altitude... at the cellular level

over labor day weekend my beau and i went backpacking in the rawah wilderness. one morning we adventured to the top of clark peak at 12,951 feet. i have never climbed that high before and experienced some abnormal body functions. i was inspired to write about the physiological changes that take place in humans at altitude.

changes in altitude have a profound effect on the human body. the body attempts to maintain a state of homeostasis to ensure the optimal operating environment for its complex chemical systems. any change from this homeostasis is a change away from the optimal operating environment and the body attempts to correct this imbalance.

one such imbalance is the effect of increasing altitude on the body's ability to provide adequate oxygen to be utilized in cellular respiration. with an increase in
elevation, a typical occurrence when climbing mountains, the body is forced to respond in various ways to the changes in external environment. foremost of these changes
is the diminished ability to obtain oxygen from the atmosphere. if the adaptive responses to this stressor are inadequate the performance of body systems may decline dramatically. if prolonged, the results can be serious or even fatal.

if the body is responding properly to the elevation, normal symptoms such as decreased appetite, increased bladder activity, insomnia, slight swelling of hands, feet or knees, temporary breathlessness after exercising will occur. however, the effects on the human body in high altitudes that have not had time to acclimate can range from uncomfortable to life threatening.

life threatening conditions brought on from high altitude are:
* hace - high altitude cerebral edema (fluid build up in the brain)
* hape - high altitude pulmonary edema (high blood pressure in the lungs)
* harh - high altitude retinal hemorrhage (small areas of bleeding in the back of the eye)
* high altitude breathing & sleeping issues (central sleep apnea combined with periods of hyperventilation)
* hypoxemia (low blood oxygen)
* hypothermia (extreme cold where the body’s core temperature cannot be maintained)
* high hemoglobin count (cause stokes, heart attacks and pulmonary embolisms




i spent the majority of today studying and relaxing and was amazed at the ability of my body to perform both under high stress as well as complete relaxation. in both cases i am able to think, eat, sleep, etc. internal homeostasis is something i have surely taken for granted.