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Physical Effects of High Elevation

Moving quickly from lower elevations to higher ones can cause unpleasant physical symptoms and sometimes-dangerous health conditions. The symptoms are so well recognized they have a name: Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS). Not everyone experiences AMS when changing to higher elevations and no known set of factors exists to determine who will develop AMS and who will not. Health risks apart from AMS can also result from remaining at high elevations.

  1. Physical Causes of AMS

    • Humans start experiencing symptoms of AMS at about 4,000 feet above sea level. As you rise in elevation, the barometric pressure of the air decreases and the air becomes thinner; that is, it contains less oxygen. This means that when you breathe, you take in fewer oxygen molecules and must breathe faster to get enough oxygen. Even breathing faster won't entirely replace your oxygen levels, however, so your body must operate with less oxygen than normal. Lower barometric pressure also causes capillaries in your body to leak fluid, although the reason for this is unknown.

    Physical Symptoms of AMS

    • Physical symptoms of AMS are quite unpleasant, but most are not life threatening. They include severe headache, dizziness, reduction or loss of appetite, inability to sleep, weakness, fatigue, lethargy and nausea. Children may experience vomiting. At very high altitudes, usually around 10,000 feet above sea level, the ability to think properly, or cognitive function, can become impaired. Due to the reduced barometric pressure, the fluid leakage from capillaries can cause build up of fluid in the brain and lungs. If not treated, this condition can prove deadly.

    Other Physical Effects

    • The air is drier at higher altitudes, which results in at least two circumstances that can cause health problems. One of these is dehydration, which you can prevent by drinking more fluids than you normally would. The dry air can also cause temperatures to drop at night. If you're not properly equipped for very cold nights, you may experience hypothermia. Severe sunburn can also occur at higher altitudes, since the thinner atmosphere blocks fewer ultraviolet rays.

    Exacerbation of Physical Effects

    • Dehydration causes some of the other symptoms of AMS, such as headache. Alcohol and other depressant drugs -- such as sleep aids -- can magnify the symptoms of AMS, since they tend to decrease respiration. The carbon dioxide in tobacco reduces the amount of oxygen in the bloodstream, which can further compromise an already lowered oxygen supply. People with heart, lung and circulatory diseases may experience AMS symptoms more quickly and their symptoms may be worse than those without these challenges.

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