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Article: How altitude sickness can affect you.(TRAVEL)
- Article from:
- Star Tribune (Minneapolis, MN)
- Article date:
- June 14, 1998
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1998 Star Tribune Co. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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1/3 Altitude sickness (also known as acute mountain sickness) attacks people at different altitudes and in different ways.
For some, headaches and difficult breathing can occur at 8,000 feet. For others, even a quick flight to the height of La Paz, Bolivia (at 12,000 feet), has little effect. Each person has a different altitude threshold, beyond which symptoms begin to occur.
As altitude increases, atmospheric pressure decreases. The heart and lungs have to work harder to provide oxygen for the body and brain. In the severe forms of altitude sickness - high altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE) or high altitude cerebral edema (HACE) - the problems can be ...