High Altitude Sickness, A Simple Guide To The Condition, Diagnosis, Treatment And Related Conditions

This book describes High Altitude Sickness, Diagnosis and Treatment and Related Diseases
High Altitude sickness is a disease that can happen when mountain climbers, hikers, skiers, or travelers travel to very high altitudes, normally above 8,000 feet (2,400 meters).
Acute high altitude sickness (HAS) is the mildest and most frequent form of altitude sickness.
Because more people are travel to areas of high elevation for recreational and professional sports, e.g., skiing, hiking, mountain climbing, and biking; acute high altitude sickness has become a greater public health disorder.
When the person moves up (ascend) to higher altitudes, air pressure decreases.
Air still comprises the same proportion of oxygen (21%) at high altitude.
Because of the lower air pressure, there is truly less oxygen available because the air is thinner (it contains less of all of the gases in a given volume).
So, at high altitude, each breath that the person takes will have fewer oxygen molecules.
This suggests that the person has to breathe faster and deeper to get oxygen into the body.
After a few days, the body starts to adapt (acclimatize) to the higher level of altitude that the person is at.
Because of these alterations in the body, there are some typical symptoms that the person will note at higher altitudes while the body is adapting and adjusting to the reduced quantity of oxygen:
1.A higher breathing rate or feeling that the person is breathing more deeply.
2.Shortness of breath on exercise or higher activity (exertion).
3.An alteration in the breathing pattern at night.
4.Disturbed sleep.
5.Passing more urine than usual
There are 3 main types of high altitude sickness (HAS):

1.Acute (mild) altitude or mountain sickness (AMS),
2.High-altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE), and
3.High-altitude cerebral edema (HACE)
High Altitude sickness is caused by decreased air pressure and lower oxygen levels at high altitudes
Altitude sickness forms when the rate of ascent into higher altitudes outpaces the body's ability to adapt to those altitudes due to the reducing levels of oxygen
These actions can trigger altitude sickness:
1.Ascending too rapidly
2.Overexertion
3.Inadequate fluid intake
4.Hypothermia
5.Consumption of alcohol or other sedatives
The symptoms of high altitude sickness are:
1.A throbbing headache worse at night
2.Lack of appetite
3.Feeling sick to the stomach.
4.Feeling weak and tired.
5.Poor sleep/Waking up during the night
Altitude sickness is normally diagnosed by the patient's medical condition
1.Blood tests
2.Brain CT scan
3.Chest x-ray
4.ECG
Treatment:
The initial treatment for altitude sickness is no further climb in altitude.
If symptoms do not recover quickly, descend to a lower altitude
If the person has any signs and symptoms of high-altitude pulmonary edema or high-altitude cerebral edema, they should descend to lower altitude and be seen by emergency medicine doctor.
1.Adapting to high altitudes (acclimatization) occurs after 1 to 3 days
2.Simple painkillers such as ibuprofen or paracetamol
3.Anti-nausea medicine (stemetil)
4.Oxygen
Medicines:
1.Acetazolamide helps to speed the acclimatization
2.Dexamethasone
People with severe High Altitude sickness may need to be admitted to a hospital.
If the patient has fluid in the lungs, treatment may be:
1.Oxygen
2.Nifedipine for high blood pressure
3.Beta agonist inhalers to open the airways
4. Medicine to increase blood flow to the lungs called phosphodiesterase inhibitor
5.If descent is not possible, a portable hyperbaric chamber (Gamow bag) can be made use of to simulate a lower altitude
6.Descent and urgent admission to Hospital

TABLE OF CONTENT
Introduction
Chapter 1 High Altitude Sickness
Chapter 2 Causes
Chapter 3 Symptoms
Chapter 4 Diagnosis
Chapter 5 Treatment
Chapter 6 Prognosis
Chapter 7 High Altitude Pulmonary Edema
Chapter 8 High Altitude Cerebral Edema
Epilogue