High Altitude Information:
Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS) is an illness or disorder that occurs due to high altitude where there is a substantially lower amount of oxygen available for the person to breathe and may be experienced when the body of the individual is not acclimatized properly to the existing altitude.
The air becomes thinner at high altitude which leads to less oxygen for breathing because of lower atmospheric pressure. Acute mountain sickness commonly occurs when an individual trekkers or travelers go faster above 2,400 meters (8,000 ft). The lack of oxygen in the human body leads an individual to adapt to a new environment or conditions. As a result, some may breathe faster than usual, gets short of breath with mental stress and passing urine less due to dehydration. (One has to drink any fluids apart from alcohol at least 2-3 liters a day)
Causes:
High Altitude:
The high altitude is the main cause of Acute Mountain Sickness. There is low atmospheric pressure at high altitude which result in the presence of less oxygen in the air. Acute mountain sickness commonly occurs when an individual trek or travel above 2,400 meters (8,000 ft).
Improper Acclimatization:
An individual may experience Acute Mountain Sickness when their body is not acclimatized properly to the existing altitude. Altitude acclimatization is the process of adjusting the human body to decreasing oxygen level at the high altitude. The trekkers may have to spend more than a couple of nights at the same place to adjust their body with the present altitude.
Dehydration:
As we trek to the higher altitude, a higher rate of water vapor evaporates from the lungs. Due to the less presence of water in our body, we may experience Acute Mountain Sickness.
Rapid Ascent:
Some trekkers try to cover some destination within a short period of time. This leads person to suffer from Acute Mountain Sickness.
Symptoms:
Primary Symptoms
- Loss of Sleep
- Dizziness
- Fatigue/ Fatigue/weakness
- Headache
- Lack of appetite
- Nausea or vomiting
- Rapid pulse (heart rate)
- Shortness of breath with stress
- Cough
Severe Symptoms
- Blue color to the skin (cyanosis)
- Chest tightness or congestion
- Confusion
- Raspy dry cough
- Coughing up blood
- The gradual loss of consciousness
- Unsteady gait
- Blur Vision
- Shortness of breath at rest
Prevention:
Acclimatization:
The proper adjustment of the human body to the decreasing oxygen level avoids the risks of Acute Mountain Sickness. The trekkers may have to spend more than a couple of nights at the same place to adjust their body with the existing altitude.