Also referred to as mountain sickness, altitude sickness comprises symptoms when a person walks or climbs to a higher altitude or elevation too quickly. Altitude sickness is caused by the rapid change in air oxygen and air pressure at higher elevations. The higher a person goes, the air pressure drops, leading to low levels of oxygen.
Altitude sickness is divided into three types, namely acute mountain sickness (AMS), high altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE), and high-altitude cerebral edema (HACE). Some of the symptoms that a person may experience include dizziness, headache, nausea, fatigue, shortness of breath, and vomiting.
Although treatment for altitude sickness depends on the type, the main treatment involves moving the sick person to a lower elevation as quickly as possible. In case a patient requires more oxygen, acetazolamide can be prescribed by a health provider, which aids in increasing the breathing rate, allowing the patient to take in more oxygen.