Why do people cough so much on Everest?

High altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE) is a severe form of high altitude illness that, if left untreated, can lead to mortality in 50 percent of affected individuals. It occurs secondary to hypoxia and is a form of noncardiogenic pulmonary edema. It is characterized by fatigue, dyspnea, and a dry cough with exertion.



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The Khumbu cough, also referred to as the high altitude hack, is a cough caused by the low humidity and temperatures associated with high altitudes. The Khumbu cough is named after the valley that leads up to Mount Everest in Nepal, but the cough itself is not specific to the Everest region.

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The most common causes of death on Mount Everest are acute mountain sickness, falls, avalanches, exhaustion, crevasses, exposure, and hypothermia. Long list, right? Well, when you're climbing above 8,000 meters, a lot can go wrong.

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Five miles above sea level the air has so little oxygen in it that even with supplementary air tanks, it can feel like running on a treadmill and breathing through a straw, according to US mountaineer and filmmaker David Breashears.

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One mountaineer said climbing Everest feels like 'running on a treadmill and breathing through a straw' At sea level, the air contains about 21% oxygen. But at altitudes above 12,000 feet, oxygen levels are 40% lower.

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It is estimated that climbers on Mount Everest burn around 6000 calories a day as opposed to the typical 2000 calories a day. It is important that climbers are prepared for this increase in calories burned. People interested in climbing Mount Everest also need to prepare mentally.

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