What's The Air Like Up There?

• There is an increase in living and working at higher altitude and thanks to the advances in technology, we’ve been easily able to commute to higher climates but how is this going to affect us especially our health?
  
• Our body requires oxygen to function, normal air contains about 20% oxygen but increased altitude lowers the oxygen levels in proportion and we find that our lungs have to work harder to take in the same amount.
  
• A range from blackouts to extreme conditions of seizures and coma are the problems of lack of oxygen.
  
• By increasing the amount of red cell production the body does adapt to the changes over time, but what are the other effects? From a group of climbers it is found that 13 out of the 16 couldn’t tap their fingers as fast as they could before the climb, for between 2-10 months after climbing in high altitude.
  
• Not only in case of climbers, but even at 12,000 ft your body’s oxygen level could be so low that if your body was like this at sea level you would be entitled to medical care.
  
• It is not that you should pack your oxygen tank, but don’t expect your body to perform as well as it does at sea level!