Altitude illnesses are usually caused by ascending to high to fast. What occurs in the body is that as you go higher in altitude the oxygen molecules remain the same but the barometric pressure decreases. This reduced pressure does not allow as much air into your lungs, which can therefore not absorb as much oxygen as the body needs. (Curtis, 1999). Hypoxia refers to a state in which oxygen supply is insufficient and hypoxemia is specific to low arterial oxygen supply (West, 1977). The figure to the following page shows the pathophysiology or the functional changes that accompany AMS and HACE (Basnyat & Murdoch, 2003).  For the body to properly oxygenate, breathing rate has to increase but not to the levels necessarily that you find at sea level so the body has to adjust to having less oxygen. A number of changes take place in the body that help it to adjust to decreased oxygen: depth of respiration increases, pressure in pulmonary arteries is increased, pushing blood into portions of the lung not normally used and the body will produce more red cells to carry oxygen. In addition, there is a particular enzyme that gets produced which facilitates the release of oxygen from hemoglobin to the body tissues. (Curtis, 2013). Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS) AMS occurs in 10-15% of unacclimatized individuals ascending to 8,000 feet and 50 to 85% ascending to heights of 14,000 to 18,000 feet (Honigman, Theis,Koziol-McLeain, 1993). Symptoms of AMS include headache, nausea, fatigue, vomiting, shortness of breath, dizziness, loss of appetite and sleep disturbance (Basnyat & Murdoch, 2003). Even if one doesn’t feel the effects during the day, they may have trouble sleeping at night, awake frequently, feel restlessness and experien... ... middle of paper ... ...nti-inflammatory drugs such as the acetazolamide mentioned above should also help for treatment. If symptoms are severe, immediately descend and get oxygen. If experiencing symptoms of HACE, descend immediately to lower altitudes, get oxygen with the medication dexamethasone. In cases of HAPE, again descend, get oxygen and nifedipine also helps with treatment as well as prevention (Basnyat & Murdoch, 2003). Lastly, most reputable high altitude travel companies carry along a Gamow Bag while on expedition. It is basically a sealed chamber that is pumped up full of air that increases the increases the concentration of oxygen molecules. A person is put inside and within a short period of time it stimulates an atmosphere of 3,000-4,000 feet. The effects of the bag can last up to 12 hours, giving a person time to walk down to lower elevations. (Curtis, 2013).
There acclimatization process is that they will make one day round trips to the next camp 2,000 feet up to acclimatize. When they set out for their first trip Krakauer see a lot of the group putting on new boots that have not been worn and he gets worried. Also a lot of them haven't climbed in over a year.
Also, hypoxia, which is a lack of oxygen, is another pathological physiological outcome of sepsis as less oxygen is reaching the tissue; this is due to the fact that there is less oxygen in the blood.
Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer is an adventurous story about a Mount Everest expedition gone wrong. The journey up the mountain is like previous trips, but once they reach the top of the mountain all hell breaks loose. A massive storm traps climbers stuck on the top of the mountain with little to no oxygen, no shelter, and nowhere to go. Oxygen depletion alone can kill someone and make them vulnerable to novice mistakes. Krakauer notices when he is lacking oxygen as he says, “The world beyond the rubber mask was stupendously vivid but seemed not quite real, as if a movie were being projected in slow motion across the front of my goggles. I felt drugged, disengaged, thoroughly insulated from external stimuli” (179). HACE, a medical condition in which the brain swells, is caused by a lack of oxygen and can kill people within 48 hours if not treated. With a lack of shelter, the climbers are exposed to Artic-like conditions.
Hypoxia is the sole physiologic stimulus for erythropoietin production, and an excess of oxygen suppresses its production but never completely.
Have you ever wanted to prove to everyone that you are a hard worker that is willing to give up everything to go on an adventure? If this is you than Everest is the perfect place for you. A great deal of Everest’s dangers are expressed in his book which should either inspire you to try this journey or sway you away from the treacherous mountain. In the story, “ Into Thin Air,” by Jon Krakauer a true story is told of a dangerous voyage up and down Everest. The climb up was arduous and long according to Jon, but the climbers sacrificed everything to get to the top, which most of the climbers achieved. However, emotions shifted when a storm swooped in and killed many of the climbers that were stuck on the summit, around 12-19 in total. The devices
Ventilation and perfusion, an essential contributing factor to living organisms, can be negatively effected by many different factors. Some diseases that effect ventilation and perfusion include congestive heart failure, coronary artery disease, peripheral vascular disease, pneumonia, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder, cystic fibrosis and emphysema to name a few. Each of these diseases negatively effect how our bodies would normally ventilate and perfuse. Ventilation is the body’s way of getting in the oxygen it needs to perfuse throughout your body. Ventilation happens in the respiratory system, mainly focusing on the lungs. Ventilation can be impacted by multiple factors, some including, inflammation of the airway, fluid in the lungs and a foreign body obstructing the airway. Perfusion is the way your body delivers oxygenated blood to tissues. Not only does it deliver oxygenated blood, but it also returns deoxygenated blood to the lungs to be reoxygenated, delivers different nutrients to your tissues and removes waste byproducts that are naturally made in the body.
