Long lines formed at the frigid summit of Mount Everest, partly due to several days of good weather. According to news sources, seven climbers may have died this week.

These crowds cause deadly traffic jams. Keshav Paudel of Peak Promotion, which organizes Everest tours, told AFP that one of the climbers who died was 27-year-old Nihal Bagwan of India, who was "stuck in traffic for more than 12 hours and exhausted" Sherpa The guide took him to Camp 4, where he breathed his last.

Exhaustion is a risk every climber faces. But what is the reason why Everest is so overcrowded that some people have died? [Photo: Everest Expedition at the time] 'KDSPE' 'KDSPs' Traffic jams mean people will have to spend more time at altitudes that tax the human body, waiting for help if they need to descend due to illness The treatment time is longer. Dangerous Mount Everest, says one expert

As the highest mountain in the world, Mount Everest is 29,029 feet (8,848 meters) above sea level. However, at altitudes as low as 8,200 feet (2,500 meters), climbers may begin to experience acute mountain sickness, said Dr. Andrew Lucas, a professor in the department of pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine at the University of Washington School of Medicine.

Climbers walking up Mount Everest in this undated photo below from Nuptse on their way to Camp 2. (Christian Kober via AWL Images/Getty Images Plus)

Acute mountain sickness (AMS) is not fatal, but its symptoms can be debilitating for climbers. Luks wrote in a 2015 study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology that AMS affects up to 77 percent of travelers with a height of 6,000 to 19,300 feet (1,850 to 5,895 meters). )between. Climbers with AMS typically experience headaches, but may also experience nausea, vomiting, drowsiness, and lightheadedness.

"[AMS] is the mildest form of acute mountain sickness," Luks told Live Science. Luks wrote in the study that if climbers climb slowly (after reaching 9,800 feet or 3,000 meters), don't overexert themselves, and take the anti-altitude sickness drug acetazolamide (brand name: Diamox) or the anti-inflammatory steroid dexamethasone, it's okay. Preventive. People with AMS should stop climbing immediately. If symptoms don't improve within a day or two, it's time to head back down the mountain, Lucas said.

More serious acute mountain illnesses include high-altitude cerebral edema (HACE), which causes swelling of the brain, and high-altitude pulmonary edema (HACE), which causes water in the lungs. HAPE). These conditions are rare but can be fatal.

For example, HACE affects less than 1% of people who climb above 9,800 feet. Many of the people developing HACE first got AMS, Luks noted. Once a person's brain swells, they may develop impaired balance or coordination, have an altered mental state, or feel extreme fatigue. They may even slip into a coma.

People with HACE should be descended as quickly as possible and, if necessary, given supplemental oxygen, dexamethasone or placed in a portable hyperbaric chamber, Luks wrote in the study.

Meanwhile, HAPE affects 8% of climbers between 8,200 and 18,000 feet (2,500 and 5,500 feet). Yes. If fluid accumulates in the lungs, it can cause climbers to move more slowly, develop coughing and sometimes pink, frothy phlegm, and more importantly, frostbite, hypothermia, and fatigue It can also affect the health of climbers. And waiting in long lines to go up and down the mountain didn’t help. [Photos: The World's Tallest Mountains] Deadly Traffic

"The longer a person spends at some critical altitude where they might get sick, the greater the risk they face," Luks said if someone Because there is a huge line on the mountain and they can't go down, it will be difficult to get them to receive clear treatment