Acute mountain sickness (AMS) is the most common form of illness at high altitude; however, it is still unclear whether age is a protective factor or a risk factor for the development of AMS in travellers. The condition generally occurs at altitudes higher than 8,000 feet (ft), or 2,500 meters (m), and is usually due to a lack of oxygen. A person who is not used to high altitudes is most at risk of developing altitude sickness. Mountain sickness is also called high altitude sickness, referring to the impact of environment on the body health at high elevation. Altitude illness is divided into 3 syndromes: acute mountain sickness, high-altitude cerebral edema (HACE), and high-altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE). Mountain climbers are at risk of developing altitude sickness. Altitude sickness is caused by ascending too rapidly, which doesn't allow the body enough time to adjust to reduced oxygen and changes in air pressure. Symptoms include headache, vomiting, insomnia and reduced performance and coordination. Generally, it is classified into three categories based on the onset condition, namely acute mountain sickness, high-altitude cerebral edema (HACE) and high-altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE). Hypoxic sleep disruption contributes to the symptoms of acute mountain sickness. Hypoxemia at high altitude is most severe during sleep. The sickness signifies that the human body has yet to adapt to the environment at 2500 meters or above in elevation, where low air pressure and oxygen will impair body functions. Mild cases can be treated according to symptoms (such as with painkillers for a headache), which usually go away on their own within a few days. Medicines specific for altitude sickness are also available. Acetazolamide is used to prevent and reduce the symptoms of altitude sickness. This medication can decrease headache, tiredness, nausea, dizziness, and shortness of breath that can occur when you climb quickly to high altitudes.
Published in | Journal of Family Medicine and Health Care (Volume 9, Issue 1) |
DOI | 10.11648/j.jfmhc.20230901.14 |
Page(s) | 23-27 |
Creative Commons |
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited. |
Copyright |
Copyright © The Author(s), 2023. Published by Science Publishing Group |
Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS), High-Altitude Cerebral Edema (HACE), High-Altitude Pulmonary Edema (HAPE), High Altitude Sickness, Lake Louise Acute Mountain Sickness Score
[1] | Davis C, Hackett P. Advances in the prevention and treatment of high altitude illness. Emergency Medicine Clinics 2017; 35 (2): 241-60. |
[2] | Roach RC, Hackett PH, Oelz O, et al. The 2018 Lake Louise acute mountain sickness score. High altitude medicine & biology 2018; 19 (1): 4-6. |
[3] | Imray C, Wright A, Subudhi A, et al. Acute mountain sickness: pathophysiology, prevention, and treatment. Progress in cardiovascular diseases 2010; 52 (6): 467-84. |
[4] | Bärtsch P, Saltin B. General introduction to altitude adaptation and mountain sickness. Scandinavian journal of medicine & science in sports 2008; 18: 1-10. |
[5] | Hackett PH, Roach RC. High-altitude illness. NEJM 2001; 345 (2): 107-14. |
[6] | Gallagher SA, Hackett PH. High-altitude illness. Emergency Medicine Clinics 2004; 22 (2): 329-55. |
[7] | Naeije R, Vanderpool R. Pulmonary hypertension and chronic mountain sickness. High altitude medicine & biology 2013; 14 (2): 117-25. |
[8] | Fiore DC, Hall SL, Shoja P. Altitude illness: risk factors, prevention, presentation, and treatment. American Family Physician 2010; 82 (9): 1103-10. |
[9] | Turner RE, Gatterer H, Falla M, Lawley JS. High-altitude cerebral edema: its own entity or end-stage acute mountain sickness?. Journal of Applied Physiology 2021; 131 (1): 313-25. |
[10] | Zubieta-Calleja G, Zubieta-DeUrioste N. RETRACTED: Acute Mountain Sickness, High Altitude Pulmonary Edema, and High Altitude Cerebral Edema: A view from the High Andes. Respiratory Physiology & Neurobiology 2021; 287: 1-8. |
[11] | Carod-Artal FJ. High-altitude headache and acute mountain sickness. Neurología (English Edition) 2014; 29 (9): 533-40. |
[12] | Cobb AB, Levett DZ, Mitchell K, Aveling W, Hurlbut D, Gilbert‐Kawai E, et al. Physiological responses during ascent to high altitude and the incidence of acute mountain sickness. Physiological reports 2021; 9 (7): e14809. |
[13] | Lipman GS, Jurkiewicz C, Winstead-Derlega C, Navlyt A, Burns P, Walker A, et al. Day of ascent dosing of acetazolamide for prevention of acute mountain sickness. High Altitude Medicine & Biology 2019; 20 (3): 271-8. |
[14] | Toussaint CM, Kenefick RW, Petrassi FA, Muza SR, Charkoudian N. Altitude, acute mountain sickness, and acetazolamide: recommendations for rapid ascent. High Altitude Medicine & Biology 2021; 22 (1): 5-13. |
