Why does altitude sickness occur?

Altitude sickness is caused by the gradual decrease in air pressure as the terrain increases, which leads to a corresponding decrease in the partial pressure of oxygen in the alveoli, resulting in adverse symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, headache, fever, memory loss, and even shock convulsions.

1. The cause of altitude sickness is that the higher the altitude, the thinner the air and the lower the air pressure. Therefore, the oxygen pressure required by the human body also decreases, but the oxygen content required by the human body remains unchanged. In order to maintain the oxygen content required by the human body in the blood, the red blood cell content must be increased. However, it takes a few days for the human body to automatically increase the red blood cell content. Therefore, when entering the mountainous area, the altitude will suddenly increase and the human body will not have time to adapt, resulting in insufficient oxygen supply in the body. The higher the altitude, the shorter the transition time, and the more intense the reaction. This physiological reaction is generally called [altitude sickness].

2. Symptoms of altitude sickness include: vomiting, tinnitus, headache, shortness of breath, loss of appetite, fever, drowsiness. In severe cases, there will be dullness of sense, restlessness, mental excitement, decreased thinking and memory, abnormal hearing, vision, smell and taste, hallucinations, etc. Edema, shock or convulsions may also occur.

3. Prevention methods include: The speed of climbing should not be too fast. It is best to keep a steady pace and coordinate your breathing. At the same time, you should adjust according to the steepness of the slope so that the amount of exercise and breathing are proportional, especially avoid rapid breathing. The ascent height should be increased gradually, and the daily climbing height should be controlled to adapt to the low air pressure and thin air environment in the mountains. The itinerary should not be too tight, sleep and diet should be sufficient and normal, and short breaks should be taken regularly. During the rest time, flexibility exercises and deep breathing should be done to enhance circulation function and altitude adaptation. Normally, more physical training should be done to improve oxygen uptake function.