Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 9: Keeping in view ever increasing rush of the devotees enroute Amarnath Yatra which is known for its difficult and high altitude terrains, Head Department of Cardiology GMCH Jammu Dr Sushil Sharma held a day long cardiac awareness cum health check up camp and delivered lecture at Shri Ram Mandir , Purani Mandi Jammu to educate the yatris and masses about the cardiac risks involved at high altitude and ways to prevent them by recognising symptoms and seeking medical care at earliest to prevent mortality and morbidity .
While delivering the lecture Dr Sushil stated that most of people who get altitude sickness get AMS, acute mountain sickness. Higher than 10,000 feet, 75% of people will get mild symptoms. The interactions between the low barometric pressure and partial pressure of Oxygen, climate, individual genetic, lifestyle and socio-economic factors, as well as adaptation and acclimatization processes at high elevations are extremely complex. It is challenging to decipher the effects of these myriad factors on the cardiovascular health in high altitude residents, and even more so in those ascending to high altitudes with or without pre existing diseases
He elaborated that there are three categories of AMS: Mild AMS: Symptoms, such as mild headache and fatigue, don’t interfere with your normal activity. Symptoms improve after a few days as body acclimates. Acute mountain sickness can progress to high-altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE) with associated shortness of breath or high-altitude cerebral edema (HACE) with associated confusion. Chronic mountain sickness may occur after long-term exposure to high altitude. If one travel to a high elevation without letting body adjust to the new altitude, may experience altitude sickness. Symptoms include headache and nausea. If one return to a lower elevation, symptoms are likely go away without needing treatment. In severe cases, altitude sickness can be life-threatening, he added
Others who were part of the Camp include Dr Yashwant Sharma and Dr Kewal Sharma Paramedics and volunteers include Raghav Rajput, Rajkumar, Rajinder Singh , Jatin Bhasin, Jamshed Ali, Vikas Kumar, Aman Gupta, Rajneesh, Nirvair Singh Bali, Ranjeet Singh, Paramveer Singh and Akshay Singh.
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