Acute Mountain Sickness

Acute Mountain Sickness is sometimes happened on climbers, hikers, skiers, or travelers when there is not enough oxygen for them in high altitude. It is normally that we do not need to worry much but we have to know how to deal with it if that happens to us.

What is Acute Mountain Sickness?

There is an official definition of Acute Mountain Sickness, shortened to AMS, is one of the pathological effect of high altitude on humans, also called Altitude sickness, Mountain sickness, High altitude pulmonary edema. It caused by being at high altitude where air pressure is low without prior acclimatization (the process of gradual exposure), for example, if you climb over one-off instead of climbing gradually.

In addition, Acute Mountain Sickness could be divided into mild one and severe one.

What causes Acute Mountain Sickness?

Most people feel ok when they reach 2500 meter height, which equivalently the pressure of business flight height. But when we reach above 2400-2500 meters high, the symptoms will be very obvious.

First of all, we have to assure that it is not caused to everybody, just somebody. It happened to us depends on our personal body.

So, what exactly causes Acute Mountain Sickness? What are the reasons of Acute Mountain Sickness?

It is caused by combination of reduced air pressure and lower oxygen levels at high altitudes. Our bodies can not acclimatize so that our lungs and head become sick. Sometimes when we back to lower places, we will turn to well.

Symptoms of Acute Mountain Sickness – The worst case

The common symptom of Acute Mountain Sickness is headache, but most people will suffer nausea and vomiting, somnolence, dizziness and poor sleep quality.

Actually we could judge by ourselves if we tend to get Acute Mountain Sickness. For example, if we had climbed the mountains over 2500 meters, if we got headache over 3 minutes, so we probably have the Acute Mountain Sickness.

And the worst case is that severe cases may result in death due to lung problems or brain swelling.

Incidence of Acute Mountain Sickness

Approximately 20% of people will suffer mild symptoms at altitudes between 6,300 to 9,700 feet, but few people will get the severe Acute Mountain Sickness (High Altitude Pulmonary Edema & High Altitude Cerebral Edema).

How to Prevent Acute Mountain Sickness

How to prevent acute mountain sickness? How many ways can we do to prevent acute mountain sickness? I attached some ways to help you avoid Acute Mountain Sickness as below.

a.The best way to prevent Acute Mountain Sickness is ascent slowly in order to give the body time to acclimatize.

b.Do not do any strenuous activities such as skiing, hiking, etc. in the first 24 hours at high altitude

c.Take a rest of 1-2 days for every 2,000 feet (600 meters) above 8,000 feet (2,400 meters)

d.Try to judge if you suffer the Acute Mountain Sickness through the way I mentioned above.

e.Enough oxygen

f.Medicines

g.Drink plenty of fluids while you are climbing

h.Avoid alcohol

i.Sleeping pills

j.Narcotic pain medication

k.Tobacco

l.Have regular meals, avoid the food of carbohydrates

How to Treat Acute Mountain Sickness

I have to say, everybody who intend to visit higher places should learn how to judge the Acute Mountain Sickness. It is saving our lives by ourselves firstly, as this sickness is easier to diagnose and easier to treat in the early stages.

How to Treat Acute Mountain Sickness? The best way to help people who suffer this sickness is emergently offering the oxygen and helping them climb down to lower altitude places as rapidly and safely as possible.

It will be much better if we take necessary medicines other necessary stuffs, and then we could be much helpful to the patients.