There are also some risk factors that make you more susceptible to altitude sickness. Some of these risk factors are:
When diagnosed with hyponatremia treatment usually immediately begins. Treatment must be a restriction of both salt and water (Gheorghita et. al 2010). Hyponatremic patients must receive a slow increase in sodium with a restriction of liquids. Intravenous hypertonic saline solution of 3% NaCl can be administered to patients who have been diagnosed with hyponatremia. There is a precise formula that is used in determining the quantity of NaCl that is used in increasing sodemia and the rate at which it should be administered (Gheorghita et. al 2010).
I have decided to write about four conditions, three of which are detailed in “Survival of the Sickest”, a book written by Dr. Sharon Moalem about how genetic diseases may have evolved to help the human race survive in the past. The diseases which I chose are Hemochromatosis, Diabetes, Transposons, and Sickle cell anemia. I decided to write about hemochromatosis because of how it affects the body by overloading the body with iron, how it evolved in Vikings to minimize iron deficiencies, and how it spread across the population as the Vikings began inbreeding as they colonized Europe. I chose to write about diabetes because of how it may have evolved to prevent blood from freezing during the Last Ice Age, and because of the impact which it has on society. I wrote about transposons, despite the fact that these are not diseases, because of the role they play in the development of cancer, the way they are used in cancer research, and the way they have affected the evolution of life. Lastly, I decided to write about sickle cell anemia because of its interesting relationship with a disease which continues to run rampant in Africa.
Although the comorbidities and type of surgery dictate certain decisions in managing patient care, anesthesiologists maintain various modalities for the perioperative period. These consist of anything from local to regional anesthesia, including neuraxial techniques and peripheral nerve blocks, as well as monitored anesthesia care with sedation to general anesthesia. Overlapping of different anesthetic types and combinations of regional analgesics to supplement general anesthesia occur frequently.
Being hypothermic or having frostbite on any part of your body can be very dangerous. This is an interesting topic because it can happen to anyone at anytime and if your are not prepared for it, it can be life threatening. If you are just going out to play in the snow and you are not dressed warm enough or all your skin is not covered frostbite can develop and you are at risk of hypothermia. Even if it is not snowing and there is not a cloud in the sky you can develop hypothermia if it is cold enough. If you are going to go hiking or skiing you will want to be aware of what hypothermia is and what to do if you get frostbite as this can result in the amputation of limbs and fingers. When skiing up in Vermont over Christmas break while going down the mountain my fingers started hurting and they were very cold. My dad and I were going down to the base of mountain, it was our final run of the day. We were skiing in negative 20 degree weather. This sparked my interest in hypothermia and frostbite because if we had not decided to get off the mountain frostbite developed on my hands and fingers and I would have run the risk of maybe getting them amputated. The purpose of writing this paper is to show how dangerous and lethal hypothermia and frostbite are if not taken care of properly.
Second is short term insomnia less than 3 weeks caused by personal stress of an ongoing
The respiratory system has six major areas that works together that allows the body to breathe, prevent choking, and not to allow harmful debris to enter the respiratory system are some of the functions that the respiratory system does. The respiratory system is divided into two regions, the upper and lower respiratory. The upper respiratory consists of the Nose (nasal) and Pharynx while the lower respiratory embodies the rest of the system which includes the Larynx, Trachea, Bronchioles and Lungs. The information provided will be done by three individuals the upper respiratory tract will be provided by Mr. David Brown, the lower respiratory tract will be given by Ms. Brianna Agee and the infectious diseases will be provided by Mr. Derrek Woods.
It is true, of course, that performance enhancements can increase athletic ability, including stamina, strength and overall competitiveness. This puts an athlete at a competitive advantage over their competitors. Altitude training being one of many enhancements in sport is used to increase lung capacity, as well as increase training intensity. While at high altitudes the human body naturally increases the levels of erythropoietin, which is a chemical that releases red blood cells in the body. Red blood cells carry oxygen to the muscles, therefore increases oxygen levels in the muscles. Many people may not be aware of the serious dangers, and inconsistent, unpredictable results that accompany this enhancement. There are many possible outcomes of an athlete training at high altitude. One athlete may train at high altitude for months on end while following the suggested training, not have any symptom more than a headache, and return to sea level becoming a more valuable competitor. Another athlete could train following the same guidelines and be seriously ill, therefore not being able to train, reversing the purpose of altitude training. In fact adjustments to high altitudes are extremely difficult. Weight loss is unav...
Sleep is a very important factor in the human function. Our body and brain is able to reset itself and rejuvenate while we sleep. When we do not get the required amount of sleep, we start to feel lethargic and foggy minded, because our mind and body wasn’t able to replenish itself. Sleep is imperative that an insignificant rest deficiency or lack of sleep can affect our ability to remember things; decisions and can affect our temperament. Chronic sleep deficiency can get the body to feel agitated and it could lead to serious health problems such as, heart problems, stress, acne, and obesity.