Is oxygen inhalation effective for altitude sickness?

Plateaus are continental areas that rise above a certain range from the horizon. Plateaus account for a large proportion of my country's area. For example, the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is a typical plateau landform with an average altitude of more than 4,000 meters. Hypoxia occurs in this area, and the health problems caused by this are also called altitude sickness. When this kind of reaction occurs, it is necessary to seek timely treatment. Let’s take a look at whether oxygen inhalation is effective for altitude sickness.

The oxygen content on the plateau is lower than on ordinary ground. The higher the altitude, the more oxygen is lacking. Moreover, for people who go to high altitude for the first time, since they adapt to the oxygen concentration on ordinary ground, their hemoglobin in the body is relatively low. If they live in the plateau for a certain period of time, their blood will become rosy because of the increase in hemoglobin.

In fact, altitude sickness does not require oxygen. It depends on the specific symptoms.

Altitude sickness refers to a variety of pathological reactions that occur when the human body is rapidly exposed to a low-pressure, low-oxygen environment. It is a common disease unique to plateau areas. Common symptoms include headache, insomnia, loss of appetite, fatigue, and difficulty breathing. Headache is the most common symptom, often with throbbing pain in the forehead and temporal areas, which worsens at night or when getting up in the morning. Increasing lung ventilation, such as breathing through the mouth and light activity, can relieve headaches.

1. Mild symptoms

No treatment is required, and the symptoms usually disappear on their own after 1 to 2 weeks of adaptation. For those with more severe reactions, symptomatic treatment with analgesics, sedatives, antiemetics, etc. may be used as appropriate. "Amiproben" and "Xionin" can also be used for headaches and vomiting. The latter mainly acts on the vomiting center and has no inhibitory effect on other areas.

2. Severely ill patients

Oxygen inhalation can be given intermittently or continuously. Long-term oxygen inhalation is not recommended because it hinders the body's adaptation to the low oxygen environment. If necessary, mild diuretics such as acetazolamide or oral administration of aminophylline can be used for treatment.

The basic principle of treatment is early diagnosis to avoid the development of severe altitude sickness. There is no special treatment for mild patients, and most people's symptoms will naturally ease or disappear after they fully adapt within 12 to 36 hours.