[15] | Yan X. Cognitive impairments at high altitudes and adaptation. High altitude medicine & biology 2014; 15 (2): 141-5. |
[16] | Berger MM, Sareban M, Bärtsch P. Acute mountain sickness: Do different time courses point to different pathophysiological mechanisms? Journal of Applied Physiology 2020; 128 (4): 952-9. |
[17] | Chen HC, Lin WL, Wu JY, et al. Change in oxygen saturation does not predict acute mountain sickness on Jade Mountain. Wilderness & environmental medicine 2012; 23 (2): 122-7. |
[18] | Hsu TY, Weng YM, Li WC, et al. Rate of ascent and acute mountain sickness at high altitude. International Sport Med Journal 2014; 15 (3), 205-24. |
[19] | Barry PW, Pollard AJ. Altitude illness. Bmj 2003; 326 (7395): 915-9. |
[20] | Yang J, Jia Z, Song X, Shi J, Wang X, Zhao X, et al. Proteomic and clinical biomarkers for acute mountain sickness in a longitudinal cohort. Communications Biology 2022; 5 (1): 548. |
[21] | Basnyat B, Murdoch DR. High-altitude illness. The Lancet 2003; 361 (9373): 1967-74. |
[22] | Hackett PH, Roach RC. High altitude cerebral edema. High altitude medicine & biology 2004; 5 (2), 136-146. |
[23] | Joyce KE, Lucas SJE, Imray CHE, et al. Advances in the available non-biological pharmacotherapy prevention and treatment of acute mountain sickness and high altitude cerebral and pulmonary oedema. Expert Opinion on Pharmacotherapy 2018; 19 (17): 1891-1902. |
[24] | Luks AM, McIntosh SE, Grissom CK et al. Wilderness Medical Society practice guidelines for the prevention and treatment of acute altitude illness: 2014 update. Wilderness Environ Med. 2014; 25: S4-14. |
[25] | Burtscher M, Philadelphy M, Gatterer H, Burtscher J, Faulhaber M, Nachbauer, W, et al. Physiological responses in humans acutely exposed to high altitude (3480 m): minute ventilation and oxygenation are predictive for the development of acute mountain sickness. High altitude medicine & biology 2019; 20 (2): 192-7. |
[26] | Grace D. Primary care attitudes towards the prescription of acetazolamide for altitude illness. Authorea Preprints 2022: 1-11. |
[27] | Hou YP, Wu JL, Tan C, Chen Y, Guo R, Luo YJ. Sex-based differences in the prevalence of acute mountain sickness: a meta-analysis. Military Medical Research 2019; 6: 1-12. |
[28] | Bärtsch P, Swenson ER. Acute high-altitude illnesses. New England Journal of Medicine 2013; 368 (24): 2294-2302. |
[29] | Gianfredi V, Albano L, Basnyat B, Ferrara P. Does age have an impact on acute mountain sickness? A systematic review. Journal of travel medicine 2020; 27 (6): taz104. |
[30] | Richalet JP, Julia C, Lhuissier FJ. Evaluation of the Lake Louise score for acute mountain sickness and its 2018 version in a cohort of 484 trekkers at high altitude. High Altitude Medicine & Biology 2021; 22 (4): 353-61. |
[31] | Wu SH, Lin YC, Weng YM, et al. The impact of physical fitness and body mass index in children on the development of acute mountain sickness: a prospective observational study. BMC pediatrics 2015; 15 (1): 1-8. |
[32] | Chan CW, Lin YC, Chiu YH, et al. Incidence and risk factors associated with acute mountain sickness in children trekking on Jade Mountain, Taiwan. Journal of travel medicine 2016; 23 (1): tav008. |
[33] | Kao WF, Huang JH, Kuo TB, et al. Real-time electrocardiogram transmission from Mount Everest during continued ascent. Plos one 2013; 8 (6): e66579. |
[34] | MacInnis MJ, Lanting SC, Rupert JL, et al. Is poor sleep quality at high altitude separate from acute mountain sickness? Factor structure and internal consistency of the Lake Louise Score Questionnaire. High Altitude Medicine & Biology 2013; 14 (4): 334-7. |
[35] | Liu B, Xu G, Sun B, Wu G, Chen J, Gao Y. Clinical and biochemical indices of people with high-altitude experience linked to acute mountain sickness. Travel Medicine and Infectious Disease 2023; 51: 102506. |
[36] | Penaloza D, Arias-Stella J. The heart and pulmonary circulation at high altitudes: healthy highlanders and chronic mountain sickness. Circulation 2007; 115 (9): 1132-46. |
[37] | Zafren K. Prevention of high altitude illness. Travel medicine and infectious disease 2014; 12 (1): 29-39. |
APA Style
Da-Ming Liao, Chieh Chen. (2023). Diagnosis and Management of Mountain Sickness - A Review. Journal of Family Medicine and Health Care, 9(1), 23-27. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jfmhc.20230901.14
ACS Style
Da-Ming Liao; Chieh Chen. Diagnosis and Management of Mountain Sickness - A Review. J. Fam. Med. Health Care 2023, 9(1), 23-27. doi: 10.11648/j.jfmhc.20230901.14
AMA Style
Da-Ming Liao, Chieh Chen. Diagnosis and Management of Mountain Sickness - A Review. J Fam Med Health Care. 2023;9(1):23-27. doi: 10.11648/j.jfmhc.20230901.14
