The rarefied air in the mountains
The amount of oxygen and nitrogen decreases drastically with height. It's all in the pressure difference between the upper and lower layers of the atmosphere. The top layers a lot of pressure on the bottom, so much more air and lower the pressure. Mountaineers climbing at high altitude, have some difficulties.
It all depends on the altitude of where the person is. If it does not exceed 1 km, the difference is almost imperceptible, and no harm to body will not. Height from 1 to 3 km also cannot harm a healthy person (organism easily compensates for the lack of oxygen). Sick people, especially those who suffer from asthma, you should not go to such a dangerous journey.
At a height of 5 to 6 km for a healthy person mobilizes all the systems and makes them work in emergency mode due to lack of oxygen. A trained person can cope with that height, so there are often a variety of research facilities and observatories. Healthy sleep and proper nutrition help the body scientists to cope with a stressful situation.
Designated, located at an altitude of 7 km and higher, the people's lives. Oxygen is so small that blood fails to fully deliver it to all organs. They begin to experience oxygen starvation. The person feels fatigue, headache, deteriorating General condition. At a height of 8 km and above person can hold no more than 3 days.
Life in the highlands
The inhabitants of mountain regions have much better health and live longer than the residents of plains. What is the explanation? Oxygen in nature is a strong oxidizing agent. Any oxidant in the body to a greater or lesser extent causes aging. But to live without oxygen man cannot. To promote health need a somewhat lower oxygen content in the air than on the plains.
The optimum height for a comfortable life is about 1500 meters above sea level. The small body is experiencing oxygen starvation, which includes the work of all systems in emergency mode. Improves blood circulation and lung ventilation, increased level of hemoglobin in the blood.
American scientists noticed that people living in the mountains, a characteristic guttural sounds in speech. At high altitude it is much easier to pronounce such sounds, since it needs to compress the air in the throat. It's easiest to do it in the highlands as there is a more rarefied air than on the plains.