Advanced Wilderness Life Support (AWLS)

Adventures who go up to altitude can have a number or problems.  One of these is an odd breathing pattern when trying to sleep.  it is called periodic breathing. It is caused by the ups and downs of oxygen and carbon dioxide levels in the blood when sleeping at altitude. And it can cause its own set of problems for those trying to go higher.  Listen and learn about changes in breathing when going up high.

We all love to 'smell' the outside.  But what role does it play in our health.  Research is starting to look at this.  And surprising results in a new study show that regular exposure to greenery in middle age can delay the onset of dementia.  Listen to this newest in our podcast series of using wilderness as medicine. 

While an incredible outdoor experience, few people know how to make it happen.   
Listen to this podcast as Matt McKinnon tells us how we can safely enjoy this wilderness sport and see all the beauty slot canyons have to offer. 

Deaths from hyperthermia are on the rise. Water is simply essential in the metabolism of our body. But is it the solution to prevent hyperthermia?  Transferring heat from the body is how to avoid hyperthermia.  Listen to this important podcast on the physics of the prevention and treatment of heat related disease.

It sounds like the premise of a creepy movie, but this one is real. It is Vibrio vulnificus.  It is found in warm salty water where people like to swim.  It enters the skin through small cuts and can cause necrotizing fasciitis.  Listen and learn about this growing threat. 

Are you ready for the remote jungle? Dehydration and nutrition are essential for a successful expedition.  And get ready for a whole host of new diseases.  Listen as Dr. Samuel Dyer shares his knowledge and experience of working in Kaieteur National Park in the country of Guyana. 

Here is an open discussion about menstrual periods in the wilderness. Listen as Holly Davis and Freya Sutcliffe from Cambridge University in the U.K discuss an important but overlooked topic. 

Not all medicine is practiced in a clinic - sometimes it is on rough waters where the penguins live.  Expedition medicine is austere medicine and wilderness medicine at its finest.  Listen and learn from Dr. Jennifer McGowan and Dr. Raymond Orthober from the University of Louisville School of Medicine's Department of Emergency Medicine as they discuss this fascinating brand of medicine surrounded by penguins, whales, and ice on the 7th continent, Antarctica. 

We all worry about HAPE and HACE when we go up on the mountain.  Little attention is placed on the heart.  But new studies give us data and create cause for concern.  Listen and learn about the heart at altitude. 

One is painful, one is noticeable, one will cause blindness.  These three eye diseases happen, in part, because we go outdoors in the sun.  Listen and learn about the trifecta of outdoor eye disease.