Altitude
Sickness
What is the
altitude illness?
Nepal has diversity in
land. It means Nepal have the land
of 60m to 8848metres by the sea
level because of this diversity.
The person who lives in the lower
part can be sick when he goes to
the higher part. This is called
altitude illness or mountain sickness.
Many people, who want to go trekking
in Nepal without idea of altitude
illness, they can have problems
in the way and sometimes the case
will be danger. We can help the
trekkers to give advice of acute
mountain illness (AMS). Sometimes
trekkers can have problems by the
smell of the flowers also, which
we can find in the Nepal Himalayas.
What we must
do to remove AMS?
We can follow the minor rules to
wipe out the mountain illness .For
example – One trekker sleep
the height of 2800 meters and the
other day he go to 3200 meters .In
this case he doesn’t have
problem. But some trekkers who sleep
about 2000 meters highs one day
and on the other day he sleep in
the height of 4500 meters .He can
get the problems in respiration
and other. This is called the mountain
sickness. If some trekkers want
to remove this problem he must walk
and sleep in the difference of about
300 to 500 meters height.
Beside this AMS trekkers
can have the problems of Allergy
and Diarrhea, to wipe out their
diseases we must have careful in
every meal. The first thing is the
water, which we use. We can use
by boiling water and to put medicines
that can purify water .We must put
Iodine also in water. The medicine
called Tetraglycine Hydroperiodide
tablets can be used. These are not
finding in Nepal now .The Lugols
solution can find in Nepal .The
first medicine which can find in
tablets is a bottle which have 50
tablets. One tablet can purify 1
liter of water. The second medicine
can get in liquid. When we put these
drops water we must wait about 30
minutes to drink and must put 3-4
drops of solution in one liter of
water. Another way to purify water
is to use filter. This way is more
inconvenient when you are travelling.
List of
Medicines
|
For
Acute Mountain Sickness |
|
Medicine |
Uses |
Dosages for Adult |
Remarks or side effects |
|
Actozolamide(DIAMOX) |
Prevention and treatments
of AMS. Diamox -250mg
- 12 hourly means 2
tablets per day. It
can be used in HACE
&HAPE also. |
125 to 250 mg Morning
and night |
Will produce feeling
of tingling in finger,
Lips, Toes. This is
not serious .May be
you can get some allergy. |
|
Dexamethazone |
High Altitude Cerebral
Edema(HACE) |
4 mg - 6 Hourly |
Start with 8-mg .can
have serious side effects
if it is Reduce Dose
slowly. |
|
Nifedipine(ADALAT) Tablets
|
High Acute pulmonary
Edema(HAPE) |
10 to 20mg - 6 to 8
hourly |
Can have serious side
effects. Some times
your blood pressure
slow and headache also. |
|
|
Allergy,
Inflammation &Other
normal Diseases |
|
Medicine
|
Uses
|
Dosage
for Adult |
Remarks
or side effects |
|
Anti-inflammatory Cream.(VOLTAREN
EMULGEL,DIFFLAM GEL
) |
For Trekkers Knees |
Apply Directly &
rub in well |
External use only |
|
Ibuprofen (600 mg )
|
This is a pain reliving
medicine for the trekkers'
knees and by the effect
of food. |
1 Tablets every six
hours. |
Stop taking if some
stomach problem occur.
|
|
Calamine ,Caladryl |
Insect's bites, Itchy
Skin, Sun burn, Prickly
heat. |
Apply Directly. |
External use only. |
|
Hydrocortisone Cream
1(HYDROCORT) |
Skin rashes,Allergies,
Mild sun burn , Piles |
Apply Directly 8- Hourly
|
External use only ,
Not to be used in infected
skin |
|
Para cetamol (Acetaminophen
500mg) |
For relief of mail pain
&to help reduce
a high fever |
2 Tablets every 4 Hours
|
None side effect |
|
Sodium Sulamide eye
Drops |
Antibiotic Solution
for the treatment of
Bacterial Conjunctivitis
|
1-2 drops every 3 Hours
for 3-5 days |
Possible local Allergy
|
|
Actifed(SYMPTOMATIC) |
Decongestant for relief
of discomfort due to
clods,Infaction of Internal
ear- Infection |
1 tablet Every 8 hours
|
Jitteriness,Sedation
|
|
Dettol, Savlon |
General disinfected,Wounds
cleaning |
1 Tablets in 250ml of
water. |
External use only. Soak
instruments for 10 minutes. |
|
If some trekkers
are children we must follow the
children dosages of medication.
(These are rough rules but more
convenient).
-
3-6 years old: Give ¼ to 1/3
of the Adult dosage.
-
7/12 Years old : Give ½ the
Adult dosage
-
12 /16 years old Give 2/3 of
the adult dosage or adult dosage
if the person is larger teenager.
Please don't
give medicines to the woman who
is PREGNANT unless it is absolutely
necessary.
|
|
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