Mini review of high altitude health problems in Ladakh.
Ladakh is a sparsely populated area of Indian Himalaya lying at 3-4500 m altitude mainly consisting of arid desert. This paper will discuss high altitude health problems in Ladakh under the following headings. 1. Acute altitude illness: acute mountain sickness (AMS), high altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE) and high altitude cerebral edema (HACE). 2. Effects of prolonged and permanent exposure to high altitude: (subacute and chronic mountain sickness). 3. Environmental dust and domestic fire pollution resulting in non-occupational pneumoconiosis and high prevalence of respiratory morbidity.
Norboo
T
T
Ladakh Heart Foundation, Leh Ladakh, India. norboonsn@yahoo.com
Saiyed
H N
HN
Angchuk
P T
PT
Tsering
P
P
Angchuk
S T
ST
Phuntsog
S T
ST
Yahya
M
M
Wood
Steve
S
Bruce
N G
NG
Ball
K P
KP
D000328:Adult; D000397:Air Pollution / Q000009:adverse effects; D000532:Altitude Sickness / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D001929:Brain Edema / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002648:Child; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D005390:Fires; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D011009:Pneumoconiosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D011654:Pulmonary Edema / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic