Mini review of high altitude health problems in Ladakh.

Ladakh is a sparsely populated area of Indian Himalaya lying at 3-4500 m altitude mainly consisting of arid desert. This paper will discuss high altitude health problems in Ladakh under the following headings. 1. Acute altitude illness: acute mountain sickness (AMS), high altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE) and high altitude cerebral edema (HACE). 2. Effects of prolonged and permanent exposure to high altitude: (subacute and chronic mountain sickness). 3. Environmental dust and domestic fire pollution resulting in non-occupational pneumoconiosis and high prevalence of respiratory morbidity.