In Switzerland, you can actually find yourself at the very top in a matter of minutes thanks to the developed network of ski lifts and trains (I would call them racks in Spanish).
I know that with such a high-speed climb with a large difference in altitude, even a healthy person can have problems in the form of loss of consciousness, inappropriate behavior etc. The reason is a drop in atomospheric pressure and the inability of the body to adapt to this quickly.
Interested in climbs to altitudes of up to 4400 m, for example, Jungefrau, for a young hypertensive patient of stage 1 (pressure up to 160/100), who also has problems with the blood vessels of the head.
How to prepare? I only know diacarb (a diuretic) as a preventive measure; climbers use it.
(I’ll also add a topic to countries with mountains and don’t let the moderators get angry)
I have never been hypertensive, but mountain tourism in student years I was studying.
So, base camp split almost 2000 m, so that in a couple of days the body
I’m used to thin air and pressure drops. There were only young people in the camp, and they were people
who did not undergo a medical examination before the trip. Therefore, I believe that you should not immediately upon arrival
to climb 4000 from the plain, you need to live in the mountains, somewhere at an altitude of about 2000 in a village, listen to your condition and then decide whether to climb or not.
(pressure up to 160/100), who also has problems with the blood vessels of the head.
Do you think anyone would dare to tell you that go ahead, no problems? To be honest, this is an extremely strange question. First of all, I would personally go to my doctor to consult.
I tried to take the funicular up to Teide, no problem
Personally, more than once I saw seemingly healthy young men who were clearly uncomfortable there at the top, which is 3.5 km.
If you are worried, I advise you to consult your doctor, but, in reality, you cannot predict how the body will behave. I remember when I went up for the first time, I also heard enough that everyone was feeling bad there, even the healthy ones. I, in turn, often have low hemoglobin and naturally low blood pressure, I thought I would die in the mountains, but no, I feel great in the mountains, I don’t even experience slight dizziness)
Standard precautions, as you were told, first live lower, adapt, get used to the mountains, and only then climb the Jungfraujoch. I would also advise, if possible, to first choose something not so high, for example, Schilthorn, to check how you will feel there, because it would be a pity to turn around halfway through the journey, especially after paying a significant amount for a ticket. Also, you will have stops there, or rather, you will change transport during the ascent; for safety reasons, do not climb further immediately, spend some time at the stops, especially since there are cafes, shops and stunning views. Yes, it will take longer to get up, but it will be easier for the body.
Naturally, there are doctors everywhere. You can go down just as quickly as you went up. Some people take pills like the ones you mentioned. But this is a personal matter for everyone; I am not a supporter of medications. Again, it is better to ask a doctor you trust about this and not self-medicate.
Somehow it seems to me that the ski area in these places is lower. Judging by the map, it doesn’t even reach 3000 http://tonkosti.ru/%D0%9A%D0%B0%D1%80%D1%82%D0%B0_%D0%AE%D0%BD%D0%B3% D1%84%D1%80...” The mountain itself can be of any height, but people usually don’t ski from the top.
In general, you are correctly advised that you should first ask your doctor. I think it’s not even the pressure here leading role", and the vessels.
My husband is hypertensive. This winter we went skiing in Zermatt. You can compare the heights with Jungefrau http://tonkosti.ru/%D0%9A%D0%B0%D1%80%D1%82%D0%B0_%D0%A6%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%BC% D0%B0...” It will be higher. I felt great. By the way, the only time a friend fainted due to blood pressure in our presence was not with a hypertensive patient, but with a hypotensive patient. My blood pressure is low. Sometimes I feel bad on the first day of riding.
Interested in climbs to altitudes of up to 4400 m, for example, Jungefrau, for a young hypertensive patient of stage 1 (pressure up to 160/100), who also has problems with the blood vessels of the head.
Is there a medical service at the ski lifts?
What if it's possible to quickly go back down?
>Jungfrau is 3500. It was there that I personally saw how a strong man was sitting in the corner on the floor, sporty look a man of about 30 with an oxygen tank and breathing into a mask.. There was a medic nearby. There are definitely doctors there. But in others high places there may not be.
It’s definitely not possible to go down quickly. People travel to the Jungfrau by train according to a schedule.
caught a light miner
Yes, maybe the oxygen mask indicates this. And pressure has nothing to do with the miner at all. Young men are more susceptible to it, because... do not tolerate hypoxia well. And an athletic-looking man can be sure that this is not a threat to him and, having no experience of high mountains, immediately climbs higher. By the way, the more mountain experience, the lower the probability of a miner.
I am an experienced hypertensive patient. We calmly climbed Pilatus (Lucerne). At Klein Matterhorn 3800, Zermatt) it was quite difficult, my heart was pounding in my throat. But if you don’t move quickly, you can easily survive. And if you go to the glacier museum, you can catch your breath until your pulse is normal, your condition improves noticeably, and the subsequent descent no longer causes problems. We also climbed the Jungfrau. It was also quite difficult. But in the evening my nose began to bleed heavily.
As altitude changes, significant changes in temperature and pressure can be observed. The terrain can greatly influence the formation of a mountain climate.
It is customary to distinguish between mountain and alpine climates. The first is typical for altitudes less than 3000-4000 m, the second - for more high levels. It should be noted that climatic conditions are high vast plateaus differ significantly from conditions on mountain slopes, in valleys or on individual peaks. Of course, they also differ from climatic conditions, characteristic of a free atmosphere over the plains. Humidity, Atmosphere pressure, precipitation and temperature vary quite strongly with altitude.
