Even for experienced tourists, mountain sickness often develops on the heights. The main reason is insufficient oxygen in the air, which provokes headaches and general malaise. But it happens that the problem goes to a more serious level.
Causes and symptoms of mountain sickness
Oxygen starvation primarily affects the work of the brain and lungs. These organs suffer from altitude sickness more than others - swelling may begin. And if the cerebral edema can be defeated on its own, descending a little lower, then the pulmonary edema can not be cured easily and medical intervention will be necessary. From what does our body react so violently to heightening?
The cause of the mountain sickness is that with every 1000 meters the air becomes significantly more rare, the oxygen in it is less. Already rising to 2000 meters above sea level you can feel the first signs of mountain sickness:
- nausea;
- dizziness;
- slight increase in temperature;
- headache;
- pain in the eyes;
- slight tremor in the hands;
- tachycardia.
Usually altitude sickness at low altitudes affects the weakened people, patients with epilepsy in the anamnesis and those with unstable respiratory functions. It can also cause too rapid a lift. However, when climbing vertices just over 2000 meters high, such cases are very rare and amount to about 0, 0036%. When climbing to 3000, the trigger hits a larger number - 2% of the total number of tourists who ventured to go to the mountains. At an altitude of more than 4000 meters from mountain sickness, about 9% of climbers suffer. Especially often this happens if the rise is too rapid. Of great importance is also the rule "in the daytime at the top, at night - at the bottom". Experienced tourists know that to break parking for an overnight stay should be as low as possible relative to the conquered height. Oxygen starvation often develops during sleep.
Here are the symptoms that testify to brain edema :
- rapid clouding of consciousness;
- confused, indistinct speech;
- paresis and paralysis of the extremities, convulsions;
- severe nausea;
- acute attacks of dizziness.
Pulmonary edema, which is the most terrible complication of mountain sickness, with a large number of deaths, is characterized by such signs:
- dry, painful cough;
- dyspnea;
- rapid pulse;
- temperature fluctuations;
- lowering of pressure;
- blood from the nose, or when coughing.
Treatment of mountain sickness
Prevention of mountain sickness helps prevent disease in 99% of cases, so if you follow all the necessary rules, there will not be any deterioration in your health. Here is a short list of recommendations that will save you from the unpleasant complications caused by the fire:
- Rise to the height gradually, after every 500 meters up you should rest for 5-6 hours minimum. When climbing at 1000 meters or higher, the height should be fixed every 12 hours. Mountain disease is most often caused by a rapid rise, when the body does not have time to acclimatize. If possible, refuse lifting by car, helicopter, or other transport.
- Move at a measured pace, the higher the physical activity, the more oxygen the body needs for normal operation.
- If you have a mild ailment, or at least one of the above symptoms, stop moving up and go down 200-300 meters. If you feel better, stay at this altitude for a day or more, if it does not get better, start the final descent.
- Drink more water - violating the water-salt balance provokes the woman.
- There are pills for mountain sickness, but they do not always give the expected result, each person's reaction to them is individual. This is Diakarb and Diamox.