Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
Altitude sickness, the mildest form being acute mountain sickness (AMS), is a harmful effect of high altitude, caused by rapid exposure to low amounts of oxygen at high elevation. [ 1 ] [ 2 ] [ 3 ] People's bodies can respond to high altitude in different ways.
Very high altitude = 3,500–5,500 metres (11,500–18,000 ft) Extreme altitude = above 5,500 metres (18,000 ft) Travel to each of these altitude regions can lead to medical problems, from the mild symptoms of acute mountain sickness to the potentially fatal high-altitude pulmonary edema and high-altitude cerebral edema .
Cases have also been reported between 1,500–2,500 metres or 4,900–8,200 feet in people who are at a higher risk or are more vulnerable to the effects of high altitude. Classically, HAPE occurs in persons normally living at low altitude who travel to an altitude above 2,500 meters (8,200 feet). [ 3 ]
High-altitude cerebral edema (HACE) is a medical condition in which the brain swells with fluid because of the physiological effects of traveling to a high altitude. It generally appears in patients who have acute mountain sickness and involves disorientation, lethargy, and nausea among other symptoms.
For premium support please call: 800-290-4726 more ways to reach us
[6] [7] Three types of medications are useful: antimuscarinics such as scopolamine, H 1 antihistamines such as dimenhydrinate, and amphetamines such as dexamphetamine. [3] Side effects, however, may limit the use of medications. [3] A number of medications used for nausea such as ondansetron are not effective for motion sickness. [3]
Scopolamine, also known as hyoscine, [9] or Devil's Breath, [10] is a natural or synthetically produced tropane alkaloid and anticholinergic drug that is used as a medication to treat motion sickness [11] and postoperative nausea and vomiting.
Meclizine, sold under the brand name Bonine, among others, is an antihistamine used to treat motion sickness and dizziness . [3] It is taken by mouth. [3] Effects generally begin in an hour and last for up to a day. [3] Common side effects include sleepiness and dry mouth. [3] Serious side effects may include allergic reactions. [3]