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Current Problems in Diagnosis and Treatment of High-Altitude Sickness

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High Altitude Sickness – Solutions from Genomics, Proteomics and Antioxidant Interventions

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Abstract

Acute high-altitude sickness includes various symptoms and pathology that a non-acclimatized individual experiences while travelling to higher altitudes. People travelling to high altitudes face different forms of illness (HAI) due to hypobaric hypoxia which leads to a combination of one or more syndromes including acute mountain sickness (AMS), high-altitude cerebral oedema (HACE) and high-altitude pulmonary oedema (HAPE). Lack of negligible side-effect, not so specific prophylactics and difficulties in diagnosis of acclimatization markers have led to several difficulties for the travellers. Various factors affect the occurrence of HAI that including the pace of climbing, the rate of change in altitude and genetic, environmental and epigenetic factors that code for hypoxia-inducible factors, transcription factors that affect genetic expression in response to oxygen concentrations. This chapter deals with current problems in the diagnosis of high altitude sickness and strategies that are crucial in the prevention of high-altitude related disorders. The most effective intervention for treatment to date remains the descent; however, it is not always possible to immediate descent and we need to consider other forms of interventions. In this chapter, we will also provide important insights into preventive and therapeutic approaches required for the management of various forms of high-altitude illnesses.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biomedical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Ropar, Rupnagar, Punjab, India

    Gurpreet Kaur

  2. Department of Biotechnology, Saraswati Group of Colleges, Mohali, Punjab, India

    Gurpreet Kaur

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Banasthali Vidyapith, Tonk, Rajasthan, India

    Narendra Kumar Sharma

  2. National Institute of Malaria Research, Indian Council of Medical Research, New Delhi, India

    Aditya Arya

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Kaur, G. (2022). Current Problems in Diagnosis and Treatment of High-Altitude Sickness. In: Sharma, N.K., Arya, A. (eds) High Altitude Sickness – Solutions from Genomics, Proteomics and Antioxidant Interventions. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-1008-1_7

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