Acute Mountain sickness (AMS)

It is a syndrome complex of (a) headeach (b) nausea (c) dizziness (d) sleeplessness and (e) fatigue. Of these, headache is the cardinal symptom. Nobody is immune to AMS above 2500 meter. It is not related to physical fitness or gender. Early AMS feels exactly like alcohol hangover. It is also heralded by the feeling of deep inner chill or a sense of not being well. Late or advanced AMS denotes increase in severity of the above mentioned symptoms. A typical picture will be a porter arrives at a high altitude carrying a heavy load. Immediately, he goes in a corner of a dark room and rests there covered with a blanket from head to toe. He doesn't want any tea or snacks. He starts to throw up once in a while. \when asked, he says he has the worst headache as if somebody is hammering a nail into his forehead and he feels terrible. He is still huddled in the corner at dinner time. When friends bring him food, he does not even want to look at it. when asked, he says yes, I want to go down. High altitude sickness is classified as (a) mild AMS (b) moderate AMS and (c) severe AMS.
If not interfered with, AMS could progress to two fatal complications. (a) High altitude cerebral edema (HACE), meaning swelling of the brain or water in the brain. (b) high altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE) meaning water in the lungs.