After reading Into Thin Air, what I'm afraid of with Everest is getting permanently sick from the polluted conditions at Base Camp. He describes it as positively disgusting and getting him and his fellow climbers sick with a persistent cough. No way, man.
This isn't really specific to basecamp. A lot of people in the area generally come down with "Khumbu Cough" due to a combination of altitude, dryness, cold temperatures, and exertion.
It's mostly due to throats/lungs drying out and getting infected. You have to breath like 3x the vol of air high up and it's very dry. I found the psolar mask really good for hydrating the air but it doesn't seem available any more http://www.exmask.com/psolarex.php
Jon K. and the rest of Outside have an agenda, He makes valid points, but you don't sell books by painting rosy pictures. Talk to Alan Arnette if you want a more balanced treatment of the state of Everest.
That "cough" has nothing to do with pollution, it has to do with being at high altitude for prolonged periods.
