Mountain air 'at an angle' - DLR researchers are conducting studies at an altitude of 4554 metres

DLR German Aerospace Center
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Mountain air 'at an angle' - DLR researchers are conducting studies at an altitude of 4554 metres

A wedge-shaped pillow, with which the upper body is raised by 30 degrees, could be a solution to shortness of breath, headaches and nausea caused by ascending to high altitudes within a short time. In August 2016, researchers from the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum fuer Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR) at the Italian Regina Margherita mountain hut in the Valais Alps investigated the mechanisms that trigger altitude sickness in the human body in 10 selected participants. In August 2017, a large number of mountain climbers will be examined to determine whether sleeping with a raised upper body is a simple and effective measure against the symptoms of acute altitude sickness. "Most mountain climbers use medication to prevent altitude sickness - but it has side effects," explains Ulrich Limper from the DLR Institute of Aerospace Medicine. "Elevation of the upper body has already been successful in patients in intensive care units and could also be effective in the case of oxygen deficiency at high altitudes."


Full article: http://www.dlr.de/dlr/en/desktopdefault.aspx/tabid-10081/151_read-22219/year-all/#/gallery/26908

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