As altitude increases, air density and atmospheric pressure decrease, and the content of dust and water vapor in the air decreases, which significantly increases its transparency for solar radiation, its intensity increases significantly compared to the plains. As a result, the sky appears bluer and denser, and light levels increase. On average, atmospheric pressure decreases by 1 mm for every 12 meters of ascent mercury, but specific indicators always depend on the terrain and temperature. The higher the temperature, the slower the pressure decreases as it rises. Untrained people begin to experience discomfort due to low blood pressure already at an altitude of 3000 m.
With altitude in the troposphere, the air temperature also drops. Moreover, it depends not only on the altitude of the area, but also on the exposure of the slopes - on the northern slopes, where the influx of radiation is not so large, the temperature is usually noticeably lower than on the southern ones. At significant altitudes (in high-mountain climates), firn fields and glaciers influence the temperature. Firn fields are areas of special granular perennial snow (or even a transitional stage between snow and ice) that form above the snow line in the mountains.
In internal areas mountain ranges in winter time Stagnation of cooled air may occur. This often leads to temperature inversions, i.e. temperature increases as altitude increases.
The amount of precipitation in the mountains increases with altitude up to a certain level. It depends on the exposure of the slopes. Largest quantity precipitation can be observed on those slopes that face the main winds, this amount further increases if the prevailing winds carry moisture-containing air masses. On leeward slopes, the increase in precipitation as you ascend is not as noticeable.
Most scientists agree that optimal temperature for normal human well-being is from +18 to +21 degrees, when relative humidity air does not exceed 40-60%. When these parameters change, the body reacts by changing blood pressure, which is especially noticeable by people with hypertension or hypotension.
Weather fluctuations with significant changes in temperature conditions, when differences are more than 8 degrees Celsius within one day, negatively affect people with unstable blood pressure.
With a significant increase
temperature vessels
They expand sharply so that blood circulates faster and cools the body. The heart begins to beat much faster. All this leads to a sharp change in blood pressure. U
hypertensive patients
if there is insufficient compensation for the disease, a sharp jump may occur, which will lead to a hypertensive crisis.
Hypotonic people feel dizzy when the air temperature rises, but at the same time
heartbeat
becomes much faster, which somewhat improves well-being, especially if hypotension occurs against the background of bradycardia.
A decrease in air temperature leads to constriction of blood vessels,
pressure
decreases slightly, but against this background there may be a strong headache, since vasoconstriction can lead to spasm. For hypotension arterial pressure may drop to critical levels.
As the weather becomes stable, vegetative nervous system adapts to temperature conditions, well-being stabilizes in persons who do not have serious health conditions.
Patients with chronic diseases with strong changes in air temperature and atmospheric pressure should especially carefully monitor their health, measure blood pressure more often using
tonometer take
prescribed by a doctor
drugs
If in the background
the usual dose of pharmaceuticals, unstable blood pressure is still observed, you need to consult a doctor to review the tactics
or changes in doses of prescribed medications.
- How the air temperature is changing in 2017
Temperature (t) and pressure (P) are two interrelated physical quantities. This relationship is evident in all three states of aggregation substances. Most of the natural phenomena.
A very close relationship can be found between fluid temperature and atmospheric pressure. Inside any liquid there are many small air bubbles that have their own internal pressure. When heated, these bubbles evaporate saturated steam from the surrounding fluid. All this continues until the internal pressure becomes equal to the external (atmospheric) pressure. Then the bubbles cannot stand it and burst - a process called boiling occurs.
A similar process occurs in solids during melting or during the reverse process - crystallization. Solid consists of crystalline
Which can be destroyed when atoms move away from each other. The pressure, increasing, acts in the opposite direction - it presses the atoms towards each other. Accordingly, in order for the body to melt,
more is needed
energy and temperature rises.
The Clapeyron-Mendeleev equation describes the temperature dependence
from pressure
in gas. The formula looks like this: PV = nRT. P – gas pressure in the vessel. Since n and R are constant values, it becomes clear that pressure is directly proportional to temperature (at V=const). This means that the higher P, the higher t. This process is due to the fact that when heated, the intermolecular space increases, and the molecules begin to move quickly in a chaotic order, which means they hit each other more often.
vessel walls
Which contains gas. Temperature in the Clapeyron-Mendeleev equation is usually measured in degrees Kelvin.
There is a concept of standard temperature and pressure: temperature is -273° Kelvin (or 0 °C), and pressure is 760 mm
mercury
note
Ice has a high specific heat capacity, equal to 335 kJ/kg. Therefore, to melt it, you need to spend a lot of thermal energy. For comparison: the same amount of energy can heat water to 80 °C.
The decrease in air pressure with increasing altitude is known scientific fact substantiating a large number of phenomena associated with low pressure on high altitude above sea level.
You will need
- 7th grade physics textbook, molecular physics textbook, barometer.
Read in a physics textbook
definition of the concept of pressure. Regardless of what type of pressure is considered, it is equal to the force acting on a unit area. Thus, the greater the force acting on a certain area, the greater the pressure value. If we're talking about about air pressure, the force in question is the gravity of air particles.
Note that each layer of air in the atmosphere creates its own contribution to air pressure lower layers. It turns out that with increasing altitude above sea level, the number of layers pressing on the lower part of the atmosphere increases. Thus, as the distance to the ground increases, the force of gravity acting on the air in the lower parts of the atmosphere increases. This leads to the fact that the layer of air located near the surface of the earth experiences the pressure of all the upper layers, and the layer located closer to the upper boundary of the atmosphere does not experience such pressure. Accordingly, the air in the lower layers of the atmosphere has a much higher pressure than the air in the upper layers.
