Diagnosis of AMS

Based on:

•  Settings
•  Symptoms
                      •  Grading of AMS
•  Signs
                      •  pallor
                      •  rising pulse rate
•  Exclusion of other illness

All of these symptoms may vary from mild to severe. A scoring system has been developed based on the Lake Louise criteria; look at the AMS questionnaire for a simple method to evaluate an individual's AMS severity.

AMS has been likened to a bad hangover, or worse. However, because the symptoms of mild AMS can be somewhat vague, a useful rule-of-thumb is: if you feel unwell at altitude, it is altitude sickness unless there is another obvious explanation (such as diarrhea).

Anyone who goes to altitude can get AMS. It is primarily related to individual physiology (genetics) and the rate of ascent; there is no significant effect of age, gender, physical fitness, or previous altitude experience. Some people acclimatize quickly, and can ascend rapidly; others acclimatize slowly and have trouble staying well even on a slow ascent. There are factors that we don't understand; the same person may get AMS on one trip and not another despite an identical ascent itinerary. Unfortunately, no way has been found to predict who is likely to get sick at altitude.

•  Mild: headache, anorexia , nausea and malaise
•  Moderate: unrelieving headache, vomiting, decreased urinary output
•  Severe: HACE

Pathophysiology of AMS                Diagnosis of AMS                 Treatment of AMS