Ankur Gupta's video: High Altitude Sickness : How to prevent it Take Altitude Seriously

High Altitude Sickness : How to prevent it? | Take Altitude Seriously! On our trip to Spiti in winter when air is thinner and conditions are harsher than normal; we were prepared for the worst. Although we have traveled to higher altitudes before, but in anticipation we consumed a tablet of Diamox each, a day prior to reaching Kaza. This was to ensure that the preventive action was taken before we moved on to ascend to Upper Spiti Regions (@14000+ feet above sea level) and thankfully it all went well without an incident. The effects of high altitude on humans are considerable. The percentage oxygen saturation of hemoglobin determines the content of oxygen in blood. After the human body reaches around 2,100 m (7,000 feet) above sea level, the saturation of oxyhemoglobin begins to plummet. This leads to the shortness of breath, dizziness and tiredness indicative of altitude sickness. ... But at high altitudes, the outside air pressure is lower than it is inside your lungs, making it more difficult to pull in the thinner air and for your veins to pump oxygen throughout the body. When we breathe in air at sea level, the atmospheric pressure causes oxygen to easily pass through selectively permeable lung membranes into the blood. At high altitudes, the lower air pressure makes it more difficult for oxygen to enter our vascular systems. Acclimatization is key to avoid High Altitude Sickness. During acclimatization over a few days to weeks, the body produces more red blood cells to counteract the lower oxygen saturation in blood in high altitudes. Full adaptation to high altitude is achieved when the increase of red blood cells reaches a plateau and stops. Medication to prevent High Altitude Sickness. Acetazolamide, or Diamox, is the standard medical prophylaxis agent for high altitude illness. The medication is effective in preventing acute mountain sickness (AMS), high altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE), and high altitude cerebral edema (HACE). The best way to prevent altitude sickness is to acclimatize and allow your body to adjust to the decreased levels of oxygen in high-altitude location. Ascend slowly, Sleep low, Take medication, Avoid alcohol & smoking, Delay exercise and consume a lot of water! Take Altitude Seriously! Facebook : http://www.facebook.com/absenceofdarkness Instagram : http://www.instagram.com/lighting_experiments Weblink : http://www.absenceofdarkness.com Please like, share, comment and subscribe! n thanks!!