Mountain sickness

When planning a hike or a vacation in a mountainous area (more than 2000 meters above sea level), it is worth remembering that there is a mountain sickness that develops due to a decrease in pressure at a high altitude. As a result, the body can not quickly compensate for the lack of oxygen and fails.

Professional mountaineers noted that the development of mountain (altitude) disease affects not only the terrain, but also the individual capabilities of the body. So, from the whole group of tourists a few people can get sick, when the others will feel good. This state is more susceptible to men than women, and young people compared with the elderly.

Such factors as alcohol and coffee intake can provoke the onset of altitude sickness. In addition, predisposing factors are the following: overwork, high physical activity and a long absence of sleep, it can be hard for people with excess weight, chronic and acute lung diseases.

The natural conditions that contribute to the development of mountain sickness include wind, humidity and a sharp temperature drop.

Care should be taken by tourists wishing to take advantage of every day of rest in the mountains. They, for example, ski on the first day, and then, even with malaise, continue to ride on the second day, exposing themselves to danger.

Mountain sickness, clinical manifestations

There is an acute, subacute and chronic form of the disease, but the symptoms are similar, the only difference is the speed of their development. So, in acute mountain sickness, signs appear and grow rapidly, in this case urgent medical attention is required, and the subacute form develops slowly and lasts a long time.

The most common symptoms are: flatulence, headache, shortness of breath, palpitations, nausea, vomiting, apathy and poor sleep. Breathing becomes frequent and deep, the pulse becomes faster, and the pressure decreases. There is cyanosis of the lips.

Chronic altitude sickness is manifested by reduced efficiency, shortness of breath and cough. It is not excluded dizziness, increased heart rate and fainting, skin on the face can become red-blue. Complications of this condition is heart failure, arrhythmia and thromboembolism.

A severe manifestation of the disease is acute edema of the lungs and brain. Pulmonary edema begins with a headache, then shortness of breath appears, breathing becomes faster, ends with a cough with foamy sputum and coma.

With edema of the brain, there is a headache, hallucinations, a clouding of consciousness, a shaky gait. Nausea, vomiting, shortness of breath and palpitation may occur. The defeat of the brain, as well as the defeat of the lungs, ends with a coma.

Diagnosis of the disease is carried out according to clinical symptoms on the spot, in the hospital they can already detect changes in the blood and on the ECG.

Mountain sickness, treatment

An easy degree of the disease does not require treatment, and in case of severe it is necessary to start therapy immediately with diuretics and oxygen. The main thing is to lower the person below, to a level of less than 2000 meters. If the mountain disease is of moderate severity, then you need to drink less liquid, do not eat salt and products that cause bloating. From a headache you need to take analgesics, in addition, you should drink antiemetics. Diuretics are taken to reduce intracranial pressure. In addition, breathing exercises and oxygen inhalations are performed.

If the symptoms do not disappear for about three days, a person can not be in a mountainous area.

Mountain sickness, prevention

Before climbing a person must necessarily undergo a medical examination, and also be prepared in a pressure chamber with a reduced pressure. The climb up should be gradual, stepwise. If the height is more than 3000 meters, then every day you can climb 300 - 600 meters.