The percentage of oxygen in air remains essentially constant with altitude at 21% up until 70,000 feet (21,330 metres) but the air pressure (and therefore the number of oxygen molecules) drops as altitude increases – consequently, the available amount of oxygen to sustain mental and physical alertness decreases above 10,000 feet (3,050 metres). Although treatable to some extent by the administration of oxygen, most of the symptoms do not appear to be caused by low oxygen, but rather by the low CO 2 levels causing a rise in blood pH, alkalosis. It occurs in low atmospheric pressure conditions but not necessarily in low oxygen conditions at sea level pressure.
The cause of altitude sickness is still not understood. Acute mountain sickness can progress to high altitude pulmonary edema ( HAPE) or high altitude cerebral edema ( HACE). It commonly occurs above 2,400 metres (approximately 8,000 feet). Altitude sickness, also known as acute mountain sickness ( AMS), altitude illness, or soroche, is a pathological condition that is caused by acute exposure to low air pressure (usually outdoors at high altitudes).
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