@article{10.11648/j.jfmhc.20230901.14, author = {Da-Ming Liao and Chieh Chen}, title = {Diagnosis and Management of Mountain Sickness - A Review}, journal = {Journal of Family Medicine and Health Care}, volume = {9}, number = {1}, pages = {23-27}, doi = {10.11648/j.jfmhc.20230901.14}, url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jfmhc.20230901.14}, eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.jfmhc.20230901.14}, abstract = {Acute mountain sickness (AMS) is the most common form of illness at high altitude; however, it is still unclear whether age is a protective factor or a risk factor for the development of AMS in travellers. The condition generally occurs at altitudes higher than 8,000 feet (ft), or 2,500 meters (m), and is usually due to a lack of oxygen. A person who is not used to high altitudes is most at risk of developing altitude sickness. Mountain sickness is also called high altitude sickness, referring to the impact of environment on the body health at high elevation. Altitude illness is divided into 3 syndromes: acute mountain sickness, high-altitude cerebral edema (HACE), and high-altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE). Mountain climbers are at risk of developing altitude sickness. Altitude sickness is caused by ascending too rapidly, which doesn't allow the body enough time to adjust to reduced oxygen and changes in air pressure. Symptoms include headache, vomiting, insomnia and reduced performance and coordination. Generally, it is classified into three categories based on the onset condition, namely acute mountain sickness, high-altitude cerebral edema (HACE) and high-altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE). Hypoxic sleep disruption contributes to the symptoms of acute mountain sickness. Hypoxemia at high altitude is most severe during sleep. The sickness signifies that the human body has yet to adapt to the environment at 2500 meters or above in elevation, where low air pressure and oxygen will impair body functions. Mild cases can be treated according to symptoms (such as with painkillers for a headache), which usually go away on their own within a few days. Medicines specific for altitude sickness are also available. Acetazolamide is used to prevent and reduce the symptoms of altitude sickness. This medication can decrease headache, tiredness, nausea, dizziness, and shortness of breath that can occur when you climb quickly to high altitudes.}, year = {2023} }
TY - JOUR T1 - Diagnosis and Management of Mountain Sickness - A Review AU - Da-Ming Liao AU - Chieh Chen Y1 - 2023/03/03 PY - 2023 N1 - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jfmhc.20230901.14 DO - 10.11648/j.jfmhc.20230901.14 T2 - Journal of Family Medicine and Health Care JF - Journal of Family Medicine and Health Care JO - Journal of Family Medicine and Health Care SP - 23 EP - 27 PB - Science Publishing Group SN - 2469-8342 UR - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jfmhc.20230901.14 AB - Acute mountain sickness (AMS) is the most common form of illness at high altitude; however, it is still unclear whether age is a protective factor or a risk factor for the development of AMS in travellers. The condition generally occurs at altitudes higher than 8,000 feet (ft), or 2,500 meters (m), and is usually due to a lack of oxygen. A person who is not used to high altitudes is most at risk of developing altitude sickness. Mountain sickness is also called high altitude sickness, referring to the impact of environment on the body health at high elevation. Altitude illness is divided into 3 syndromes: acute mountain sickness, high-altitude cerebral edema (HACE), and high-altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE). Mountain climbers are at risk of developing altitude sickness. Altitude sickness is caused by ascending too rapidly, which doesn't allow the body enough time to adjust to reduced oxygen and changes in air pressure. Symptoms include headache, vomiting, insomnia and reduced performance and coordination. Generally, it is classified into three categories based on the onset condition, namely acute mountain sickness, high-altitude cerebral edema (HACE) and high-altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE). Hypoxic sleep disruption contributes to the symptoms of acute mountain sickness. Hypoxemia at high altitude is most severe during sleep. The sickness signifies that the human body has yet to adapt to the environment at 2500 meters or above in elevation, where low air pressure and oxygen will impair body functions. Mild cases can be treated according to symptoms (such as with painkillers for a headache), which usually go away on their own within a few days. Medicines specific for altitude sickness are also available. Acetazolamide is used to prevent and reduce the symptoms of altitude sickness. This medication can decrease headache, tiredness, nausea, dizziness, and shortness of breath that can occur when you climb quickly to high altitudes. VL - 9 IS - 1 ER -