Edema on Kilimanjaro - Pulmonary, Peripheral and Cerebral Edema
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Edema is one of the potentially fatal complications that runs hand in hand with Severe AMS. However, provided that climbers are aware of the effects that Altitude may be having on their bodies, they should never meet complications such as these during their ascent of Kilimanjaro.
Causes Of Edema
Two of the rarest complications to be associated with severe AMS are High Altitude Cerebral and Pulmonary Edema, or Oedema as it is called in Britain. Edema is quite simply a medical term for swelling, and in these particular cases refers to engorgement in the lungs and brain. Symptoms of Pulmonary Oedema include shortness of breath, a nagging cough, a fever and sometimes a gurgling sound in the lungs. Climbers suffering from Pulmonary Oedema are in need of emergency medical treatment and should be evacuated to lower altitudes immediately.
Cerebral Oedema occurs as a result of fluid accumulating in the tissue of the brain which in turn causes the blood vessels within the brain to swell. Those suffering from this condition will experience confusion, hallucinations, drowsiness, and occasionally vomiting. Like Pulmonary Oedema, Cerebral Oedema needs to be treated correctly and swiftly. If sufferers are not immediately evacuated to a lower altitude and given the right combination of Medication, the condition may very well prove deadly.
Other less serious complications arising due to lack of Acclimatisation include Retinal Haemorrhages and Peripheral Oedema. Retinal Haemorrhages occur when minuscule blisters form in the rear quarters of the eye and eventually burst, causing haemorrhaging behind the retina. The condition is relatively harmless, seldom painful and reasonably simple to treat. Thus it is often not even detected by an individual until long after descent. In extreme cases it may hinder a climber's ability to focus correctly, in which cases a swift descent is strongly advised.
Peripheral Oedema is a condition that results from an excess of fluid in the face, arms, legs and extremities. Symptoms of this type of Edema tend to appear predominantly in female climbers, and disappear over time. In order to minimise discomfort, jewellery and tight clothing should be removed prior to ascending any further.
Other effects of altitude include nosebleeds, dry eyes, fainting and problems with digestion. Although unpleasant, none of these conditions pose any serious threat whatsoever. In all cases however, the golden rule of dealing with altitude applies: remain aware of your body at all times and the moment symptoms worsen or become Severe, cease ascent immediately.
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