prevalence of altitude sickness at hemkund sahib
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In the summer of 2012 ATMA Researchers travelled to Hemkund Sahib, a popular Sikh pilgrimage in the Indian Himalayan state of Uttarakhand. Here they surveyed the prevalence of Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS), a condition that affects some people who travel to high altitude, which was expected to be high due to the dramatic change in altitude over the 1-2 day trek to the Gurudwara (Sikh Temple).
The ATMA Research Team found that almost 30% of all pilgrims suffered from AMS during the pilgrimage. No information regarding AMS was easily accessible on the trekking route and few pilgrims had any working knowledge of the condition. Most experts recommend that for treks to high altitude, trekkers take prophylactic acetazolomide (Diamox), ascend slowly and drink plenty of water. Of our sample only 1 subject was taking medication and the average intake of water was alarmingly low. Moving forward, ATMA is making plans to work with officials at Hemkund Sahib to educate travellers of the risks of AMS and how they can prevent it from affecting them during their pilgrimage. |
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