Contents:
- Medical Video: 5 Shifting Problems You'll Have And How To Solve Them
- Various health risks from mountain climbing
- 1. Hypothermia
- 2. Vertigo
- 3. Ringing ears (Tinnitus)
- 4. Barotrauma
- 5. Mountain Sickness (AMS)
- 6. Upland pulmonary edema (HAPE /High Altitude Pulmonary Edema)
- 7. Upland brain edema (HACE /High Altitude Cerebral Edema)
Medical Video: 5 Shifting Problems You'll Have And How To Solve Them
Climbing the mountain requires extra preparation because you will explore the forest by carrying heavy loads. But besides preparing yourself, you also need to be aware of the health risks that might occur while on the mountain and make sure that you are always ready for whatever activities you do up there. Here are seven health problems that may arise when riding a mountain that you should be aware of.
Various health risks from mountain climbing
1. Hypothermia
During mountain climbing, you will continue to be exposed to cold temperatures, heavy winds and unpredictable rainfall. Basically, exposure to continuous cold temperatures from an outside environment that is lower than body temperature can cause hypothermia, if your clothes are not right or you cannot control the condition of the body.
The body shivering may be the first symptom of hypothermia that you feel when the temperature starts to fall because shivering is your body's automatic defense response to warm yourself.
In the beginning, shivering is usually followed by fatigue, a little confusion, lack of coordination, speech slurred, rapid breathing, and cold or pale skin. But when your body temperature drops too low to below 35ºC, your heart, nervous system and other organs cannot work optimally.
If not treated as soon as possible, hypothermia can be life threatening because it causes shock and total failure in the function of the heart and respiratory system.
2. Vertigo
Vertigo is a feeling of faltering or a spinning sensation when the body is not moving or there is no movement around, or body movements that are not natural to respond to other movements. For example, being at a height, looking down from a high place, or staring far away at a high point / object can cause a special head sensation with vertigo.
One masalahnya located in the inner ear. The inner ear helps regulate the body's balance. If this doesn't work well, you can feel dizzy spinning or faltering. You may also experience hearing problems or dizziness symptoms that increase when the head is tilted at a certain position.
The sensation of a spinning head can be dangerous when it occurs on the mountain because it can easily cause disorientation. The best way to avoid vertigo on a mountain is to not go up the mountain if you have headaches, migraines, fever, or allergies that have not been treated.
3. Ringing ears (Tinnitus)
Tinnitus is a relentless ear ringing disorder. As with vertigo, if you are desperate to go up in a mountain when you have a headache or have other ear problems, you can risk experiencing this.
When you are thousands of kilometers high, external air pressure squeezes the air in the ear canal, causing a sensation of pressure and pain in the head and ears. You must equalize the pressure in this room with various methods, such as pinching your nostrils while gently blowing your nose. If you do this right, you can resist increasing pressure without problems.
However, sinus congestion caused by a cold, flu, or, allergies can interfere with your ability to equalize the pressure so that it can cause damage to the eardrum.
4. Barotrauma
Barotrauma can attack mountain climbers when they are at an altitude of more than 2,000 meters above sea level. Barotrauma refers to injuries caused by a drastic increase in air or water pressure, such as when riding a mountain or diving. Barotrauma ears are the most common type.
The change in pressure creates a vacuum in the middle ear that pulls the eardrum inward. This can cause pain and can reduce sound. Your ears will feel crowded and you may feel as if you need to blow up a "hot air balloon" in that ear. The same sensation is also common when you are on an airplane.
In the case of more severe barotrauma, the middle ear can be filled with clear fluid when the body tries to equalize the pressure on both sides of the eardrum. This fluid is taken from a blood vessel in the inner ear layer, and can only flow if the eustachian tube is open. The fluid behind the eardrum is called serous otitis media. This condition can cause pain and hearing difficulties similar to middle ear infections.
5. Mountain Sickness (AMS)
Mountain sickness (AMS) occurs when climbers are staying or staying overnight at a certain height, especially at an altitude between 2400 to 3000 meters above sea level (masl). AMS can happen to anyone, regardless of age. However, some studies suggest AMS is more common in women than men. AMS is caused by decreasing oxygen levels and decreasing air pressure when climbing to a higher place.
Symptoms and signs of AMS usually occur within a few hours to 1 day, can be mild to severe symptoms. AMS symptoms include headache, dizziness, fatigue, frequent waking during sleep, loss of appetite, to nausea and vomiting.
AMS may reappear if you rise to a higher altitude. The higher the charge, the thinner the oxygen level. If not handled properly, AMS can be fatal and cause edema of the brain and lungs.
6. Upland pulmonary edema (HAPE /High Altitude Pulmonary Edema)
Upland pulmonary edema (HAPE) is one of the complications of AMS when climbing. Pulmonary edema is caused by the accumulation of excess fluid in the lungs. HAPE may appear on its own without first being followed by symptoms of AMS (this occurs in more than 50% of cases). HAPE is the most deadly altitude disease, but is often misunderstood as pneumonia.
The most important sign of HAPE to watch out for is shortness of breath. In addition, fatigue, weakness, and dry cough can also be an early warning sign of this condition. HAPE can develop very quickly, around 1-2 hours, or gradually only in a day.
This condition often manifests itself on the second night at a new height. HAPE can also appear when you come down from a height. HAPE is more likely to occur in people who have colds or have chest infections.
7. Upland brain edema (HACE /High Altitude Cerebral Edema)
Brain edema occurs when there is a buildup of excess fluid in your brain. Severe HAPE cases can progress to HACE, aka brain edema. But HACE may appear on its own without being preceded by symptoms of HAPE or AMS.
HACE signs and symptoms include severe headaches that do not improve with medication, loss of body coordination (ataxia) such as difficulty walking or easy fall, decreased level of consciousness (difficulty remembering, confusion, drowsiness, dumb / unconscious), nausea and vomiting, blurred vision , until hallucinations.
HACE often occurs when mountaineers are at an altitude in the last few days. Downhill is the most effective treatment of HACE and HAPE, and this should not be delayed.
