[SkylordRic (OP)]

Greetings all.  I'm currently working on writing my first novel and I have a question:

If a person born and living at high elevation (6000' to 10,000') for approximately 25-30 years is suddenly dropped to sea level, what would the physical effects be?  I know of High Altitude sickness but would there be Low altitude sickness?  How would the human body react to this new environment and one that is very warm and humid?  What would be the advantages (more stamina?) or disadvantages (profuse sweating/dehydration?)?
I'll take any and all answers and details.  I need as much info as possible about how the human body reacts to this altitude change.

Thanks in advance.

[another_someone]

Sorry about not responding to this earlier.

I have not heard on any obvious problems associated with mountain people coming down to low altitude.  There may be subtle issue, but I suspect there are as many issues associated with people who have lived an isolated lifestyle that is common at high altitudes (e.g. living in small villages) coming into the higher population densities that are more common in lower altitudes.

Maybe a resident of Mexico City (elevation 7,349'), or Denver, Colorado (elevation 5,280'), or Assekrem, Algeria (elevation 8,891'), or El Alto, Bolivia (elevation 13,615') could say more about what it feels like at sea level.

Looking at another comparison, a scuba diver can breath ordinary air down to about 66' below the surface, at which point the air is 3 times the pressure it is at surface level.  This would be approximately the same increase in pressure as someone coming down from a 28,500' mountain top down to sea level.

To calculate air pressure at altitude, you might want to look at http://www.altitude.org/calculators/airpressure.htm