{"id":5443,"date":"2024-05-02T09:00:13","date_gmt":"2024-05-02T09:00:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/medexperts.pro\/?p=5443"},"modified":"2024-05-02T09:24:31","modified_gmt":"2024-05-02T09:24:31","slug":"how-to-avoid-and-reduce-the-symptoms-of-altitude-sickness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/medexperts.pro\/?p=5443","title":{"rendered":"How to Avoid and Reduce the Symptoms of Altitude Sickness"},"content":{"rendered":"<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"css-s99gbd StoryBodyCompanionColumn\">\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">At last, you\u2019ve arrived in Cuzco, Peru \u2014 you\u2019re ready for your dream trek to Machu Picchu. There\u2019s just one problem: You can barely catch your breath, your stomach is churning and, in the morning, your head is throbbing.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">The culprit? Altitude sickness, or in medical terms, acute mountain sickness \u2014 the various symptoms tied to your body\u2019s response to the higher altitude. As elevation increases, air pressure drops, meaning you get less oxygen from each full breath. It is temporarily uncomfortable for most people, but in extreme cases, severe altitude sickness can even be fatal.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">It sounds scary, but as Paul Nicolazzo, the president of <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wildmedcenter.com\/mission-vision-history--educational-strategies.html\" title rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Wilderness Medicine Training Center<\/a> said, \u201cThere\u2019s really no reason to be afraid of going to altitude, as long as you understand what you\u2019re up against, and you obey some very, very basic rules.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"css-15h6bi9 e1gnsphs0\" id=\"link-547ed5bb\"><span>Know the symptoms<\/span><\/h3>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">A.M.S. has four general symptoms: headache, gastrointestinal discomfort (nausea and lack of appetite), fatigue\/weakness, and dizziness\/lightheadedness.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"css-s99gbd StoryBodyCompanionColumn\">\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Many people experience the morning altitude headache, in which \u201cyour skull feels too small for the pulse that\u2019s coming,\u201d said Steve House, the founder of <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/uphillathlete.com\/\" title rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Uphill Athlete<\/a>, a company that offers high-altitude endurance coaching.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">It is also common to struggle with sleep at high altitudes. This occurs partly because the part of your nervous system responsible for keeping you awake has kicked in to increase your respiratory rate, Mr. Nicolazzo said.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"css-15h6bi9 e1gnsphs0\" id=\"link-2c099a9c\"><span>Pay attention to elevation<\/span><\/h3>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">The two main drivers of A.M.S. are how high you\u2019re going and how fast you\u2019re getting there. People with a higher altitude sensitivity might start experiencing challenges not far above 5,000 feet, say in places like Denver and Johannesburg. Anyone traveling above 8,000 feet may be at risk for altitude sickness, <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/wwwnc.cdc.gov\/travel\/page\/travel-to-high-altitudes\" title rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Serious adventure travelers \u2014 say, those trekking in the Himalayas, or climbing Mount Kilimanjaro \u2014 usually know they\u2019re headed for high altitudes. But the elevation of destinations like Mexico City (about 8,000 feet), the summit of Haleakala on Maui (10,023 feet), Cuzco (about 11,150 feet), or even Santa Fe, N.M. (6,996 feet), might come as a surprise. To set expectations, check your destination\u2019s altitude in advance on <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/earth.google.com\/web\/@39.76433127,-104.85511153,4186.33344881a,22788448.9943862d,35y,-0h,0t,0r\/data=OgMKATA\" title rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Google Earth<\/a> or the <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/apps.nationalmap.gov\/viewer\/\" title rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">U.S. Geological Survey national map viewer<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"css-15h6bi9 e1gnsphs0\" id=\"link-3aab22c3\"><span>Listen to your body<\/span><\/h3>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">If you have a condition like heart disease, heart failure, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, atrial fibrillation, lung disease, C.O.P.D., asthma or sleep apnea, you\u2019ll want to start paying close attention to how you\u2019re feeling at around 5,000 feet.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"css-s99gbd StoryBodyCompanionColumn\">\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">If you have a pre-existing condition or have had trouble with high altitudes before \u2014 or if you\u2019ll be going above 10,000 feet \u2014 consider visiting a specialist, who can help you prepare and may be able to advise you about the main drugs used to prevent and treat altitude sickness, Diamox (acetazolamide) and dexamethasone.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"css-15h6bi9 e1gnsphs0\" id=\"link-5c305213\"><span>Sleep your way up<\/span><\/h3>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Traveling to high altitudes is a little like running a marathon: It will go better if you build up to it.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Say you\u2019re headed to a high-altitude ski resort. Consider working your way up from a lower sleeping elevation to a higher one, since the critical factor \u2014 for altitude purposes \u2014 is where you spend the night.