Remember how the pressure of a liquid depends on the depth of immersion in the liquid. The law that describes this pattern is called Pascal's law. He states that the pressure of a liquid increases linearly with increasing depth of immersion in it. Thus, the tendency for pressure to decrease with increasing height is also observed in liquid if the height is measured from the bottom of the container.
Please note that physical entity The increase in pressure in a liquid with increasing depth is the same as in air. The lower the layers of liquid lie, the more they have to support the weight of the upper layers. Therefore, in lower layers liquid pressure is greater than in the upper ones. However, if in a liquid the pattern of pressure increase is linear, then in air this is not the case. This is justified by the fact that the liquid is not compressible. The compressibility of air leads to the fact that the dependence of pressure on the altitude above sea level becomes exponential.
Remember from the course on the molecular kinetic theory of an ideal gas that such an exponential dependence is inherent in the distribution of the concentration of particles in the Earth’s gravitational field, which was identified by Boltzmann. The Boltzmann distribution, in fact, is directly related to the phenomenon of a decrease in air pressure, since this decrease leads to the fact that the concentration of particles decreases with height.
A person spends his life, as a rule, at an altitude of the Earth's surface, which is close to sea level. The body in such a situation experiences pressure surrounding atmosphere. The normal pressure value is considered to be 760 mmHg, also called “one atmosphere”. The pressure we experience externally is balanced by internal pressure. In this regard, the human body does not feel the heaviness of the atmosphere.
Atmospheric pressure can change throughout the day. Its performance also depends on the season. But, as a rule, such pressure surges occur within no more than twenty to thirty millimeters of mercury.
Such fluctuations are not noticeable to the body healthy person. But in people suffering from hypertension, rheumatism and other diseases, these changes can cause disturbances in the functioning of the body and a deterioration in general well-being.
A person can feel low atmospheric pressure when he is on a mountain and takes off on an airplane. The main physiological factor of altitude is reduced atmospheric pressure and, as a result, reduced partial pressure oxygen.
The body reacts to low atmospheric pressure, first of all, by increasing breathing. Oxygen at altitude is discharged. This causes excitation of the chemoreceptors of the carotid arteries, and it is transmitted to the medulla oblongata to the center, which is responsible for increasing breathing. Thanks to this process, the pulmonary ventilation of a person who experiences low atmospheric pressure increases within the required limits and the body receives a sufficient amount of oxygen.
An important physiological mechanism that is triggered by low atmospheric pressure is considered to be an increase in the activity of the organs responsible for hematopoiesis. This mechanism manifests itself in an increase in the amount of hemoglobin and red blood cells in the blood. In this mode, the body is able to transport more oxygen.
Boiling is the process of vaporization, that is, the transition of a substance from a liquid state to gaseous state. It is much different from evaporation higher speed and rapid flow. Any pure liquid boils at a certain temperature. However, depending on the external pressure and impurities, the temperature boiling may change significantly.
You will need
- - flask;
- - test liquid;
- - cork or rubber stopper;
- - laboratory thermometer;
- - curved tube.
As a simple device for determining temperature
boiling
You can use a flask with a capacity of about 250–500 milliliters with a round bottom and a wide neck. Pour the test product into it
liquid
(preferably within 20-25%
from volume
vessel), plug the neck with a cork or rubber stopper with two holes. Insert into one of the holes
laboratory thermometer, in the other - a curved tube that plays the role of a safety
for vapor removal.
If you have to determine temperature boiling clean liquid - the tip of the thermometer should be close to it, but not touching it. If you need to measure temperature boiling solution - the tip should be in the liquid.
What heat source can be used to heat a flask with liquid? This could be a water or sand bath, an electric stove, or a gas burner. The choice depends on the properties of the liquid and its expected temperature boiling.
Immediately after the process begins
boiling
Write it down
temperature
Which is shown by the mercury column of the thermometer. Monitor the thermometer readings for at least 15 minutes, recording readings every few minutes at regular intervals. For example, measurements were taken immediately after the 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th, 11th, 13th and 15th
experience. There were 8 of them in total. After
graduation
experience, calculate the arithmetic mean
temperature boiling
according to the formula: tcp = (t1 + t2 +…+t8)/8.
At the same time, it is necessary to take into account important point. In all physical, chemical, technical reference books
temperature indicators boiling liquids
given at normal atmospheric pressure (760 mmHg). It follows from this that simultaneously with measuring the temperature, it is necessary to measure
atmospheric
pressure and make the necessary adjustments to the calculations. Exactly the same amendments are given
in tables
temperatures
boiling
for a wide variety of liquids.
- How will the boiling point of water change in 2017?
How temperature and atmospheric pressure change in the mountains
When your head starts to hurt before a thunderstorm, and every cell of your body feels the approach of rain, you begin to think that this is old age. In fact, this is how millions of people react to changing weather. globe.
This process is called weather dependence. The first factor that directly affects well-being is the close relationship between atmospheric and blood pressure.
What is atmospheric pressure
Atmospheric pressure is a physical quantity. It is characterized by the action of the force of air masses on a unit of surface. Its magnitude is variable, depending on the altitude of the area above sea level, geographic latitude and is associated with the weather. Normal atmospheric pressure is 760 mmHg. It is with this value that a person experiences the most comfortable state of health.
