Altitude Sickness Claims Lives On Mount Everest Expedition: What Is It?

Four mountain climbers have died while climbing Mount Everest, according to news reports.

Two of those climbers -- a 61-year-old German and a 44-year-old South Korean -- reportedly died of altitude sickness and exhaustion, the International Business Times reported.

A Chinese climber and a Canadian born in Nepal were also found dead, and a sherpa from Nepal is still missing, according to the International Business Times .

The deaths occurred while the climbers were descending from the mountain, Mother Nature Network reported.

"Climbers spend their energy on the ascent and they are exhausted and fatigued on the descent," Ang Tshering Sherpa, of Asian Trekking adventure agency, told Mother Nature Network.

Altitude sickness, also known as acute mountain sickness, is usually experienced by people when they are above 8,000 feet, or 2,400 meters, according to the A.D.A.M. Encyclopedia. It occurs as a result of low air pressure and oxygen, and the likelihood of altitude sickness rises the faster a person climbs.

Symptoms include headaches, loss of appetite, vomiting, feeling weak, problems sleeping, and feeling dizzy, according to WebMD.

When the condition is more severe, a person may experience confusion, skin discoloration, coughing up blood, paleness, loss of consciousness and shortness of breath, A.D.A.M. reported. Severe cases of altitude sickness can lead to death because of brain swelling or fluid in the lungs.

WebMD reported that the best option for treating altitude sickness is to go to a lower elevation, although oxygen or a pressure chamber can also help to treat the condition. A drug called acetazolamide, or Diamox, could also help with breathing, while a drug called dexamethasone, or Decadron, can help to reduce brain swelling, according to the National Institutes of Health.

To prevent altitude sickness, the NIH recommends that people climb gradually, stopping to rest for at least a day or two every 2,000 feet that is climbed above 8,000 feet.

Also on HuffPost:

From our partners

• Cancer: An American History (INFOGRAPHIC) - Everyday Health
• 39 Deliciously Unexpected Healthy Avocado Recipes - Greatist
• 8 Great Running Apps To Help You Train For Your Next Race - Shape Magazine

Comments

[Robin Terrace]

12:50 PM on 05/22/2012

While the altitude certainly plays a role in these deaths, the real culprit is the non-regulation of climbers attempting the summit in a given day. At the Hilary Step there is only one ladder and when you have a 150-200 climbers in a traffic jam waiting there is bound to be a disaster. Read about the 1996 disaster on Everest, a result of the same bottleneck, then unexpected afternoon bad weather. Just like the wild rivers of the USA only permit so many boaters a day, the same is sorely needed on Everest. Instead it is just a cluster- f#@& to the top. They also need to remove the dead bodies up there. They could do so if they spent a little money on it.

[ddokken69]

03:01 AM on 05/22/2012

Someone send me a picture of the summit!!!!

[jmpac1]

02:49 AM on 05/22/2012

I'm not professing to be willing or able to climb Mt Everest but aren't these climbers aware of the dangers? I would think they'd be prepared or at least their guides would be on the lookout for symptoms. What a sad end for these climbers.

[failuremagazine]

10:06 PM on 05/21/2012

Decades ago only the bravest, most experienced mountaineers attempted to climb Mount Everest.
Read more: http://failuremag.com/index.php/feature/article/into_sin_air/#ixzz1vYnRRbH3

[sugacan1]

09:55 PM on 05/21/2012

Hope none of them left anyone behind who was depending on them...

[George Spalding]

07:40 PM on 05/21/2012

REALISTIC training regimen before attempting Mt Everest (if you have better than average fitness) should be a minimum of 5 years. That would include 6 days a week of a combination of gym workouts and mountain hiking with weighted backpacks. During that period there would be at least 3 major climbs a year to mountains of increasing heights and maybe living the last six months at a high elevation. If you are not prepared to do this then you will either die or risk the lives of other hikers who will try to save your ass. For those that think money will buy the mountain, think again.

[Davensd]

05:03 AM on 05/22/2012

George... what is a 61 year old doing on that mountain? Death wish.

[Topdown1]

06:26 PM on 05/21/2012

So sad. I guess they knew the risks but it's still sad for their families. I've always been fascinated by the subject of mountain climbing, although never tempted to try it.