Elisabeth Simons
D i e G e s c h i c h t e d e r H ö h enkrankheit History of High Altitude Disease
SUMMARY The history of high altitude illness – from occasional observation to modern high altitude medicine – reflects some aspects of scientific and social development of the last centuries. Mountaineers and scientists proposed early theories about fatigue, headache and nausea without taking effort to examine their causes. Many mistook the symptoms for fear, and denied the existence of a disease. High altitude physiology proved hypoxia at high altitude but pathophysiology and possible treatment of high altitude illness remained obscure. Mountain sickness was regarded an uncomfortable side effect of thin air and severe courses were unrecognized. Scientists rather explored mechanisms of acclimatization, acute hypoxia or climatic effects at moderate altitude. Precise descriptions of high altitude diseases were made in South America, where greater numbers of patients aroused clinicians’ attention. This knowledge was unrecognized in the western world for a long time. Increasing numbers of tourists hiking towards higher altitudes enhanced interest in cases of acute mountain sickness, high altitude pulmonary and cerebral edema and thus led to the development of modern high altitude medicine. Keywords: high altitude disease, hypoxia, history
ZUSAMMENFASSUNG Die Geschichte der Höhenkrankheit bis zur Entwicklung der modernen Höhenmedizin gibt Einblick in die wissenschaftliche und gesellschaftliche Entwicklung der letzten Jahrhunderte. Obwohl es schon früh vielfältige Spekulationen über Müdigkeit, Kopfschmerzen und Übelkeit in der Höhe gab, fehlten vorerst Bestrebungen, deren Ursache durch Untersuchungen zu klären. Da die Symptome nicht regelmäßig auftraten, zweifelten Viele an der Existenz einer entsprechenden Krankheit. Die Höhenphysiologie erbrachte den 85