What does the change in atmospheric pressure depend on?
A deviation of the barometer needle by 10 mm in one direction or another is sensitive to humans. And pressure drops occur for several reasons.
Seasonality
In summer, when the air warms up, the pressure on the mainland drops to its minimum values. In winter, due to heavy and cold air, the barometer needle reaches its maximum value.
Times of Day
In the morning and in the evenings, the pressure usually rises slightly, and in the afternoon and midnight it becomes lower.
Zoning
Atmospheric pressure also has a pronounced zonal character. The globe is divided into areas with a predominance of high and low pressure. This happens because the Earth's surface warms up unevenly.
Near the equator, where the land is very hot, warm air rises and areas of low pressure are formed. Closer to the poles, cold, heavy air descends to the ground and presses on the surface. Accordingly, a high pressure zone is formed here.
Does pressure increase or decrease in the mountains?
Let's remember the geography course for high school. As you gain altitude, the air becomes thinner and the pressure decreases. Every twelve meters of ascent reduces the barometer reading by 1 mmHg. But at high altitudes the patterns are different.
See the table for how air temperature and pressure change with altitude.
| 0 | 15 | 760 |
| 500 | 11.8 | 716 |
| 1000 | 8.5 | 674 |
| 2000 | 2 | 596 |
| 3000 | -4.5 | 525 |
| 4000 | -11 | 462 |
| 5000 | -17.5 | 405 |
How are atmospheric and blood pressure related?
This means that if you climb Mount Belukha (4,506 m), from the foot to the top, the temperature will drop by 30°C and the pressure will drop by 330 mm Hg. This is why high-altitude hypoxia, oxygen starvation, or miner's disease occurs in the mountains!
A person is designed in such a way that over time he gets used to new conditions. Stable weather has established itself - all body systems work without failures, the dependence of blood pressure on atmospheric pressure is minimal, the condition is normalized. And during periods of change of cyclones and anticyclones, the body fails to quickly switch to a new mode of operation, health worsens, blood pressure may change, and blood pressure may jump.
Arterial, or blood pressure, is the pressure of blood on the walls of blood vessels - veins, arteries, capillaries. It is responsible for the uninterrupted movement of blood through all vessels of the body, and directly depends on the atmospheric one.
First of all, people with chronic heart and cardiovascular diseases suffer from horse racing (perhaps the most common disease is hypertension).
Also at risk are:
- Patients with neurological disorders and nervous exhaustion;
- Allergy sufferers and people with autoimmune diseases;
- Patients with mental disorders, obsessive fears and anxiety;
- People suffering from lesions of the articular apparatus.
How does a cyclone affect the human body?
A cyclone is an area with low atmospheric pressure. The thermometer drops to 738-742 mm. Hg Art. The amount of oxygen in the air decreases.
In addition, low atmospheric pressure is distinguished by the following symptoms:
- Increased humidity and air temperature,
- Cloudiness,
- Precipitation in the form of rain or snow.
People with diseases of the respiratory system, cardiovascular system and hypotension suffer from such weather changes. Under the influence of a cyclone, they experience weakness, lack of oxygen, difficulty breathing, and shortness of breath.
Some weather-sensitive people experience increased intracranial pressure, headaches, and gastrointestinal disorders.
What features should be taken into account by hypotensive patients?
How does a cyclone affect people with low blood pressure? When atmospheric pressure decreases, blood pressure also becomes lower, the blood is less saturated with oxygen, resulting in headaches, weakness, a feeling of lack of air, and a desire to sleep. Oxygen starvation can lead to hypotensive crisis and coma.
Video: Atmospheric pressure and human well-being
We'll tell you what to do at low atmospheric pressure. Hypotonic patients need to monitor their blood pressure during a cyclone. It is believed that pressure from 130/90 mm Hg, increased for hypotensive patients, may be accompanied by symptoms of a hypertensive crisis.
Therefore, you need to drink more fluids and get enough sleep. In the morning you can drink a cup of strong coffee or 50 g of cognac. To prevent weather dependence, you need to harden the body, take vitamin complexes that strengthen the nervous system, tincture of ginseng or eleutherococcus.
How does an anticyclone affect the body?
When an anticyclone approaches, the barometer needles creep up to the level of 770-780 mm Hg. The weather changes: it becomes clear, sunny, and a light breeze blows. The amount of industrial pollutants harmful to health is increasing in the air.
High blood pressure is not dangerous for hypotensive patients.
But if it increases, then allergy sufferers, asthmatics, and hypertensives experience negative manifestations:
- Headaches and heartaches,
- Decreased performance,
- Increased heart rate,
- Redness of the face and skin,
- Flickering of flies before the eyes,
- Promotion blood pressure.
Also, the number of leukocytes in the blood decreases, which means a person becomes vulnerable to disease. With blood pressure 220/120 mm Hg. there is a high risk of developing hypertensive crisis, thrombosis, embolism, coma.
Doctors advise patients with blood pressure above normal to carry out gymnastics complexes, arrange contrast water treatments, eat vegetables and fruits containing potassium. These are: peaches, apricots, apples, Brussels sprouts and cauliflower, spinach.
You should also avoid serious physical activity try to get more rest. When the air temperature rises, drink more liquid: clean drinking water, tea, juices, fruit drinks.
Video: How high and low atmospheric pressure affects hypertensive patients
Is it possible to reduce weather sensitivity?