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">If you\u2019re traveling from sea level to Breckenridge, a Colorado ski town that sits at about 9,600 feet, first spend a night in Denver, at 5,280 feet, advised Dr. Peter Hackett, the founder of the <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/publications.americanalpineclub.org\/articles\/12198612900\/The-Denali-Medical-Research-Project-1982-85\" title rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Denali Medical Research Project<\/a> and a high-altitude specialist. By doing so, he explained, \u201cyou drop the incidence of headache by almost half. So that little bit of extra time that you take to get to 9,000 feet to sleep can make a big difference.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"css-15h6bi9 e1gnsphs0\" id=\"link-71f18b17\"><span>Skip that fatty steak<\/span><\/h3>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">When Mr. Nicolazzo worked as a ski patroller, there was a behavior so common \u2014 and certain to exacerbate altitude illness \u2014 he remembers that local lodges posted warnings about it. People would fly in from sea level, he recalled, drive to Taos, N.M. (6,969 feet), \u201chave a big steak, baked potato with sour cream and a lot of butter,\u201d along with several cocktails. Then, they would feel terrible the next day, he said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"css-s99gbd StoryBodyCompanionColumn\">\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">To avoid that feeling, trade the steak and extra butter for something with more carbohydrates, as fats and proteins take more oxygen for your body to metabolize.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">And if you\u2019re having a cocktail, keep it to one: Alcohol and other depressants can decrease your oxygen level, particularly while you\u2019re sleeping, Dr. Hackett said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Above all, drink plenty of water. Staying hydrated will help your kidneys work better, Mr. Nicolazzo explained, which can help you adjust to the altitude and, hopefully, avoid the headache.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"css-15h6bi9 e1gnsphs0\" id=\"link-27861279\"><span>Watch for red flags<\/span><\/h3>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">A mild case of A.M.S. can become moderate or severe if someone ascends too high or too fast. Most \u2014 but not all \u2014 people progress through the mild symptoms before reaching this level, which includes symptoms like dizziness, disorientation, severe nausea and extreme shortness of breath.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">To guard against severe A.M.S., monitor how you feel, and if you\u2019re experiencing a persistent headache, trouble sleeping or other A.M.S. symptoms, tell your companions and don\u2019t ascend any higher.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"css-s99gbd StoryBodyCompanionColumn\">\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">At the severe end of the continuum, if not treated, A.M.S. could progress into <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/my.clevelandclinic.org\/health\/diseases\/24218-pulmonary-edema\" title rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">high altitude pulmonary edema<\/a>, in which fluid builds up in the lungs, or more rarely, <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/my.clevelandclinic.org\/health\/diseases\/high-altitude-cerebral-edema-hace\" title rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">high altitude cerebral edema<\/a>, where fluid builds up in the brain. Both conditions can be fatal.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">\u201cThere are three cures for altitude illness,\u201d Mr. House said, \u201cdescent, descent and descent.\u201d Anyone who appears confused, is coughing up fluid or seems to have trouble breathing or walking \u2014 symptoms of severe conditions like <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/my.clevelandclinic.org\/health\/diseases\/24218-pulmonary-edema\" title rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">HAPE<\/a> or <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/my.clevelandclinic.org\/health\/diseases\/high-altitude-cerebral-edema-hace\" title rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">HACE<\/a> \u2014 needs to be taken down immediately, Dr. Hackett said. \u201cJust a thousand feet is all they have to go. And that could save their life.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>At last, you\u2019ve arrived in Cuzco, Peru \u2014 you\u2019re ready for your dream trek to Machu Picchu. There\u2019s just one problem: You can barely catch your breath, your stomach is churning and, in the morning, your head is throbbing.The culprit? Altitude sickness, or in medical terms, acute mountain sickness \u2014 the various symptoms tied to your body\u2019s response to the higher altitude. As elevation increases, air pressure drops, meaning you get less oxygen from each full breath. It is temporarily uncomfortable for most people, but in extreme cases, severe altitude sickness can even be fatal.It sounds scary, but as Paul Nicolazzo, the president of Wilderness Medicine Training Center said, \u201cThere\u2019s really no reason to be afraid of going to altitude, as long as you understand what you\u2019re up against, and you obey some very, very basic rules.