Pressure Illnesses

At sea level, also known as 1 Atm, the overlying column of air exerts a pressure of 14.7 lbs/in2. This means that over every inch of your body you have almost 15 pounds pushing down on you!

Climbers slowly acclimatize to the difference in air pressure. On the summit of Mt. Everest the air pressure is 1/3 than at sea level.

SCUBA divers experience differences in air pressure, too! A a diver travels underwater the pressure increases by 1 Atm (14.7 lbs/in2) about every 10 meters or 33 feet.

Illnesses and Deep Water (High Pressure)

The Bends: illness that can affect divers or other people (such as miners) who are in a situation that involves pressure rapidly decreasing around the body.

Symptoms:

Caused by: nitrogen bubbles in the blood

aches & pains in joints, hard to move joints

Acclimation : adaptation to a new climate (a new temperature or

altitude environment)

The human body acclimates to higher altitudes by:

a. Producing more red blood cells to carry oxygen through the body

b. Increasing respiratory volume (air in lungs)

c. Changes in blood pressure

Mount Everest is 29,035 ft high (8850 meters). It is the tallest mountain in the world!

The tallest mountain in New York is Mt. Marcy, at an elevation of 5344 ft. (1,629 m.)

The tallest mountain in the continental U.S. is Mt. Whitney at 14,491 ft. (4417 m.) in California.

The tallest mountain in all of the U.S. is Mt. McKinley (aka: Denali) at 20,320 ft. (6194 m.) in Alaska.

Mt. Everest

On Top of the World

Himalaya Mountain Range

http://www.colemaneverest.com/coleman/everest/team_video.asp

Elevation: 29,035 ft (8850m)

High altitude is defined as:

High Altitude: 1500 - 3500 m (5000 - 11500 ft)Very High Altitude: 3500 - 5500 m (11500 - 18000 ft)Extreme Altitude: above 5500 m

Practically speaking, however, we generally don't worry much about elevations below about 2500 m (8000 ft) since altitude illness rarely occurs lower than this. 

High Altitude Illness can result fromRapid Ascent

Hypoxia: Low oxygen (O2) levels in the body

Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS)Generally occurs above 8000 ft. (2500 m.)

Symptoms: Prevention:Headache Slow ascent

Loss of appetite, nausea, or vomiting Proper hydrationDizziness or light-headedness

Difficulty sleeping

Treatment:Rest

Pain relievers (ibuprofen)

High Altitude Pulmonary Edema (HAPE)Most altitude related deaths occur from HAPE

Symptoms: Treatment:Shortness of breath Rapid, immediate descent!

Dry, intense coughing OxygenFatigue Keeping warm

Mild fever Gamow bagIncreased heart and respiratory rate

High Altitude Cerebral Edema (HACE)Considered to be the end stages of AMS

Symptoms: Treatment:Same as AMS Rapid and immediate descent!

Confusion OxygenHallucination Gamow bag

Unsteady gait (loss of balance)Extreme fatigue progressing to unconsciousness

Gammow Bag

The Trash on Mt. Everest

Empty bottles litter the ground on the South Col route to the summit of Mount Everest. According to some estimates, more than 50 tons of non-biodegradable trash were abandoned on the mountain between the 1950s and the mid-1990s.

Overlooking the South Col

1963

1994