It is possible to reduce weather dependence if you follow simple but effective recommendations from doctors.
- The advice is banal, keep a daily routine. Go to bed early, sleep at least 9 hours. This is especially true on days when the weather changes.
- Before bedtime drink a glass of mint or chamomile tea . It's calming.
- Do a light warm-up in the morning, stretch, massage your feet.
- After gymnastics take a contrast shower.
- Be positive. Remember that a person cannot influence the increase or decrease in atmospheric pressure, but it is within our power to help the body cope with its fluctuations.
Summary: weather dependence is typical for patients with pathologies of the heart and blood vessels, as well as for older people suffering from a bunch of diseases. People with allergies, asthmatics, and hypertension are at risk. The most dangerous for weather-sensitive people are sudden changes in atmospheric pressure. Hardening the body and healthy image life.
ATMOSPHERE PRESSURE
Since air has mass and weight, it exerts pressure on the surface in contact with it. It is estimated that a column of air with a height from sea level to upper limit atmosphere presses on a 1 cm area with the same force as a 1 kg 33 g weight. Humans and all other living organisms do not feel this pressure, since it is balanced by their internal air pressure. When climbing in the mountains, already at an altitude of 3000 m, a person begins to feel unwell: shortness of breath and dizziness appear. At an altitude of more than 4000 m, the nose may bleed, as the blood vessels, sometimes a person even loses consciousness. All this happens because atmospheric pressure decreases with altitude, the air becomes rarefied, the amount of oxygen in it decreases, but a person’s internal pressure does not change. Therefore, in airplanes flying at high altitudes, the cabins are hermetically sealed, and they are artificially maintained at the same air pressure as at the surface of the Earth. Pressure is measured using a special device - a barometer - in mm of mercury.
It has been established that at sea level at parallel 45° with an air temperature of 0°C, atmospheric pressure is close to the pressure produced by a column of mercury 760 mm high. The air pressure under such conditions is called normal atmospheric pressure. If the pressure indicator is greater, then it is considered increased, if less, it is considered decreased. When climbing mountains, for every 10.5 m, the pressure decreases by approximately 1 mmHg. Knowing how pressure changes, you can use a barometer to calculate the altitude of a place.
Pressure changes not only with altitude. It depends on the air temperature and the influence of air masses. Cyclones lower atmospheric pressure, and anticyclones increase it.
First, let's remember the physics course high school, which explains why and how atmospheric pressure changes with altitude. The higher the area is above sea level, the lower the pressure there. It is very simple to explain: atmospheric pressure indicates the force with which a column of air presses on everything that is on the surface of the Earth. Naturally, the higher you rise, the lower the height of the air column, its mass and the pressure exerted will be.
In addition, at altitude the air is rarefied, it contains a much smaller number of gas molecules, which also immediately affects the mass. And we must not forget that with increasing altitude, the air is cleared of toxic impurities, exhaust gases and other “delights”, as a result of which its density decreases and atmospheric pressure drops.
Studies have shown that the dependence of atmospheric pressure on altitude differs as follows: an increase of ten meters causes a decrease in the parameter by one unit. As long as the altitude of the area does not exceed five hundred meters above sea level, changes in the pressure of the air column are practically not felt, but if you rise five kilometers, the values will be half the optimal ones. The strength of the pressure exerted by the air also depends on the temperature, which decreases greatly when rising to a higher altitude.
For the level of blood pressure and the general condition of the human body, the value of not only atmospheric pressure, but also partial pressure, which depends on the concentration of oxygen in the air, is very important. In proportion to the decrease in air pressure, the partial pressure of oxygen also decreases, which leads to an insufficient supply of this essential element to the cells and tissues of the body and the development of hypoxia. This is explained by the fact that the diffusion of oxygen into the blood and its subsequent transportation to the internal organs occurs due to the difference in the partial pressure of the blood and the pulmonary alveoli, and when rising to a high altitude, the difference in these readings becomes significantly smaller.
How does altitude affect a person's well-being?
The main negative factor affecting the human body at altitude is the lack of oxygen. It is as a result of hypoxia that acute disorders of the heart and blood vessels, increased blood pressure, digestive disorders and a number of other pathologies develop.
Hypertensive patients and people prone to pressure surges should not climb high into the mountains and it is advisable not to take long flights. They will also have to forget about professional mountaineering and mountain tourism.
The severity of the changes occurring in the body made it possible to distinguish several altitude zones:
- Up to one and a half to two kilometers above sea level is a relatively safe zone in which there are no special changes in the functioning of the body and the state of vitality. important systems. Deterioration in well-being, decreased activity and endurance are observed very rarely.
- From two to four kilometers - the body tries to cope with the oxygen deficiency on its own, thanks to increased breathing and taking deep breaths. Heavy physical work, which requires the consumption of large amounts of oxygen, is difficult to perform, but light exercise is well tolerated for several hours.
- From four to five and a half kilometers - the state of health noticeably worsens, performing physical work is difficult. Psycho-emotional disorders appear in the form of high spirits, euphoria, and inappropriate actions. When staying at such a height for a long time, headaches, a feeling of heaviness in the head, problems with concentration, and lethargy occur.
- From five and a half to eight kilometers - exercise physical work impossible, the condition worsens sharply, the percentage of loss of consciousness is high.
- Above eight kilometers - at this altitude a person is able to maintain consciousness for a maximum of several minutes, after which deep fainting and death follows.
