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Asked by nessy123 to Adam, Joanna, Marcus on 22 Nov 2012.
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Joanna Giles answered on 22 Nov 2012:
I think the breathing problem is part of a stress response in your body. You feel stressed because you are high up (even if you don’t realise it) and this causes stress hormones to be released into your blood. So it might be an inadvertent response to fear, where the hormones (like adrenaline) will change how fast your heart beats and the also way that you are breathing changes. Instead you might be taking quick short breaths and feel like you can’t get enough oxygen into your lungs. This then means there is less Oxygen getting into your body meaning you feel dizzy and numb. Not a great idea when you are high up! If you do have a fear or if you feel anxious you need to slow your breathing and really concentrate on deep breaths – because it isn’t really anything to do with the height or the stress, it is just your body responding in a funny way – and this can be controlled.
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Adam Paige answered on 22 Nov 2012:
I agree with Joanna. But did you know that if you go very high (like mountaineers for example) the air is a lot thinner (has less pressure) and therefore it really IS more difficult to breath. The amount of oxygen in our blood is dependent on the oxygen in the air. If the molecules in the air are more spread out high in the atmosphere then it is harder to get oxygen from our lungs into our bloodstream.
There is a blood disorder called sickle cell anaemia. People with this disease have a damaged haemoglobin molecule in their red blood cells. When oxygen levels are normal this does not cause them too many problems. But if oxygen levels are low then their blood cells change shape forming little sickles which easily get stuck in narrow blood vessels. The blood stops flowing properly and the body’s tissues start being starved of oxygen. Patients with this disorder therefore need to keep good oxygen levels in their blood. Climbing a mountain, catching pneumonia or even doing some strenuous excercise can be extremely dangerous for them.
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Joanna commented on :
AND sickle cell anaemia is more common in Africa because it offers some protection from the parasite – malaria. Malaria [the plasmodium that causes it] hijacks red blood cells in order to replicate – so sometimes sickle cell anaemia can offer a benefit as it makes it more difficult for the parasite to replicate!