A Medical Minute on High-Altitude Sickness
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Dr. Cupp |
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Dr. Moore |
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Dr. Zembles |
What is high-altitude or mountain sickness?
Sometimes people get sick at high altitudes such as in the mountains. This is called
mountain sickness or high-altitude sickness. Symptoms usually begin within 48 hours
of arriving at high altitude. The higher the altitude, the greater the effects. People
can notice effects when they go to an altitude of 7,000 to 8,000 feet. If you have
heart disease (such as heart failure) or lung disease (such as emphysema), you may
have symptoms at lower altitudes. Fortunately for most healthy individuals rarely
does this represent a serious problem under 9,000 to 10,000 feet.
What causes this problem?
Lack of oxygen causes high-altitude sickness. As altitude increases, the air becomes
"thinner," which means less oxygen is in the atmosphere. You get less oxygen
in your lungs with each breath, so the amount of oxygen in your blood declines. All
people can experience mountain sickness, but it may be more severe in people who have
heart or lung problems.
What are the symptoms?
- Headaches, breathlessness, fatigue
- Nausea or vomiting
- Inability to sleep
- Swelling of the face, hands and feet
- Both heart rate and breathing rate increase as the body tries to send more oxygen
to its tissues. At very high altitudes, body fluid can leak into the brain (called
brain or cerebral edema) or into the lungs (pulmonary edema). Both these conditions
can be serious or even life-threatening.
The best way to avoid or lessen the effects of mountain sickness is to increase altitude
slowly. Travelers can take more than one day to reach 8,000 feet, and then another
day for each 1,000 to 2,000 higher feet. Although this may not be an option for people
who travel to a high altitude destination, most people can adjust or "acclimatize"
to the high altitude within a few days. Here are some tips: Avoid strenuous activity
for the first day or two; drink extra fluid; and be careful of drinking alcohol. Its
effect is magnified at high altitude.
Usually no treatment is required as any symptoms clear up in a day or two. If the
individual starts becoming worse however treatment options include diuretics (a type
of “water pill” called Diamox), use of oxygen or going down to a lower
altitude. Even a few hundred feet can sometimes make a difference.
Team USA Hosted by Five Japan Cities for Host Town Program
Special Olympics Team USA is looking forward to visiting the following Japan cities
for the 2005 Special Olympics World Winter Games Host Town Program. Due to the size
of Team USA, our delegation had to be divided between 5 different Host Towns centered
around Matsumoto City and Chino City.
- Matsumoto City: Floor Hockey and Speed Skating teams
Located in central Nagano Prefecture, Matsumoto City, the second major city in Nagano
Prefecture, is surrounded by the Northern Japanese Alps. Matsumoto City is located
about one hour’s drive from Nagano City. It has a sister city relationship
with Salt Lake City. Highly thriving in Matsumoto City is cultural and international
exchange, including an annual world-class music festival. The city is also the center
of education and culture in Nagano Prefecture.
Matsumoto: http://www.city.matsumoto.nagano.jp/www_cbox/
- Chino City: Snowboarding and Snowshoeing teams
Located in middle-eastern Nagano Prefecture, Chino City, a highland region, lies
at the base of the Yatsugatake Mountains. Chino City is located about one and a
half hour’s drive from Nagano City. It has a sister city relationship with
Longmont, Colorado and often holds exchanges, such as student exchange and host
family programs with the U.S.A. With a ski field nearby, Chino City is conveniently
located for snow sports training.
Chino: http://www.city.chino.nagano.jp/index.html
Japanese language only
- Yamanouchi Town: Alpine Skiing team
Located in northern Nagano Prefecture, Yamanouchi Town is a popular destination
for skiing and tourism and has the site for Alpine skiing events of the upcoming
SO World Games as well as the 1998 Nagano Olympic Games. Yamanouchi Town is located
about one hour’s drive from Nagano City. It has a sister city relationship
with Sun Valley. There is a course named Sun Valley in the Shiga Kogen Ski Ground
which is the largest ski field in Japan. The town is the site for Alpine Skiing
events of the 2005 Games, providing an ideal environment for training.
Yamanouchi: http://www.town.yamanouchi.nagano.jp/
Japanese language only
- Karuizawa Town: Figure Skating team
Located in eastern Nagano Prefecture, Karuizawa Town is one of the highland resorts
representing Japan and had the Curling venue of the 1998 Games. Karuizawa Town is
located about 75-minute’s drive from Nagano City. It has several indoor skate
rinks, providing the best environment for ice sports training.
Karuizawa: website currently unavailable
Japanese language only
- Miasa Village: Cross Country Skiing team
Located in the middle-western Nagano Prefecture, Miasa Village lies between Nagano
City and Hakuba Village which is the site for Cross Country events of the 1998 Winter
Olympic Games and the 2005 SO Games. It takes you less than 15 minutes to get to
Snow Harp, the site for Cross Country Skiing events. The village has a sister city
relationship with Mendocino, California. It provides an outstanding environment
for training of cross country skiing. Many Americans have stayed in local homes
in Miasa Village.
Miasa: http://www.vill.miasa.nagano.jp/
In consideration of the need for athletes to recover from jet lag in preparation
for competition, flexible schedules will allow for plenty of rest and free time. There
will also be opportunities for team members to interact with local citizens and experience
Japanese culture. Because of the language barrier, the Games Organizing Committee
will generally serve as in intermediary for communication between Host Towns and delegations.
Kathy Meagher, Team USA Director, is the primary communication link for Host Town
and she will keep everyone updated on plans as we move closer to Games time.
The Games Organizing Committee has commissioned university professors to create
bilingual picture booklets in Japanese and each delegation’s official language
to support communication between athletes and their host families. We’re sure
their efforts will result in better communication and an enjoyable stay for all the
athletes. For more information about Nagano Prefecture and the surrounding area, visit
http://www.pref.nagano.jp/
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