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Evaluation and Treatment of Heat- and Altitude-Related Illness

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Endurance Sports Medicine

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Abstract

Environmental issues can be a difficult challenge for both endurance athletes and medical staff. Not only do they spend long hours in the elements, but varied locations may make evaluation and treatment difficult. Both heat and altitude present not only performance problems to athletes; these conditions have the potential for life-threatening consequences if not recognized and treated appropriately. Prevention of both heat and altitude issues is ideal with planning time for acclimatization and modification of training and competition as weather and environments dictate. Genetic factors likely play a role in an individual athlete’s tolerance to both heat and altitude, and it is important to remember that fitness level is not protective of either condition. Mild to moderate illness can often be treated with activity modification and rest. For severe illness, both heat-related and altitude illness require immediate action, cooling, or descent, to prevent complications.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Vermont Orthopaedic Clinic, Rutland Regional Medical Center, 158 Chapel Ridge Place, Rutland, VT, 05701, USA

    Matthew Gammons, Tarry Bolognani & Matt Howland

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  1. Matthew Gammons
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  2. Tarry Bolognani
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  3. Matt Howland
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Correspondence to Matthew Gammons .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Gahanna, Ohio, USA

    Timothy L Miller

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© 2016 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

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Gammons, M., Bolognani, T., Howland, M. (2016). Evaluation and Treatment of Heat- and Altitude-Related Illness. In: Miller, T. (eds) Endurance Sports Medicine. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-32982-6_3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-32982-6_3

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-32980-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-32982-6

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

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