For metabolic processes to occur in the body, oxygen is necessary, the deficiency of which at altitude leads to the development of altitude sickness. The main symptoms of the disorder are:
- Headache.
- Increased breathing, shortness of breath, lack of air.
- Nose bleed.
- Nausea, attacks of vomiting.
- Joint and muscle pain.
- Sleep disorders.
- Psycho-emotional disorders.
At high altitudes, the body begins to experience a lack of oxygen, as a result of which the functioning of the heart and blood vessels is disrupted, arterial and intracranial pressure increases, and vital signs fail. internal organs. To successfully overcome hypoxia, you need to include nuts, bananas, chocolate, cereals, and fruit juices in your diet.
Effect of altitude on blood pressure levels
When rising to a high altitude, a decrease in atmospheric pressure and thin air cause an increase in heart rate and an increase in blood pressure. However, with a further increase in altitude, blood pressure levels begin to decrease. A decrease in the oxygen content in the air to critical values causes depression of cardiac activity and a noticeable decrease in pressure in the arteries, while in the venous vessels the levels increase. As a result, a person develops arrhythmia and cyanosis.
Not long ago, a group of Italian researchers decided for the first time to study in detail how altitude affects blood pressure levels. To conduct research, an expedition to Everest was organized, during which the participants’ pressure levels were determined every twenty minutes. During the hike, an increase in blood pressure during ascent was confirmed: the results showed that the systolic value increased by fifteen, and the diastolic value by ten units. At the same time, it was noted that maximum values Blood pressure was determined at night. The effect of antihypertensive drugs on different heights. It turned out that the drug under study effectively helped at an altitude of up to three and a half kilometers, and when rising above five and a half it became absolutely useless.
Instructions
It is customary to distinguish between mountain and alpine climates. The first is typical for altitudes less than 3000-4000 m, the second - for higher levels. It should be noted that climatic conditions on high, vast plateaus differ significantly from conditions on mountain slopes, in valleys or on individual peaks. Of course, they also differ from the climatic conditions characteristic of a free atmosphere over the plains. Humidity, atmospheric pressure, precipitation and temperature change quite strongly with altitude.
As altitude increases, air density and atmospheric pressure decrease, and the content of dust and water vapor in the air decreases, which significantly increases its transparency to solar radiation, its intensity increases significantly compared to the plains. As a result, the sky appears bluer and denser, and light levels increase. On average, atmospheric pressure decreases by 1 mmHg for every 12 meters of ascent, but specific indicators always depend on the terrain and temperature. The higher the temperature, the slower the pressure decreases as it rises. Untrained people begin to experience discomfort due to low pressure already at an altitude of 3000 m.
With altitude in the troposphere, the air temperature also drops. Moreover, it depends not only on the altitude of the area, but also on the exposure of the slopes - on the northern slopes, where the influx of radiation is not so large, the temperature is usually noticeably lower than on the southern ones. At significant altitudes (in high-mountain climates), firn fields and glaciers influence the temperature. Firn fields are areas of special granular perennial snow (or even a transitional stage between snow and ice) that form above the snow line in the mountains.
In the interior regions of mountain ranges, stagnation of cooled air may occur in winter. This often leads to temperature inversions, i.e. temperature increases as altitude increases.
The amount of precipitation in the mountains increases with altitude up to a certain level. It depends on the exposure of the slopes. The greatest amount of precipitation can be observed on those slopes that face the main winds, this amount further increases if the prevailing winds carry moisture-containing air masses. On leeward slopes, the increase in precipitation as you ascend is not as noticeable.
Most scientists agree that the optimal temperature for normal human well-being is from +18 to +21 degrees, when the relative humidity does not exceed 40-60%. When these parameters change, the body reacts by changing blood pressure, which is especially noticeable by people with hypertension or hypotension.
Instructions
Weather fluctuations with significant changes in temperature conditions, when differences are more than 8 degrees Celsius within one day, negatively affect people with unstable blood pressure.
When significantly increased, they expand sharply so that the blood circulates faster and cools the body. The heart begins to beat much faster. All this leads to a sharp change in blood pressure. If there is insufficient compensation for the disease, a sharp jump may occur, which will lead to a hypertensive crisis.
Hypotonic patients feel dizzy when the air temperature rises, but at the same time it becomes much faster, which somewhat improves their well-being, especially if hypotension occurs against the background of bradycardia.
A decrease in air temperature leads to vasoconstriction, it decreases somewhat, but against the background of this there may be a severe headache, since vasoconstriction can lead to spasm. With hypotension, blood pressure can drop to critical levels.
As the weather becomes stable, the autonomic nervous system adapts to the temperature regime, and the state of health stabilizes in people who do not have serious health problems.
Patients with chronic diseases with strong changes in air temperature and atmospheric pressure should especially carefully monitor their health and measure their blood pressure more often with the help of a device prescribed by a doctor. If, despite the usual dose of pharmaceuticals, unstable blood pressure is still observed, it is necessary to consult a doctor to review the tactics or change the doses of the prescribed drugs.
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Sources:
- How the air temperature is changing in 2019
Temperature (t) and pressure (P) are two interrelated physical quantities. This relationship manifests itself in all three states of matter. Most natural phenomena depend on fluctuations in these quantities.
Instructions
A very close relationship can be found between fluid temperature and atmospheric pressure. Inside any liquid there are many small air bubbles that have their own internal pressure. When heated, saturated steam from the surrounding liquid evaporates into these bubbles. All this continues until the internal pressure becomes equal to the external (atmospheric) pressure. Then the bubbles cannot stand it and burst - a process called boiling occurs.
