High Altitude Medicine and Physiology

Millions of people visit high altitude areas every year whilst skiing, trekking, mountaineering or working. Many more live there, either permanently or seasonally.

As one ascends to high altitude the amount of oxygen available to breathe progressively decreases. Physical performance becomes impaired by this shortage of oxygen but the body can adapt via a process known as acclimatisation.

Lack of oxygen at high altitude also causes a number of illnesses to visitors such as acute mountain sickness, high altitude cerebral oedema, high altitude pulmonary oedema.

Careful acclimatisation and appropriate medical treatment can reduce the death and serious illness that continues to be associated with travel to high altitude.

Our latest project is called Caudwell Xtreme Everest and is based around an expedition to Mount Everest that took place in 2007. Read more about this project and how you can get involved on this site or on the Caudwell Xtreme Everest website.