Symptoms of altitude sickness and how to avoid them

Symptoms of altitude sickness and how to avoid them

Being young, fit and healthy doesn't mean you won't suffer from symptoms of altitude sickness. How to recognize, treat and prevent them effectively

Gracie is a student at Johns Hopkins University, which offers one of the best medical education programs in the world. She is slim, fit and active. She doesn't smoke, rarely drinks and always watches what she eats.

She should have been the last person in our group to experience symptoms of altitude sickness, and yet there she was, wide-eyed and pale-faced, eating breakfast after a restless night of nausea at the foot of Cotopaxi Volcano (3,500m).

Experienced climbers know that altitude sickness makes no difference. Young, fit and healthy people can suffer from it just as easily as old, soft and doughy ones, which is why everyone should be aware of the symptoms before attempting a climb or hike at altitude. Here's a primer to help you prepare.

Atlas & BootsPeter at the summit of Aconcagua at 6,961 m (22,837 ft)

RECOGNIZE ALTITUDE SICKNESS

Altitude sickness occurs when your body doesn't get enough oxygen from the air at altitude. It most often happens when people quickly go from low altitude to 2,400 m or higher (around 8,000 feet).

Symptoms usually appear between six and 24 hours after ascent and are often worse at night. Here's what to look out for.

Common symptoms of altitude sickness

• Pochende Kopfschmerzen
• Appetitverlust
• Schwächegefühl, Müdigkeit oder Schwindel
• Übelkeit und Erbrechen
• Magenschmerzen
• Schwieriges Schlafen
• Kurzatmigkeit
• Erhöhter Puls

Severe symptoms of altitude sickness

Altitude sickness can affect your lungs and brain, which is very serious. In this case, the following symptoms may occur:

• Verwirrt sein
• Sich schwach oder schläfrig fühlen
• Ungeschicklichkeit oder Schwierigkeiten beim Gehen
• Irrationales Verhalten
• Atemnot im Ruhezustand
• Blubberndes Geräusch in der Brust beim Atmen
• Ein anhaltender Reizhusten (Sie können eine rosa oder weiße schaumige Flüssigkeit aushusten)
• Blaue oder graue Lippen oder Fingernägel
• Doppeltsehen
• Krämpfe

Atlas & BootsPeter on Pakistan's Gondogoro La Pass at around 5,585 m (18,323 ft)

Treat altitude sickness

Go lower: If you experience severe symptoms, you must immediately move to a lower altitude (at least 450 m / 1,500 ft) and seek emergency help.

Always take someone with you and never let someone with severe symptoms descend alone.

If you have mild symptoms, the best treatment is descent. If you want, you can stay at your current height and get your body used to it by following the steps below.

Be warned that it may take anywhere from 12 hours to several days for your symptoms to resolve.

Don't race to the top. If you feel sick, get off and wait.

Get more oxygen: If you're on a particularly challenging climb, your guide or group may have access to oxygen or a specially designed hyperbaric chamber to treat altitude sickness. This should help relieve your symptoms.

Rest: Limit walking or activities. Stop any exercise and take it easy. Be honest with your guide or group about how you feel. If you continue to progress, your symptoms may become severe, in which case you can't just "wait it out."

Drink plenty of water: Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of fluids, but stay away from alcohol. And of course don't smoke.

Treat your headache: You can take over-the-counter medications such as ibuprofen (Advil, Nurofen) or acetaminophen to treat your headache. Some climbers also use medication to treat nausea, but this can mask the severity of your condition so it's usually wiser to avoid it.

Consider altitude sickness pills: Some climbers choose to take acetazolamide (Diamox) to speed up how quickly their body adjusts to the altitude. However, it is worth noting that the drug is not approved in some countries, including the UK. Your doctor may advise you to take the medication a few days before reaching altitude to test your reaction to it.

These steps should help relieve symptoms, but as the saying goes, prevention is better than cure, so follow the steps below before your trip.

Atlas & BootsPeter at the summit of Elbrus at 5,642 m (18,510 ft)

AVOID ALTITUDE SICKNESS

Avoid flying to high-altitude cities: If you can, avoid flying directly to high-altitude cities such as Cusco, La Paz, or Lhasa. If this is not possible, be sure to follow the steps below.

Acclimatize: If you are climbing higher than 8,000 feet (2,400 m), spend at least one night at medium altitude before climbing higher. For example, before you start a Machu Picchu hike, first spend two nights in Cusco.

Sleep low: Sleep at a lower altitude than during the day. “Climb high, sleep low” is common practice for those who spend time at high altitudes.

Ascend slowly: Once you are above 10,000 feet (3,000 m), do not increase the altitude at which you sleep by more than 500 m per night. You can climb higher during the day, but you should return to a camp no more than 500 m above sea level the night before. Also, don't push yourself too hard. Regulate your pace and walk slower than necessary on the first day.

Peter (third) and his fellow climbers ascend slowly to minimize the risk of altitude sickness

Change your diet: Avoid heavy meals before reaching altitude, but eat a high-calorie diet high in carbohydrates such as bread, cereal and pasta when you get there. (Yay, height!) Drink plenty of water and avoid smoking and alcohol.

Use Sunscreen and Sunglasses: To protect your overall well-being at altitude, be sure to use additional sun protection and pack sunglasses or goggles to protect against snow blindness.

Consider taking altitude sickness pills: As mentioned in the previous section, you may want to take altitude sickness medication such as Diamox before starting your trip. Please note that Diamox is not available in all countries and may cause side effects. Therefore, consult a doctor for advice.

Overall, the most important advice is to give yourself plenty of time to acclimatize. A group of girls on our Machu Picchu hike flew into Cusco the night before the hike and, quite predictably, suffered severely.

Don't ignore this basic advice. It doesn't matter whether you are fit, healthy and active. Altitude sickness makes no difference, so prepare well in advance to fully enjoy the journey ahead.

Good luck!

Into Thin Air is a chilling glimpse into what it was like to be on the mountain during those godforsaken nights.

Mission statement: Dreamstime

      .