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Mountains > Lesson 4 > Flashcards

Lesson 4 Flashcards

1
Q

What are the things that happen to your body at high altitude
->name the two

A

1) Increase in breathing

2) Increase in hemoglobin and red blood cell mass

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2
Q

What are the negative consequences of high altitude

A
  • blood pressure becomes higher
  • pressure in the lungs becomes higher
  • initially very prone to all aspects of altitude illness
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3
Q

Is Acute Mountain Sickness common in people who go to trek up to high altitudes

A
  • yes
  • > pretty much a really bad hangover
  • > headaches, nausea, vomiting, dizziness and milder symptoms come with it
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4
Q

What is plasma

A
  • the liquid component of our blood
  • > delivers oxygen to our tissues
  • > only 3%

-the rest is delivered by hemoglobin

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5
Q

What is air comprised of

A

-78% nitrogen and 21% oxygen

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6
Q

What is respiration

A
  • how oxygen is transported from the air into our tissues
  • in humans, the respiratory system consist of our lungs and a series of connected tubes that transfer air to and from the lungs
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7
Q

How does the movement of oxygen and other gases between the alveoli and the bloodstream occur

A
  • it occurs through diffusion

- >gasses move from an area of high concentration to low concentration

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8
Q

What are the two factors that determine the rate at which oxygen diffuses into the blood

A
  • it depends on surface area of the tissue across which diffusion occurs
  • and also the concentration gradient

-larger surface area or steeper concentration gradient will increase the rate of diffusion

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9
Q

Why does decreased atmospheric pressure reduce our ability to uptake oxygen?

A
  • at increased altitudes, the atmospheric pressure is decreased
  • partial pressure of oxygen in the venous blood returning to or entering the lungs is similar both at sea level and higher altitudes
  • > this means that the concentration gradient of oxygen between the lungs and the blood is reduced at higher altitudes
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10
Q

What is hypoxia

A

-tissues deprived of oxygen

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11
Q

What is acclimatization

A
  • physiological responses in our bodies to help us adjust to low levels of oxygen
  • > some physiological responses to hypoxia kick in immediately, while other responses occuring more slowly
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12
Q

What is the tidal volume

A
  • the amount of air that is moved in and out of the lungs in each breath
  • > average tidal volume is 500 milliliters
  • > only about 350 milliliters reaches the alveoli to deliver oxygen into the bloodstream
  • > the other 150 milliiters is called dead space because it remains in the airway where gas exchange does not occur
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13
Q

What is the primary response to hypoxia

A
  • increasing tidal volume
  • > once this limit is reached, the only way to further increase oxygen uptake is to increase our breathing rate

-in addition to breathing faster and more deeply, increased heart rate is a relatively rapid response to low oxygen conditions

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14
Q

Does work reduce at higher altitudes

A
  • yes
  • > the capacity to perform work at high altitudes may be suppressed even more in individuals who have breathing conditions such as asthma
  • > asthma can limit how much they can increasing their breathing rate or tidal volume
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15
Q

What is Acute Mountain Sickness

A
  • one in four people who travel to altitudes higher than 2500 meters experience this illness
  • > the most common symptom is a headache
  • > can also be accompanied by fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, dizziness, vomiting, egc
  • > these symptoms usually begin a few hours after ascent
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16
Q

Does physical fitness and age determine if you get acute mountain sickness

A
  • no
  • > it is remarkably hard to predict who will be affected by AMS
  • > it appears that some people are more inherently susceptible
  • the likelihood that you’ll be affected by AMS increases with your rate of ascent
  • > faster ascent means the body has less time to acclimate
  • also, climbing to higher altitudes increases the likelihood of AMS
  • > because oxygen deprivation is more severe and acclimatization is less likely
  • vigorous exercise also increases the likelihood of AMS
  • > because higher levels of physical activity requires higher levels of oxygen intake
17
Q

