Acute mountain sickness is usually a self-limiting condition.
It tends to occur at altitudes higher than 2500m and develops gradually over 6 to 12 hours.
Symptoms are:
- headache
- nausea
- fatigue
Ironically, fitter people are more at risk.
Risk can be decreased by gaining altitude at no more than 500m/day
Acetazolamide (a carbonic anhydrase inhibitor) can also help prevent.
The treatment is to descend.
HAPE = High Altitude Pulmonary oEdema
HAPE presents like pulmonary oedema.
Treatment is:
- rapid descent
- nifedipine
- dexamethasone
- acetazolamide
- phosphodiesterase type V inhibitors (=tadalafil)
HACE = High Altitude Cerebral oEdema
This presents as headache, ataxia and papilloedema
Treatment is descent and dexamethasone.
Now for some trisomies....
