What causes High-Altitude Sickness?
Source: American Academy of Family Physicians (see links below) The higher you climb above sea level, the less oxygen there is in the air. The oxygen level becomes very low at altitudes above 2,500-3,000m. This causes problems for people who normally live at lower altitudes because their bodies aren’t used to working on so little oxygen. If you stay at a high altitude for a long time, your body gets used to the low oxygen level, and you don’t get sick from it. The following are the 3 main types of high-altitude illness: Acute mountain sickness High-altitude pulmonary edema (also called HAPE), which affects the lungs High-altitude cerebral edema (also called HACE), which affects the brain These illnesses can be serious, but they can also be prevented. Source: Princeton Outdoor Action Guide to High Altitude (see links below) Altitude is defined on the following scale High (2,438 – 3,658 meters), Very High (3,658 – 5,487 meters), and Extremely High (5,500+ meters). Since few people have b