A similar process occurs in solids during melting or during the reverse process - crystallization. A solid consists of crystalline elements, which can be destroyed when the atoms move away from each other. The pressure, increasing, acts in the opposite direction - it presses the atoms towards each other. Accordingly, in order for the body to melt, the energy and temperature increase.
The Clapeyron-Mendeleev equation describes the dependence of temperature in a gas. The formula looks like this: PV = nRT. P – gas pressure in the vessel. Since n and R are constant values, it becomes clear that pressure is directly proportional to temperature (at V=const). This means that the higher P, the higher t. This process is due to the fact that when heated, the intermolecular space increases, and the molecules begin to move quickly in a chaotic order, and therefore more often hit the gas in which the gas is located. Temperature in the Clapeyron-Mendeleev equation is usually measured in degrees Kelvin.
note
Ice has a high specific heat capacity of 335 kJ/kg. Therefore, to melt it, you need to spend a lot of thermal energy. For comparison: the same amount of energy can heat water to 80 °C.
A decrease in air pressure with increasing altitude is a well-known scientific fact that substantiates a large number of phenomena associated with low pressure values at high altitudes above sea level.
You will need
- 7th grade physics textbook, molecular physics textbook, barometer.
Instructions
Read the definition of pressure in your physics textbook. Regardless of what type of pressure is considered, it is equal to the force acting on a unit area. Thus, the greater the force acting on a certain area, the greater the pressure value. When it comes to air pressure, the force in question is the gravity of air particles.
Note that each layer of air in the atmosphere makes its own contribution to the air pressure of the layers below. It turns out that with increasing altitude above sea level, the number of layers pressing on the lower part of the atmosphere increases. Thus, as the distance to the ground increases, the force of gravity acting on the air in the lower parts of the atmosphere increases. This leads to the fact that the layer of air located near the surface of the earth experiences the pressure of all the upper layers, and the layer located closer to the upper boundary of the atmosphere does not experience such pressure. Accordingly, the air in the lower layers of the atmosphere has a much higher pressure than the air in the upper layers.
Remember how the pressure of a liquid depends on the depth of immersion in the liquid. The law that describes this pattern is called Pascal's law. He states that the pressure of a liquid increases linearly with increasing depth of immersion in it. Thus, the tendency for pressure to decrease with increasing height is also observed in liquid if the height is measured from the bottom of the container.
Note that the physics of increasing pressure in a liquid with increasing depth is the same as in air. The lower the layers of liquid lie, the more they have to support the weight of the upper layers. Therefore, in the lower layers of the liquid the pressure is greater than in the upper ones. However, if in a liquid the pattern of pressure increase is linear, then in air this is not the case. This is justified by the fact that the liquid is not compressible. The compressibility of air leads to the fact that the dependence of pressure on the altitude above sea level becomes exponential.
Remember from the course on the molecular kinetic theory of an ideal gas that such an exponential dependence is inherent in the distribution of the concentration of particles in the Earth’s gravitational field, which was identified by Boltzmann. The Boltzmann distribution, in fact, is directly related to the phenomenon of a decrease in air pressure, since this decrease leads to the fact that the concentration of particles decreases with height.
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A person spends his life, as a rule, at an altitude of the Earth's surface, which is close to sea level. The body in such a situation experiences pressure from the surrounding atmosphere. The normal pressure value is considered to be 760 mmHg, also called “one atmosphere”. The pressure we experience externally is balanced by internal pressure. In this regard, the human body does not feel the heaviness of the atmosphere.
Atmospheric pressure can change throughout the day. Its performance also depends on the season. But, as a rule, such pressure surges occur within no more than twenty to thirty millimeters of mercury.
Such fluctuations are not noticeable to the body of a healthy person. But in people suffering from hypertension, rheumatism and other diseases, these changes can cause disturbances in the functioning of the body and a deterioration in general well-being.
A person can feel low atmospheric pressure when he is on a mountain and takes off on an airplane. The main physiological factor of altitude is reduced atmospheric pressure and, as a result, reduced partial pressure of oxygen.
The body reacts to low atmospheric pressure, first of all, by increasing breathing. Oxygen at altitude is discharged. This causes excitation of the chemoreceptors of the carotid arteries, and it is transmitted to the medulla oblongata to the center, which is responsible for increasing breathing. Thanks to this process, the pulmonary ventilation of a person who experiences low atmospheric pressure increases within the required limits and the body receives a sufficient amount of oxygen.
An important physiological mechanism that is triggered by low atmospheric pressure is considered to be an increase in the activity of the organs responsible for hematopoiesis. This mechanism manifests itself in an increase in the amount of hemoglobin and red blood cells in the blood. In this mode, the body is able to transport more oxygen.
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The higher a person climbs into the mountains or the higher his plane takes him, the thinner the air becomes. At an altitude of 5.5 km above sea level, atmospheric pressure decreases by almost half; the oxygen content decreases to the same extent. Already at an altitude of 4 km, an untrained person can get so-called mountain sickness. However, through training, you can accustom your body to staying at higher altitudes. Even when conquering Everest, heroic climbers did not use oxygen devices. How does the body adapt to oxygen-poor air?
The main role here is played by an increase in the number, and therefore an increase in the amount of hemoglobin in the blood. Residents mountain areas the number of red blood cells reaches 6 or more million per 1 mm3 (instead of 4 million per normal conditions). It is clear that in this case the blood gets the opportunity to capture more oxygen from the air.
