a person's body or brain stops getting oxygen. Learn more about the causes, symptoms, and types in this article. Researchers from UK's Edinburgh University who examined climbers attempting to scale the summit of Africa's highest peak Mount Kilimanjaro, a….
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Learn more about how these conditions occur, and discover some simple things to do if you start to feel…. Symptoms Types Causes Diagnosis Treatment Complications Prevention Summary Altitude sickness occurs when a person travels to a high altitude without gradually acclimatizing. Types of altitude sickness. Exposure to air pollutants may amplify risk for depression in healthy individuals. Costs associated with obesity may account for 3. Related Coverage. Everything you need to know about anoxia.
Medically reviewed by Daniel Murrell, MD. Neither your fitness level nor being male or female plays a role in whether you get altitude sickness. Altitude sickness can be dangerous.
It is smart to take special care if you go high-altitude hiking or camping like in the Rockies or have plans for a holiday or trek in high-altitude countries like Peru, Ecuador, or Nepal. Altitude sickness is also called acute mountain sickness. Air is "thinner" at high altitudes. When you go too high too fast, your body cannot get as much oxygen as it needs. So you need to breathe faster. This causes the headache and other symptoms of altitude sickness. As your body gets used to the altitude, the symptoms go away.
Your symptoms may be mild to severe. They may not start until a day after you have been at a high altitude. Many people say altitude sickness feels like having a hangover. Altitude sickness can affect your lungs and brain. When this happens, symptoms include being confused, not being able to walk straight ataxia , feeling faint, and having blue or grey lips or fingernails.
When you breathe, you may hear a sound like a paper bag being crumpled. These symptoms mean the condition is severe. It may be deadly. If you are going on a high-altitude trek, learn about altitude sickness, its symptoms, and how to treat it. Look out for other people in your group. You can learn more about altitude sickness at the International Society for Mountain Medicine website at www.
If you are at a high altitude, your doctor may think you have this condition. Your doctor will ask you questions about your symptoms and examine you. To rule out other conditions, your doctor may ask if you have been drinking fluids or alcohol or using any medicines, or if you have a cold or the flu.
If you are hiking or camping, you and those with you need to know the symptoms of altitude sickness. People often mistake altitude sickness for the flu, a hangover, or dehydration. As a rule, consider your symptoms to be altitude sickness unless you can prove they are not. The best treatment for altitude sickness is to go to a lower altitude. In rare cases, altitude sickness can become severe and cause complications with the lungs or brain.
Higher altitudes have lower levels of oxygen and decreased air pressure. When you travel in a plane, drive or hike up a mountain, or go skiing, your body may not have enough time to adjust.
This can result in acute mountain sickness. Your level of exertion also plays a role. Pushing yourself to quickly hike up a mountain, for example, may cause acute mountain sickness. The symptoms of acute mountain sickness generally appear within hours of moving to higher altitudes.
They vary depending on the severity of your condition. Severe cases of acute mountain sickness can cause more intense symptoms and affect your heart, lungs, muscles, and nervous system. For example, you may experience confusion as a result of brain swelling. You may also suffer from shortness of breath due to fluid in the lungs. The condition is much easier to treat if you address it before it progresses. Your risk of experiencing acute mountain sickness is greater if you live by or near the sea and are unaccustomed to higher altitudes.
Other risk factors include:. Your doctor will ask you to describe your symptoms, activities, and recent travels. During the exam, your doctor will most likely use a stethoscope to listen for fluid in your lungs.
To pinpoint the severity of the condition, your doctor may also order a chest X-ray. Treatment for acute mountain sickness varies depending on its severity.
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