Is there a drug that prevents and treats AMS

A
  • yes
  • > acetazolamide
  • > it speeds up the breathing rate so it is useful for sleeping
  • but it does not mast the symptoms of AMS
  • > there are also side effects like tingling sensations or pins/needles in your feet and hands
  • > also a greater tendency sunburn easily and can contribute to dehydration
18
Q

If AMS symptoms are severe, what else can it lead to

A
  • it can lead to high altitude cerebral edema
  • or high altitude pulmonary edema
  • in hace, the fluid accumulates in the lungs while with hape, the fluid accumulates in the lungs
  • > both can be life threatening as fluid leaks from blood vessels into the tissues
  • HAPe can progress rapidly and is often fatal when fluid collects in the lungs
  • > it interferes with the diffusion of oxygen into the blood
  • > causing oxygen levels in the blood to plummet further into a downward spiral
19
Q

How do 140 million people live in altitudes above 2500 meters

A
  • they have genetic adaptations or physiological traits
  • > these traits enhance their ability to cope with low oxygen environments
  • > often times these individuals do not exhibit Acute Mountain Sickness
20
Q

What are the adaptations of people whose ancestors permanently have lived at high altitudes

A
  • increased lung volume
  • > barrel-chested appearance
  • ability to carry more oxygen on each red blood cells
  • increased blood vessel diameter
  • faster and deeper breathing
21
Q

What does an enlarged lung capacity result in for native highlanders

A
  • increases their tidal volume
  • > increases the total amount of air that they can inhale with each breath
  • efficiency of oxygen exchange is increased
  • > because lower proportion of inhaled air enters the dead space
  • increased lung volumes are also associated with an increase in the surface area of the alveoli
  • > this increases the oxygen diffusion into the blood
22
Q

Give an example of reversible acclimatization

A
  • Andean highlanders have developed an ability to carry more oxygen due to an increased number of red blood cells
  • > this is not a permanent adaptation
  • > after spending several weeks at low altitudes, their hemoglobin levels drop
  • > this is an example of reversible acclimatization
23
Q

How do Tibetans survive at high alttiudes if they have red blood cells and hemoglobin concentrations similar to that of lowlanders

A
  • they breathe faster and more deeply
  • > they also have increased blood vessel diameter which allows for greater circulation of red blood cells and enhanced oxygen transport
24
Q

How are Ethiopian highlands able to survivde

A
  • they have Endothelin receptor type-B
  • > this is associated with high altitude adaptation
  • > it improves cardiac tolerance to hypoxia in Ethiopian Highlanders
25
Q

What is chronic mountain sickness

A

-it only affects people who have lived at high altitudes for many years

  • it is believed to be caused by increased production of red blood cells
  • > which makes the blood viscous and sticky
  • > as a result, the heart has to work harder to pump the blood through the body
  • note many symptoms of CMS mirror those of AMS
  • > but increased strain on the circulatory system places individuals at greater risk of heart attack and stroke
26
Q

Is CMS more diagnosed in Andean populations or Tibetan

A
  • it is diagnosed more in Andean populations but not Tibetan

- >like AMS, the symptoms of CMS are generally improved if individuals descend to lower altitudes

27
Q

What is blood letting

A
  • it is a process where the blood is withdrawn from the patient to maintain balance
  • > it is performed as an acute treatment to temporarily decrease the number of red blood cells
28
Q

What is the Pyramid International Laboratory Observatory

A
  • high altitude scientific research center located at 505 meters in the Khumbu Valley in Nepal
  • others include the Jungfraujoch High Altitude Research Station located at 3,450 meters int eh Swiss Alps
  • also Barcroft Station which is located at 3800 meters in the White Mountains
  • Mount Chacaltaya Laboratory located at 5720 meters in the Bolivian Andes
29
Q

Who was the first person to identify High Altitude Pulmonary Edema

A
  • it was Dr. Charles Houston

- he also identified High Altitude Retinal Hemorrhages on Mount Logan

Mountains (6 decks)

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