Acute mountain sickness
Alternate Names : High altitude cerebral edema, Altitude anoxia, Altitude sickness, Mountain sickness, High altitude pulmonary edema
Symptoms & Signs
Symptoms generally associated with mild to moderate altitude illness include: - Difficulty sleeping
- Dizziness or light-headedness
- Fatigue
- Headache
- Loss of appetite
- Nausea or vomiting
- Rapid pulse (heart rate)
- Shortness of breath with exertion
Symptoms generally associated with more severe altitude illness include: - Bluish discoloration of the skin (cyanosis)
- Chest tightness or congestion
- Confusion
- Cough
- Coughing up blood
- Decreased consciousness or withdrawal from social interaction
- Gray or pale complexion
- Inability to walk in a straight line, or to walk at all
- Shortness of breath at rest
Diagnosis & Tests
Listening to the chest with a stethoscope (auscultation) reveals sounds called crackles (rales) in the lung, which can mean pulmonary edema. A chest x-ray may be performed.
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