Altitude Sickness
What is altitude sickness, and how do you prevent it?
17-02-2023 © Doris Leone
Online Health Guide
Everywhere in the world you find fantastic high mountains where you can make the best trekking’s of your life. Think of the Andes mountains that run from the most southern point of South America to Colombia and Venezuela. The Himalayan Mountains in India, China, Tibet, Nepal and Buthan, which serve as the source area for one of the largest rivers in Asia. Then you have the beautiful Alps which are a good distance away from us in Europe, they border 8 countries/states in Europe.
Although consulting a doctor is always the best option, as he can fully inform you about altitude sickness, I have put together a list of questions & answers. This way, it will be clearer for you what altitude sickness exactly is.
1. What is altitude sickness?
Altitude sickness can occur due to a lack of oxygen. This happens when one climbs too fast into the mountains and does not acclimatize calmly beforehand.
2. What are the symptoms of altitude sickness?
The symptoms of altitude sickness are: severe headache, dizziness, shortness of breath, nausea and the risk of vomiting. Listen to your body carefully. When these symptoms appear, it is extremely important to listen to your body, and it is highly recommended that you stop climbing. If you do not listen to yourself and continue anyway, it may be that your ability to focus becomes impaired. This can cause you to lose vision and become very tired. Also, it could affect your walking and speaking.
3. What is the altitude from which the phenomena can begin?
From an altitude of 2,500 metres, the symptoms can begin. This is especially true if you do not acclimatize properly and climb too quickly. Most symptoms start from an altitude of 3,000 metres.
4. At what point do the symptoms start?
Altitude sickness can only occur from the eighth hour after the ascent. This means that you may not notice anything during the first few hours, but always be careful not to climb too much in one day.
5. Can you do anything to prevent altitude sickness?
It can be difficult to combat altitude sickness if you suffer from it, some people worse than others. In principle, you cannot prevent it, but you can take some precautions to be well-prepared. Drink enough water, on average 3 litres per person per day. Do not drink alcohol, do not smoke, and try not to ascend more than 300 to 600 metres per day.
6. Good acclimatization is extremely important!
Try to acclimatize the first two nights when you arrive in a higher area. It is often best to acclimatize between 1,500 and 2,500 metres first, so that your body can get used to it. It is still advisable to consult a doctor before you climb; they can give you the best advice.
