Heart problems in high altitude
Common Questions and Answers about Heart problems in high altitude
heart
I've recently had heart problems, I live at 4000 ft. and have a cabin in the mountains that is 7000 ft. above sea level. We go to our cabin for weekends. How does this effect my heart with the change in elevation?
Is your husband military? It's hard to imagine that with his known medical conditions, he would be deployed to altitude, though 7500 is not terribly high.
In any case, your question is medically important and a tad complicated, so you might want to post it in the Heart Disease Expert Forum here, where a doc will answer you:
http://www.medhelp.
AHA Recommendation
The best way to avoid or lessen the effects of mountain sickness is to increase altitude slowly. Climbers and hikers can take two days to reach 8,000 feet, and then another day for each 1,000 to 2,000 higher feet. This may not be an option for people who travel to a destination at high altitude. Most people can adjust or "acclimatize" to the high altitude within a few days. Here are some tips:
Avoid strenuous activity for the first day or two. Drink extra fluid.
People with a history of heart attack (myocardial infarction) and even those with coronary artery bypass grafts or angioplasty but with no angina, can trek up to high altitude provided they are fit and able to walk rigorously at low altitude. The high altitude does not seem to add any extra burden to the heart
If blood pressure is controlled and there is no chest (pain), no problem. It is the elevated blood pressure and its consequences that are the issue.
I have recently (3 months ago) rented an apt in an area that is 7000+altitude; I have mvp and not been bothered with it up until now; I have flutters, nausea at times, lethargy at times and have begun to take a 5 mg. beta blocker for the fluttering. I do stay hydrated, I do exercise at this altitude and have no palpitations when I do so; I have twice had altitude sickness with hospitalization both times.
Hi~ That's a high altitude for hiking 7 days, for even the most experienced hiker. Have you done this before? The air is thin at that altitude which can cause difficulty with
breathing. Short hikes will give you an idea of what you're in for. But,here's what I really think: Get an appt. with his cardiologist and talk it over. Only he/she would know what's best,given his history.
hi i am a 23 year old female with mitral valve prolapse and under regular medication( betablocker).i am planning to trek for 12,628 ft high.i have never been to very high altitude before. i would like to ask if my medical condition may contribute in causing altitude sickness or any other cardiac complications??
please reply soon as i am starting my journey tommorw. :)
thankyou
This discussion is related to MVP/Altitude Sickness.
//retinatoday.com/2013/08/exposure-to-high-altitude-may-cause-retinal-vessel-leakage
My concern is retinal neovascularization occurring around the macula and causing irreversible damage since there's less oxygen. Has anyone traveled to higher elevations before and experienced any retinal issues? Is it safe to travel to higher elevations for those with a previous history of retinal problems?
at altitudes up to 2000 feet, oxygen is around 20%. At 3000 to 4000 feet oxygen drops to around 18-18.5%. At 4500 feet oxygen is around 17.5%. As Kenkeith says, this will not be a problem, your body will adjust.
Color discrimination is also impaired since color is a function of adequate light that hits the eye. High altitude, if you are out in the open may affect the eye sight by causing some distortion (since air is thinner in increased altitude). Objects may also seem smaller or there can be problems in depth perception. If you are in a pressurized cockpit, there should not be any significant effect of altitude on the eyes.
Regards.
Also, I found this comment at a high altitude hiker site (I'm the first to exhibit altitude sickness when we go higher, yet still have sats 5% higher than anyone):
A misconception of the acclimatization process is that the body returns to its sea level condition or that the hypoxia of high altitude can be nullified by acclimatization. This is not the case.
t live at a high altitude, but have you checked the oxygen level in your house? It also looks like all of these levels can be affected by level of hydration- could your husband be dehydrated when he's getting his blood drawn?
Under RBC, it lists that secondary polycythemia is "seen in erythropoietin-secreting tumors, in renal disorders such as hypernephroma and renal cysts, and in cancer of the liver".
(avg=120/ 80) Hypertension= 140/90 or above. Does he have chronic conditions causing low oxygenation (diabetes, asthma, live in high altitude, and you say he had blood work, do you know what the oxygen concentration in his blood was (pO2)?
Almost forgot, see if the medication side effects affect blood pressure, heart rate, oxygen concentration, exc.
Hope this helps! But I would advise asking your doctor because he has access to your son's health history, lab values, exc.
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