Traveling is always fun. However, poorly prepared and managed travel can lead to unexpected situations. For example, trekking or mountain climbing in high altitudes can be quite risky. Travelers may get sick due to altitude sickness, and some simple injuries in high altitudes can lead to loss.
High-altitude illness it is a condition in which the body cannot adapt to low oxygen conditions, resulting in symptoms of oxygen deficiency. Symptoms range from mild, such as headache, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, loss of appetite (Acute mountain sickness or AMS) ufabet https://ufabet999.app to severe symptoms such as brain swelling (High altitude cerebral edema or HACE), which causes confusion, staggering, and lethargy, or pneumonia (High altitude pulmonary edema or HAPE), which causes fatigue and coughing up pink sputum. These severe symptoms can lead to death within 24 hours.
Altitude sickness can happen to people of all ages, although the elderly may be at higher risk because their bodies’ ability to adapt may not be as good as that of young people, and they may have underlying diseases such as heart disease and high blood pressure, which are factors that accelerate the condition. However, young children, teenagers, and working adults can also experience symptoms of this disease.
Symptoms of altitude sickness
During the first 6-12 hours, your body may not feel anything unusual because there may still be oxygen stored in your body. However, when oxygen levels decrease, the following symptoms will occur:
- AMS (Acute Mountain Sickness) is easily fatigued, short of breath, and has a faster heart rate, which is caused by the body’s natural adaptations.
- HACE (High Altitude Cerebral Edema) is a headache in the lower back of the head because it is the part of the brain that controls the respiratory system.
- HAPE (High Altitude Pulmonary Edema) indigestion, diarrhea, dark blue lips, etc., depending on the individual. However, if the symptoms are severe, shock or death may occur.
Treatment methods if symptoms occur
- The best way is to descend lower. Symptoms usually improve if descended > 500 meters below the point of symptoms.
- The way to buy time is to give oxygen to reduce the symptoms. However, the most important thing is to go down!
- If it is a mild form of AMS, it is recommended to rest and not climb to higher altitudes.
Altitude sickness is not as serious as it seems. About 30 percent of climbers get altitude sickness, but only a few cases end in death. If you learn, study, and prepare yourself with the precautions and follow them, the disease can always be identified in its early stages. You think you have symptoms, do not go any further. If symptoms go away after resting, continue your journey. And if symptoms do not change, descend to lower ground. If symptoms start to worsen while you are resting, descend immediately.