Are you travelling at high altitudes? Know how to tackle medical emergencies

Gear yourself up with these useful tips to survive at high altitude places.

By: Aishwarya Vaidya | | Published: May 8, 2018 5:47 pm

Many people reside at high altitudes and a lot of us travel to high altitudes, for trekking, mountaineering, recreation, and so on. Any medical emergency like breathlessness, vomiting, dizziness,chest tightness or congestion can occur at high altitude places which can be life-threatening. Dr Pradeep Bhardwaj, CEO, Six Sigma Healthcare, gives details.

Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS): It’s caused by a lack of oxygen. AMS includes headache and any one of the following symptoms – nausea, tiredness, sleeplessness or dizziness, occurring at altitudes of around 8000 ft or higher.
High Altitude Cerebral Edema (HACE): Is the swelling of the brain which takes place due to travelling to a high altitude.
(High Altitude Pulmonary Edema): Low oxygen causes the pulmonary artery to narrow and these results in exudation of blood near the smaller branches of the lungs (the alveoli). If the exudation continues, blood may escape into the alveoli leading to a cough with watery, blood-tinged phlegm. Such exudation, or “water logging” of the lung tissue interferes further with oxygenation. And one may experience difficulty while breathing.

5 things that people should keep in mind:

Ensure you are physically fit
Get yourself trained for high altitude survival in case of any calamities or emergencies
Wear a good waterproof clothing
One should be acquainted with the basic training of health, CPR (Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation) and first aid
Follow a healthy diet with a daily intake of 4-5 litres of water
Ensure you are well-equipped with safety gears
Connect to your nearest medical camp
Keep on updating your location
Don’t overexert yourself
Keep your medicines handy

Read: 7 causes of breathing problems and signs of breathing difficulty

What to avoid:

Trekking without preparation
Junk food
Alcohol consumption
Individual movements in high altitude
Venturing out in bad weather conditions

“Six Sigma Healthcare provides free high altitude medical services to all needy people on high altitudes. Till now, it has saved more than 5,600 victims,” says Dr Pradeep Bhardwaj. He started “High Altitude Medical Rescue Services” which provides free high altitude medical services across India.

Read: Outdoor cardio workouts to help you lose weight if you hate running

Published : May 8, 2018 5:47 pm

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