Acute mountain sickness is a common illness; it is affected when ascending to high altitude. Common symptoms are headache, fatigue, sleep disturbance, digestive problems and dizziness
Acute sickness can be prevented if you go up slowly — take it easy and give your body time to get used to the high altitude. Remember, the body has an amazing ability to acclimatize to altitude.
When one treks above 2500 m, they are affected by the altitude sickness. Altitude sickness has three forms:
1. mild altitude sickness: It is similar to hangover. This is very common, and one should take this as a warning sign of serious types: HAPE, HACE
2. HAPE: It stands for High Altitude Pulmonary Oedema which is a serious condition of the person's body. It builds up fluid in the lungs that prevents the air spaces from opening up and fills with fresh air with each breath. It becomes more progressively in lack of oxygen which may be fatal within hours.
Symptoms:
It is very difficult to determine who are affected by HAPE.
Most will suffer from an acute mountain sickness. The person coughs and may produce white or pink frothy sputum. A person will suffocate which progresses. The heartbeats may increase, the lips may turn blue, body temperature decreases. There may be discomfort in chest.
Treatment for HAPE
-To descent down is the best treatment for HAPE.
-Providing extra oxygen
-Drugs (Sildenafil Nifedipine) can also be used, but must be prescribed by trained doctors.
3. HACE High Altitude Cerebral Oedema
It is also developed form of acute mountain sickness. HACE requires urgent action because it can kill hiker easily. It can kill the suffering person in a few hours. If a person is caught with HACE, he will have difficulties walking in a straight line (heel-to-toe). Others like: severe headache, vomiting, confusion, drowsiness, irrationally or bizarrely behavior are common.
If one ignore symptoms of Acute Mountain Sickness and climbs faster, it gets developed into HACE. The cause of HACE is still unknown but factors like faster climbing, acute sickness may play a role in increasing blood flow to the brain. The blood vessels get damaged, so fluid leaks out.
To descent down is the best effective method. Others like gamow bag, portable altitude chamber or drugs can also be used
Acute sickness can be prevented if you go up slowly — take it easy and give your body time to get used to the high altitude. Remember, the body has an amazing ability to acclimatize to altitude.
When one treks above 2500 m, they are affected by the altitude sickness. Altitude sickness has three forms:
1. mild altitude sickness: It is similar to hangover. This is very common, and one should take this as a warning sign of serious types: HAPE, HACE
2. HAPE: It stands for High Altitude Pulmonary Oedema which is a serious condition of the person's body. It builds up fluid in the lungs that prevents the air spaces from opening up and fills with fresh air with each breath. It becomes more progressively in lack of oxygen which may be fatal within hours.
Symptoms:
It is very difficult to determine who are affected by HAPE.
Most will suffer from an acute mountain sickness. The person coughs and may produce white or pink frothy sputum. A person will suffocate which progresses. The heartbeats may increase, the lips may turn blue, body temperature decreases. There may be discomfort in chest.
Treatment for HAPE
-To descent down is the best treatment for HAPE.
-Providing extra oxygen
-Drugs (Sildenafil Nifedipine) can also be used, but must be prescribed by trained doctors.
3. HACE High Altitude Cerebral Oedema
It is also developed form of acute mountain sickness. HACE requires urgent action because it can kill hiker easily. It can kill the suffering person in a few hours. If a person is caught with HACE, he will have difficulties walking in a straight line (heel-to-toe). Others like: severe headache, vomiting, confusion, drowsiness, irrationally or bizarrely behavior are common.
If one ignore symptoms of Acute Mountain Sickness and climbs faster, it gets developed into HACE. The cause of HACE is still unknown but factors like faster climbing, acute sickness may play a role in increasing blood flow to the brain. The blood vessels get damaged, so fluid leaks out.
To descent down is the best effective method. Others like gamow bag, portable altitude chamber or drugs can also be used
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| ight: A woman with a swollen face while trekking at high altitude (Annapurna Base Camp, Nepal; 4130 m). Left: The same woman at normal altitude. |