Discussion:
Adaptation and Altitude Sickness ("Chronic Mountain Sickness")
Individual who remain at high altitude for too long can develop chronic mountain sickness. It is characterized by the following clinical sequence:
1. an extremely high hematocrit,
2. an elevated pulmonary arterial pressure and 3. an enlarged right side of the heart.
As it progresses, congestive heart failure and death ensues unless the person is removed to a lower altitude. Describe how the body normally adapts to elevated altitude and the causes for the sequence of events associated with chronic mountain sickness.