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Altitude kills, and not just on Everest
08:19 a.m. EST Jan 25, 2004
Altitude is no joke! A week or two ago a man died of a combination of both HAPE and HACE. The thing is he wasn’t on an 8000m peak, or even a 7000m peak – he was on vacation at a ski resort in Colorado, a mere 2500m.
A resident of Dallas, Tx, the man was on vacation and started feeling ill soon after arriving in Crested Butte, a Colorado ski resort. He never sought treatment and died a few days later. While this unfortunate incident is rare, especially at such a low elevation – it proves that altitude doesn’t discriminate. Last spring on Everest, only a handful of people died. Two of the deaths happened because the victims went too fast up to Base Camp, at around 5000m.
AMS, altitude sickness, is a killer. No matter who you are, or even where you are – it can strike at any time and effects everybody differently. The most important thing is to be aware of the signs and symptoms, gain elevation slowly, and treat it properly – even if it means having to descend to a lower elevation. Both MountEverest.net and BaseCampMD.com, the official website for the Everest Base Camp Medical clinic have loads of information about AMS, why it happens, how to detect it, and what to do about it. Follow the links on the left to learn more.
AMS, Acute Mountain Sickness occurs when the body isn’t given enough time to acclimate to a higher elevation. If not treated properly, it can result in death.
Image of an Everest Base Camp volunteer checking a climber for signs of AMS courtesy of BaseCampMd.com.
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