Illness caused by low oxygen at elevation is called?

Prepare for the CIEMT Medical and Physiology Exam. Study with flashcards and multiple-choice questions that feature explanations. Ace your test!

Multiple Choice

Illness caused by low oxygen at elevation is called?

Explanation:
When you go up to high elevation, the air has less oxygen per breath, so arterial oxygen falls (hypoxemia). This triggers altitude sickness, the illness caused by low oxygen at elevation. It typically appears after ascent with symptoms like headache, fatigue, nausea, dizziness, and sleep disturbance, reflecting the body's response to reduced oxygen delivery. The other options describe problems not driven by low ambient oxygen at altitude: air embolism involves gas bubbles in the blood, barotrauma is injury from pressure changes, and drowning is asphyxia from water inhalation. Altitude sickness best fits the scenario of illness due to reduced oxygen availability at height.

When you go up to high elevation, the air has less oxygen per breath, so arterial oxygen falls (hypoxemia). This triggers altitude sickness, the illness caused by low oxygen at elevation. It typically appears after ascent with symptoms like headache, fatigue, nausea, dizziness, and sleep disturbance, reflecting the body's response to reduced oxygen delivery. The other options describe problems not driven by low ambient oxygen at altitude: air embolism involves gas bubbles in the blood, barotrauma is injury from pressure changes, and drowning is asphyxia from water inhalation. Altitude sickness best fits the scenario of illness due to reduced oxygen availability at height.

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