RE: What happend in Galyat, Didn't Stay in Galyat
I'm only 24 and when I reached the Karakorum highway, I suffered with hypoxia. Turned a bit red, started wheezing (I already have acute bronchitis)
Hypoxia doesn't necessarily depend upon age, rather than lifestyle, the area you're living in and the amount of oxygen available to you in that area. The people who live on high altitudes don't have access to the amount of oxygen available to southern people specially those people who live by the sea. What happens is, generations after generation, people live in high altitude areas, this results in mutation in their genes over the course of time which results in an increased production of Red Blood Cells (RBCs)
Why RBCs? Because rbcs carry haemoglobin and haemoglobin carries oxygen molecules. Less oxygen = more rbc production. This is known as Negative Feedback.
This is the reason why you'd find people who live in mountains have cherry red cheeks.
When a southern person visits a mountainous place, the first thing they're struck with is hypoxia as our body produces rbcs according to our southern needs. As soon as we reach northern areas or start hiking or doing anything that requires energy, this is what happens:
Less oxygen available > Signal to the brain > body needs oxygen at all cost > not enough rbcs to carry the required amount of oxygen > heavy breathing > Respiration rate increases.
Sorry for boring y'all.
Fun fact: if you sit down and consciously start breathing heavily and quickly, you might feel a very short period of euphoria due to abundant amount of oxygen being breathed into your lungs
Not boring, my dear! Thank you very much. You reminded me that I also experienced something similar years ago in the Andes. The locals chewed coca leaves to compensate for this deficiency by increasing blood flow and oxygen uptake...
It never occurred to me that there could be such extreme differences within one country...
I experienced episodes of hypoxia throughout my visit to SKARDU. My family didn't feel it that much. Huzaifa explained the physiology of this phenomenon quite well.
will also blame my sedentary lifestyle for this aspect. My kids hiked like they were born there... This highlights the importance of physical activity! The kids are used to running around and being physically active more than us elders.
I was a good runner before kids. Now I can't even do a brisk walk. 🥲
I hope they continue to do that even when they get older. Of course I'm not in the shoes of any parent out there but it's infuriating for me when I see 90% of parents around me instilling the dopamine rush into their kids by handing them over mobile phones so that their kids don't disturb them. Doing this will haunt the parents forever. The dopamine that is being released due to screen exposure is so terrifying and the kids should be getting it through physical activities instead of cartoons on YouTube.
Biology is fascinating...
We have second-highest peak of the world, forests, rivers, plateus, deserts and a sea. We are too diverse. 😀
Interesting. I had an idea but you explained it perfectly. That means I shouldn't worry about my shortness of breath while climbing mountains.
Hmm... If you experienced it on the highway that means you were probably in a vehicle and your body didn't exert (no climbing), right? And you still went through hypoxia?
I feel pretty normal while at any altitude except for when I climb or exert in any way - be at a mountain or a slope near sea.
That depends. Do you also face breathlessness while doing routine tasks at home? If yes, you should be worried and you need to hit the gym.
Do you only feel breathlessness while hiking? If yes, that's pretty normal for everyone but you still need to hit the gym. Hitting the gym is never a bad decision xD
The best way to train lungs is to jog at a steady pace. Also, doing breathing exercises. Breath in to the maximum capacity of your lungs. Hold the air inside and then exhale out in 4-5 steps. Do this atleast twice for two minutes in a day. Alongside breathing issues it will also solve your anxiety.
No I meant when I got out of the bus at the Pak-China border. Still, there was no sort of hiking or Trekking, only walking yet I still felt shortness of breath (pretty normal at that altitude)
Okay I get it... I'm not exactly fit at home too... definitely need some physical training.
TEAM 1
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