Monge's Disease

Definition

Definition of Monge's Disease
A disease that can develop during extended time living at altitude, Monge's disease, or Chronic mountain sickness was first described in 1925 by Carlos Monge. Its acute form is called acute mountain sickness, which occurs shortly after ascent to high altitude. Medicine describes high altitude as over 2500 meters though most cases of CMS occur at over 3000 meters.

Symptoms

Symptoms of Monge's Disease
Headache, dizziness, tinnitus, breathelessness, sleep, disturbance, palpitations, fatigue, mental confusion, anorexia, cyanosis and dilation of veins are the most common signs and symptoms of CMS or Monge's disease.

Causes

Causes of Monge's Disease
It is believed that the condition arises due to an excessive production of red blood cells, which increases the oxygen carrying capacity of the blood. But it may also cause greater viscosity and uneven blood flow through the lungs.

Diagnosis

Diagnosis of Monge's Disease
Clinical diagnosis of Monge's disease by laboratory show indicators have ranges of HHb > 200 g/L, Hct >65%, and arterial oxygen saturation (SaO2) <85% in both genders.

Treatment

Treatment of Monge's Disease
Symptoms will diminish once the individual descends from altitude and the hematocrit return to normal slowly. Bleeding and removal of circulating blood to reduce the hematocrit are among the acute treatment at altitude but are not ideal for extended periods.

Prognosis

Prognosis of Monge's Disease
Consult with your doctor.

Prevention

Prevention of Monge's Disease
Altitude acclimatization is the process of adjusting to decreasing oxygen levels at higher elevations, in order to avoid altitude sickness. Once above approximately 3,000 metres (10,000 feet), most climbers and high altitude trekkers follow the "golden rule" - Climb High, Sleep Low. For high altitude climbers, the way to acclimatize is to stay a few days at base camp, slowly climb up to a higher camp, stay there for one night initially, then return to base camp. People seem to do best when they climb during the day but return to a lower altitude to sleep. This process is then repeated a few times, each time extending the time spent at higher altitudes to let the body "get used" to the oxygen level there. Once the climber is used to that altitude, the process is repeated with a camp placed at higher elevations. The general rule of thumb is to not ascend more than 300 metres (1,000 feet) per day to sleep. That is, one can climb from 3,000 (10,000 feet) to 4,500 metres (15,000 feet) in one day, but one should then descend back to 3,300 metres (11,000 feet) to sleep. This process cannot be rushed, and this explains why climbers need to spend days (or even weeks at times) acclimatizing before attempting to climb a high peak.