Praecautions cn Ward Off Altitude Sickness: Docs

Precautions can Ward Off Altitude Sickness: Docs

THT Online
Kathmandu, September 16

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Fit young men between 20 and 35 years are more likely to suffer from altitude sickness, also known as Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS), that is caused by acute exposure to low air pressure, doctors said on Saturday, adding that precautions can ward it off.
AMS usually occurs following a rapid ascent to the mountain, which can usually be prevented by ascending slowly. "But youths are more likely to attempt a rapid ascent by running up to the mountains like superheroes than aged people and women," said Dr Venkatesh Thuppil, director, National Referral Centre for Lead poisoning in India, at a seminar on 'Mountain Medicine: The south Asian Experience', organised under the aegis of the BP Koirala India Nepal Foundation, Mountain Medicine Society of Nepal (MMSN) and the Himalayan Rescue Association (HRA).
According to doctors, at over 3,000 metres, almost 75 per cent of the people have mild symptoms depending on the elevation, rate of ascent and individual susceptibility. Headache, nausea and dizziness, loss of appetite, fatigue, shortness of breath, disturbed sleep and general feeling of malaise are some of the symptoms of AMS. At an altitude of over 4,500 metres, alerted consciousness, hallucination and coma can grip the climbers. The climbers may even die if precautions are not taken.
"Altitude sickness can be kept at bay by ascending slowly and giving body enough time to adjust," said Dr Buddha Basnyat, chairperson of the MMSN, advising the climbers to "Climb high, sleep low."
He advised the climbers to spend some nights etween 2,000 and 3,000 metres before climbing higher. Altitude sickness can be prevented by sleeping at a place that is 300 metres higher than the earlier night stop and taking rest for the day after ascending every 900 to 1000 metres, he said.
Due to lack of proper information and adequate preparations, many people die due to the altitude sickness, said Dr Basnyat, also hinting to the pilgrims, who go to the high-altitude religious destinations like Gosai Kunda (4,300 meters), Damodar Kunda (4890 m), Mukti Nath (3900 m) and Mt Kailash (6714m) and die anonymous deaths. "They don't create a hype as climbers and these destinations never get proper attention. As a result, the problem is never addressed," he said, calling for equal focus of all concerned to make the pilgirms aware of this condition and rescue the affected ones.

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mati