Altitude sickness will occur when traveling at high altitude. Should we take oxygen?

Altitude sickness refers to various discomforts caused by people quickly entering the plateau above 3000 meters above sea level and being exposed to low-pressure and anoxic environment, which is a common disease peculiar to plateau areas. Should I take oxygen for altitude sickness when traveling? At present, it is considered that people with mild altitude sickness can temporarily quit smoking or use low-flow oxygen inhalation first; However, if altitude sickness is obvious and the body is weak and has not been relieved for a long time, it is recommended to actively take oxygen, especially at night. This will not only help to relieve the symptoms of altitude sickness, but also get a good rest, maintain physical strength and facilitate the continuation of the journey during the day.

Yesterday, my best friend Xiao Jing sent a photo of her taking oxygen. It turned out that she had a headache, chest tightness and nausea when playing in Qinghai Lake. When I went to the hospital, the oxygen saturation was only 74%. You should know that the oxygen saturation of normal people is above 94%. According to the doctor's diagnosis, she got altitude sickness because of altitude hypoxia.

Xiao Jing asked me while inhaling oxygen: "Some people on the Internet say that altitude sickness can't be inhaled immediately, because the body will be dependent after inhaling oxygen, and then every time there is a little altitude sickness, I will think about inhaling oxygen, so I can't leave the oxygen bottle! But when I got to the hospital, the doctor immediately gave me oxygen. Will I be inseparable from oxygen? "

Before answering this question, let's understand what altitude sickness is and why.

Altitude sickness refers to all kinds of discomfort caused by people quickly entering the plateau above 3000 meters above sea level and being exposed to low-pressure and anoxic environment, which is a common disease unique to plateau areas.

The appearance of altitude sickness is closely related to the characteristics of altitude environment. With the increase of altitude, the air pressure drops. Although the oxygen concentration in the air is still about 265,438+0%, the partial pressure of oxygen decreases accordingly. For example, at an altitude of 3000m, the partial pressure of oxygen in the air is 1 10 mmHg, which is significantly lower than that in plain areas (about 30% lower), not to mention areas with higher altitude. Symptoms of altitude sickness include headache, insomnia, loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting; The heart beats faster; Difficulty in breathing, etc. Generally, it appears 6- 12 hours after entering the plateau, and gradually disappears from the third day, and some people can last for 2 weeks.

According to statistics, 50% ~ 75% people may have acute altitude sickness when they quickly enter the plateau above 3000 meters from the plain. In addition to acute altitude sickness, there are two kinds of severe altitude pulmonary edema and altitude cerebral edema, which will be life-threatening if not treated in time.

I have treated many patients from Beijing to the plateau. Because of high altitude brain edema, they still have different degrees of brain damage after local rescue and need to go back to Beijing for further treatment. Among them, what impressed me the most was a middle-aged lawyer. In fact, he suffered from altitude sickness on the first day. He did not receive any treatment, but continued to travel to higher altitude areas. On the fourth morning, he failed to wake up and was diagnosed with high altitude brain edema. After the rescue, he finally saved his life, but his reaction slowed down, and even his memory and computing ability declined. Fortunately, after three months of intermittent hyperbaric oxygen therapy after returning to Beijing, he improved obviously and his career continued.

Now, let's go back to the question of Xiao Jing. Should altitude sickness take oxygen in the end, and will oxygen inhalation produce dependence? After reading the previous introduction, you will find that most of the high altitude brain edema and pulmonary edema start from altitude sickness. Do you think it is appropriate to take oxygen actively at this time to improve symptoms and reduce the risk of brain edema and pulmonary edema?

At present, it is considered that people with mild altitude sickness can temporarily quit smoking or use low-flow oxygen inhalation first; However, if altitude sickness is obvious and the body is weak and has not been relieved for a long time, it is recommended to actively take oxygen, especially at night. This will not only help to relieve the symptoms of altitude sickness, but also get a good rest, maintain physical strength and facilitate the continuation of the journey during the day.

It should be pointed out that there are two important factors in the doctor's decision to give Xiao Jing oxygen. One is that Xiao Jing is fatter. Studies have confirmed that obese people are more prone to altitude sickness. To describe altitude sickness in one sentence is "bullying fat but not bullying thin". The other is that she was caught in the rain in Qinghai Lake during the day, and she not only caught a cold but also had a fever. Altitude sickness "bumping into" a cold, even a slight cold, may lead to two kinds of emergencies, namely altitude pulmonary edema and altitude cerebral edema, and cause death. Therefore, it is very necessary to breathe oxygen quietly. After oxygen therapy last night, she was revived by blood this morning and went to Chaka Salt Lake, leaving a beautiful image in the mirror of the sky. There is no so-called oxygen dependence, that is, it is inseparable from oxygen. Now, my circle of friends has been screened by her.

To sum up, how can we reduce altitude hypoxia when traveling? A few days before you arrive at the plateau, you should rest more and avoid strenuous activities. It is best to gradually transition from low altitude areas to high altitude areas. If altitude sickness occurs, intermittent oxygen inhalation can be used to gradually adapt to the altitude hypoxia environment, and forced travel to higher altitude areas is not allowed. Regarding the way of oxygen inhalation, in addition to going to the hospital to use oxygen generator for oxygen inhalation and hyperbaric oxygen therapy, there is a new way to use soft oxygen chamber (micro-pressurized oxygen chamber) for oxygen therapy in recent years. Once high altitude pulmonary edema and brain edema occur, first aid is needed immediately, and then hyperbaric oxygen therapy will show its talents.

Finally, I will provide you with a copy of Tips for Traveling on Plateau issued by Qinghai-Tibet Railway Company, which clearly lists the following six categories of people who are not suitable for traveling above 3000 meters above sea level: all kinds of organic heart diseases, hypertension above stage II, all kinds of blood diseases and cerebrovascular diseases; Chronic respiratory diseases; Diabetes is out of control; Hysteria, epilepsy, schizophrenia; Now suffering from a bad cold and upper respiratory tract infection; Those who have been diagnosed as high altitude pulmonary edema, high altitude cerebral edema, high altitude hypertension, high altitude heart disease and high altitude polycythemia; high-risk pregnant woman

Correct understanding of altitude sickness and rational application of altitude oxygen therapy before altitude travel will ensure you to enjoy the beautiful scenery of the plateau safely.

refer to

Xu. Meta-analysis of the relationship between overweight and obesity and acute altitude sickness. Journal of Medical Research, 20 18:47(4):28-3 1.

Huang Haitao, Li Nan. Drug prevention and treatment of altitude sickness. Armed Police Medicine, 2017,28 (12):1282-1285.

Guo Zhenna, Bai Maduoji, Langga Zhuo Ma, et al. Relationship between acute altitude sickness and acute altitude sickness. Tibet science and technology, 20 16, 282:59-6 1.

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