By the way, sometimes people who have visited Kislovodsk attribute the increase in the amount of hemoglobin in their blood to the fact that they had a good rest and recovered. The point, of course, is not only this, but also simply the influence of the mountainous area.
Divers and those who work in caissons - special chambers used in the construction of bridges and other hydraulic structures, are forced, on the contrary, to work at high blood pressure air. At a depth of 50 m under water, a diver experiences pressure almost 5 times higher than atmospheric pressure, and yet he sometimes has to dive 100 m or more under water.
Air pressure has a very unique effect. A person works under these conditions for hours without experiencing any trouble from high blood pressure. However, when climbing quickly upward, sharp pains in the joints, itchy skin, ; in severe cases were noted deaths. Why is this happening?
In everyday life, we do not always think about the force with which pressure presses on us atmospheric air. Meanwhile, its pressure is very high and amounts to about 1 kg per square centimeter of body surface. The latter for a person of average height and weight is 1.7 m2. As a result, the atmosphere presses on us with a force of 17 tons! We do not feel this enormous compressive effect because it is balanced by the pressure of body fluids and gases dissolved in them. Fluctuations in atmospheric pressure cause a number of changes in the body, which are especially felt by patients with hypertension and joint diseases. Indeed, when the atmospheric pressure changes by 25 mm Hg. Art. the force of atmospheric pressure on the body changes by more than half a ton! The body must balance this pressure shift.
However, as already mentioned, being under pressure even at 10 atmospheres is relatively well tolerated by a diver. Why can rapid ascent be fatal? The fact is that in blood, as in any other liquid, with increased pressure of gases (air) in contact with it, these gases dissolve more significantly. Nitrogen, which makes up 4/5 of the air, is completely indifferent to the body (when it is in the form of a free gas), in large quantities dissolves in the diver's blood. If the air pressure decreases rapidly, the gas begins to come out of solution and the blood “boils,” releasing nitrogen bubbles. These bubbles form in the vessels and can clog a vital artery - in the brain, etc. Therefore, divers and working caissons are raised to the surface very slowly so that gas is released only from the pulmonary capillaries.
No matter how different the effects of being high above sea level and deep underwater are, there is one link that connects them. If a person ascends very quickly in an airplane into rarefied layers of the atmosphere, then above 19 km above sea level, complete sealing is needed. At this altitude, the pressure decreases so much that water (and therefore blood) no longer boils at 100 °C, but at . Phenomena of decompression sickness, similar in origin to decompression sickness, may occur.
Atmospheric pressure is the pressure of the atmosphere on all objects in it and the Earth's surface. Atmospheric pressure is created by the gravitational attraction of air towards the Earth. Atmospheric pressure is measured by a barometer. Normal atmospheric pressure is the pressure at sea level at a temperature of 15 °C. It is equal to 760 mm Hg. Art. (International Standard Atmosphere - ISA, 101,325 Pa).
Also in ancient times people noticed that air exerts pressure on ground objects, especially during storms and hurricanes. He used this pressure, forcing the wind to move sailing ships and rotate the wings of windmills. However, for a long time it was not possible to prove that air has weight. Only in the 17th century was an experiment carried out that proved the weight of air. The reason for this was an accidental circumstance.
In Italy in 1640, the Duke of Tuscany decided to build a fountain on the terrace of his palace. The water for this fountain had to be pumped from a nearby lake, but the water did not flow higher than 32 feet (10.3m). The Duke turned to Galileo, then already a very old man, for clarification. The great scientist was confused and did not immediately find how to explain this phenomenon. And only Galileo’s student, Torricelli, after long experiments, proved that air has weight, and the pressure of the atmosphere is balanced by a column of water of 32 feet, or 10.3 m.
The search for the reasons for this and experiments with a heavier substance - mercury, undertaken by Evangelista Torricelli led to the fact that in 1643 he proved that air has weight. Together with V. Viviani, Torricelli conducted the first experiment in measuring atmospheric pressure, inventing the Torricelli tube (the first mercury barometer), a glass tube in which there is no air. In such a tube, mercury rises to a height of about 760 mm.
Thus, since air has mass and weight, it exerts pressure on the surface in contact with it. It is calculated that a column of air with a height from sea level to the upper boundary of the atmosphere presses on a 1 cm area with the same force as a weight of 1 kg 33 g. Man and all other living organisms do not feel this pressure, since it is balanced by their internal air pressure. When climbing in the mountains, already at an altitude of 3000 m, a person begins to feel unwell: shortness of breath and dizziness appear. At an altitude of more than 4000 m, a nose may bleed, as blood vessels rupture, and sometimes a person even loses consciousness. All this happens because atmospheric pressure decreases with altitude, the air becomes rarefied, the amount of oxygen in it decreases, but a person’s internal pressure does not change. Therefore, in airplanes flying at high altitudes, the cabins are hermetically sealed, and they are artificially maintained at the same air pressure as at the surface of the Earth.
It has been established that at sea level at parallel 45° with an air temperature of 0°C, atmospheric pressure is close to the pressure produced by a column of mercury 760 mm high. The air pressure under such conditions is called normal atmospheric pressure. If the pressure indicator is greater, then it is considered increased, if less, it is considered decreased. When climbing mountains, for every 10.5 m, the pressure decreases by approximately 1 mmHg. Knowing how pressure changes, you can use a barometer to calculate the altitude of a place.
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