This summer, in the choice of their holidays, the French give pride of place to wide open spaces, the mountains in mind. A trend that should not be taken lightly: those who aspire to climb the highest peaks take the risk of rubbing themselves with altitude sickness. Why doctor takes stock.
With the health crisis, the trend for summer holidays is for wide open spaces, especially in the mountains. If the more adventurous decide to tackle the highest peaks of the Alps, dominated by Mont Blanc and its 4,807 meters of altitude, they also take the risk of rubbing themselves with altitude sickness. The latter generally manifests itself above 2,000 meters in altitude.
The reason: the decrease in atmospheric pressure linked to the increase in altitude. This phenomenon causes a rarefaction of the air, which is at the origin of a drop in oxygen. “About 20% of people who climb up to 2,500 meters and 40% of those who climb up to 3,000 meters have some form of altitude sickness.can we read in the medical book MSD Manual.
“The best way to avoid altitude sickness is to climb slowly”
This is manifested by headaches, fatigue, nausea, loss of appetite, even irritability. In some cases, the symptoms can go as far as shortness of breath, confusion and coma. If several factors increase the likelihood of developing one of the severe forms of mountain sickness, such as climbing too quickly, overexerting or sleeping at too high an altitude, it is also possible to prevent its occurrence.
“The best way to avoid altitude sickness is to climb slowly. The altitude at which people sleep is more important than the maximum altitude reached during the day”, says the MSD Manual. Thus, above 3,000 meters, it is advisable not to increase its altitude to sleep by more than 300 to 500 meters per day. Another obligation: include a rest day, so sleep at the same height, every three or four nights before sleeping at any higher altitude.
Take medication for prevention
“If it is not possible to limit the daily ascent to less than 500 meters, then the average daily ascent over the entire duration of the ascent must be less than 500 meters”, says the medical book. For this, do not hesitate to allow more time to descend to a lower altitude to sleep. In addition to this precaution, it is possible to take certain medications the night before the ascent, such as acetazolamide or dexamethasone.
Moreover, if the first symptoms have already appeared, it is not too late to ingest them. Be careful though: the acetazolamide treatment must be interrupted at the beginning of the descent or after having spent a few days at the maximum altitude. Finally, in case of mild symptoms, it is advisable to stop the ascent and administer fluids. If you develop acute mountain sickness that is slow to subside, it is more reasonable to descend to a lower altitude and take medication.
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