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It is the transitory loss of vision that appears from 8202 feet (2500 meters) of altitude and improves with the descent.
The exact cause is unknown, but it is favored by lack of oxygen, hemorrhages in the retina, inflammation of the cornea and conjunctiva due to cold and solar radiation.
The treatment consists of descending below a safe altitude (< 8202 feet or 2500 meters).
If you lose your vision in this context, you may be in vital danger, so look for a companion to make the descent.
- Scott A Gallagher, Peter Hackett, Jonathan M Rosen. High altitude illness: Physiology, risk factors, and general prevention. UpToDate, Apr 15, 2015.
- Scott A Gallagher, Peter Hackett. Acute mountain sickness and high altitude cerebral edema. UpToDate. Mar 03, 2016.
- West JB, American College of Physicians, American Physiological Society. The physiologic basis of high-altitude diseases. Ann Intern Med 2004; 141:789.
- Schoene RB. Illnesses at high altitude. Chest 2008; 134:402.
Dr. Sara Vitoria
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