Altitude sickness medication12/24/2023 The more active you are, the greater the risk. If you have a high level of exertion (ie are very physically active) at altitude.If you have an individual susceptibility to developing altitude sickness - genetics may play a part in your susceptibility.However, even if you did not develop it on one occasion, it does not mean you definitely will not develop it another time.) (This makes it more likely you will have it on another occasion. If you have had altitude sickness before.If you have come from, and are used to living in, a very low altitude.As the altitude at which you sleep is higher.As the altitude to which you climb or travel is higher.This may particularly be a risk if you start your trip by flying to an altitude of more than 2750 metres, or 9,000 feet: If you climb (ascend) to altitude too quickly.It is difficult to predict who will be affected by altitude sickness. If proper preventative measures are taken (such as not ascending too fast), AMS can be less common. HACE and HAPE are much less common than AMS. In Colorado, about a quarter of visitors sleeping higher than 2500 metres (8,000 feet) develop altitude sickness. Up to half of trekkers may develop altitude sickness in this situation. This is the case, for example, with the Everest Base Camp trek in Nepal, where the trek often begins by flying to Lukla at an altitude of 2860 metres (9,000 feet). It is also more common in places where it is possible to fly to a high altitude to start with, before climbing further. It is common in places where visitors try to ascend very quickly - for example, climbing Mt Kilimanjaro. This varies with the location and with the way people tend to climb (ascend). High-altitude pulmonary oedema (HAPO or HAPE).Įach of these is explained in more detail below.Oedema is spelt edema in some countries, so this condition can be shortened to either HACE or HACO). High-altitude cerebral oedema (HACO or HACE.You may develop one or more of the following problems: There are three main ways that altitude sickness can affect you. This is particularly a risk if the signs are not recognised and the person does not move down (descend) to a lower altitude. However, in some people, it can lead to more serious symptoms which can become life-threatening. For most people, it just produces mild symptoms that improve with rest and time spent at altitude. Just to give an idea, you can commonly ski at an altitude of 2500 metres in a ski resort.Īltitude sickness is due to the fact that your body has not got used (acclimatised) to the altitude that you are now at. It is rare at altitudes of less than 2500 metres (8,000 feet) and is more common at altitudes of 3500 metres (11,500 feet) or more. A change in your breathing pattern at night.Īltitude sickness is something that can affect people who climb or travel to an altitude of more than 2500 metres, particularly if they climb or travel up (ascend) too quickly.Shortness of breath on exercise or increased activity (exertion).An increased breathing rate or feeling that you are breathing more deeply. ![]() Your body also makes more red blood cells to help with oxygen transport around your body.īecause of these changes in your body, there are some 'normal' symptoms that you will notice at higher altitudes while your body is acclimatising and adjusting to the reduced availability of oxygen. You will notice that your breathing rate will start to slow down. ![]() This means that you have to breathe faster and deeper to get oxygen into your body.Īfter a few days, your body starts to adjust (acclimatise) to the higher level of altitude that you are at. So, at high altitude, each breath that you take will contain fewer oxygen molecules. However, because of the lower air pressure, there is actually less oxygen available because the air is thinner (it contains less of all of the gases in a given volume). Air still contains the same proportion of oxygen (21%) at high altitude. What are the normal responses of the body to altitude?Īs you move up (ascend) to higher altitudes, air pressure reduces.
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