\u201dKnow the symptomsA.M.S. has four general symptoms: headache, gastrointestinal discomfort (nausea and lack of appetite), fatigue\/weakness, and dizziness\/lightheadedness.Many people experience the morning altitude headache, in which \u201cyour skull feels too small for the pulse that\u2019s coming,\u201d said Steve House, the founder of Uphill Athlete, a company that offers high-altitude endurance coaching.It is also common to struggle with sleep at high altitudes. This occurs partly because the part of your nervous system responsible for keeping you awake has kicked in to increase your respiratory rate, Mr. Nicolazzo said.Pay attention to elevationThe two main drivers of A.M.S. are how high you\u2019re going and how fast you\u2019re getting there. People with a higher altitude sensitivity might start experiencing challenges not far above 5,000 feet, say in places like Denver and Johannesburg. Anyone traveling above 8,000 feet may be at risk for altitude sickness, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Serious adventure travelers \u2014 say, those trekking in the Himalayas, or climbing Mount Kilimanjaro \u2014 usually know they\u2019re headed for high altitudes. But the elevation of destinations like Mexico City (about 8,000 feet), the summit of Haleakala on Maui (10,023 feet), Cuzco (about 11,150 feet), or even Santa Fe, N.M. (6,996 feet), might come as a surprise. To set expectations, check your destination\u2019s altitude in advance on Google Earth or the U.S. Geological Survey national map viewer.Listen to your bodyIf you have a condition like heart disease, heart failure, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, atrial fibrillation, lung disease, C.O.P.D., asthma or sleep apnea, you\u2019ll want to start paying close attention to how you\u2019re feeling at around 5,000 feet.If you have a pre-existing condition or have had trouble with high altitudes before \u2014 or if you\u2019ll be going above 10,000 feet \u2014 consider visiting a specialist, who can help you prepare and may be able to advise you about the main drugs used to prevent and treat altitude sickness, Diamox (acetazolamide) and dexamethasone.Sleep your way upTraveling to high altitudes is a little like running a marathon: It will go better if you build up to it.Say you\u2019re headed to a high-altitude ski resort. Consider working your way up from a lower sleeping elevation to a higher one, since the critical factor \u2014 for altitude purposes \u2014 is where you spend the night.If you\u2019re traveling from sea level to Breckenridge, a Colorado ski town that sits at about 9,600 feet, first spend a night in Denver, at 5,280 feet, advised Dr. Peter Hackett, the founder of the Denali Medical Research Project and a high-altitude specialist. By doing so, he explained, \u201cyou drop the incidence of headache by almost half. So that little bit of extra time that you take to get to 9,000 feet to sleep can make a big difference.\u201dSkip that fatty steakWhen Mr. Nicolazzo worked as a ski patroller, there was a behavior so common \u2014 and certain to exacerbate altitude illness \u2014 he remembers that local lodges posted warnings about it. People would fly in from sea level, he recalled, drive to Taos, N.M. (6,969 feet), \u201chave a big steak, baked potato with sour cream and a lot of butter,\u201d along with several cocktails. Then, they would feel terrible the next day, he said.To avoid that feeling, trade the steak and extra butter for something with more carbohydrates, as fats and proteins take more oxygen for your body to metabolize.And if you\u2019re having a cocktail, keep it to one: Alcohol and other depressants can decrease your oxygen level, particularly while you\u2019re sleeping, Dr. Hackett said.Above all, drink plenty of water. Staying hydrated will help your kidneys work better, Mr. Nicolazzo explained, which can help you adjust to the altitude and, hopefully, avoid the headache.Watch for red flagsA mild case of A.M.S. can become moderate or severe if someone ascends too high or too fast. Most \u2014 but not all \u2014 people progress through the mild symptoms before reaching this level, which includes symptoms like dizziness, disorientation, severe nausea and extreme shortness of breath.To guard against severe A.M.S., monitor how you feel, and if you\u2019re experiencing a persistent headache, trouble sleeping or other A.M.S. symptoms, tell your companions and don\u2019t ascend any higher.At the severe end of the continuum, if not treated, A.M.S. could progress into high altitude pulmonary edema, in which fluid builds up in the lungs, or more rarely, high altitude cerebral edema, where fluid builds up in the brain. Both conditions can be fatal.\u201cThere are three cures for altitude illness,\u201d Mr. House said, \u201cdescent, descent and descent.\u201d Anyone who appears confused, is coughing up fluid or seems to have trouble breathing or walking \u2014 symptoms of severe conditions like HAPE or HACE \u2014 needs to be taken down immediately, Dr. Hackett said. \u201cJust a thousand feet is all they have to go. And that could save their life.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5445,"comment_status":"close","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5443","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lifestyle"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/medexperts.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5443","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/medexperts.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/medexperts.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medexperts.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medexperts.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=5443"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/medexperts.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5443\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5446,"href":"https:\/\/medexperts.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5443\/revisions\/5446"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medexperts.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/5445"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/medexperts.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5443"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medexperts.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5443"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medexperts.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5443"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}