The human body is amazing. It’s capable of adapting to new situations and environments, which is why we can live on a planet with such a wide range of temperatures, weather conditions, and gravity levels. But when it comes to the human body’s ability to adapt to high altitudes, there are some limitations. The greatest limitation applies on our ability to breathe.
Why is it difficult to breath at high altitudes?
First, the air pressure is lower at a higher altitude. The lower pressure on the outside makes it more difficult to inflate our lungs as much as we do at sea level, which makes it harder for us to get oxygen into our bloodstream and for us to breathe out carbon dioxide.
Second, since there´s less oxygen at higher altitudes the body does not get enough of it. This leads to a phenomenon called “hypoxia,” or low oxygen levels in the body. Hypoxia can lead to confusion and even unconsciousness if left untreated. Hence why mountain climbers use up to seven oxygen bottles when climbing the highest mountain of earth, Mount Everest.
The symptoms of hypoxia are as follows:
The mountain verse in the Qur'an
As we have learned our bodies can not simply adapt to high altitudes but what does the God say in his book the Quran about this topic. Let´s have a look:
Whoever Allah wills to guide, He opens their heart to Islam. But whoever He wills to leave astray, He makes their chest tight and constricted as if they were climbing up into the sky. This is how Allah dooms those who disbelieve.
“He makes their chest tight and constricted as if they were climbing up into the sky.”
This statement about a tight and constricted chest clearly indicates to breathing difficulties. The fact that the verse continues: “…as if they were climbing up into the sky” completes the undeniable miracle. Allah our Creator revealed this scientific information that we have discussed in this article to the Prophet Muhammed (pbuh) 1400 years ago, in a time in which this scientific knowledge was nonexistent anywhere in the world.
