When you travel to high altitude locations, such as mountain areas, there are many environmental factors that can directly affect you. These include cold weather, low humidity, increased UV rays from the sun, reduced atmospheric pressure and oxygen saturation. Altitude sickness is a syndrome that typically occurs at high altitudes and represents the body's response to lowering air pressure and lack of oxygen, both situations that are easily encountered above 2500 m. If you are going to travel to high altitudes, follow these simple steps to prevent such ailment.
Steps
Part 1 of 2: Preventing Altitude Sickness
Step 1. Go up slowly
When traveling to reach high altitudes, you should think about climbing slowly. The body typically needs 3-5 days to acclimate to altitudes above 2500 meters before being able to continue climbing. To help you with this, especially if you are traveling to places where altitude is not indicated, you should purchase an altimeter or watch that measures altitude, so that you know what altitude you are at. You can get this tool online or at sporting goods stores that specialize in mountaineering.
There are some other behaviors you should avoid. You don't have to go above 2700m in one day. Do not sleep at an altitude of 300-600 meters higher than where you slept the previous night. Every 1000 meters of climbing you have to calculate an extra day of rest to acclimatize
Step 2. Make sure you rest
Another way to combat altitude sickness is to get plenty of rest. Both domestic and international travel can alter normal sleep habits. This can lead to you feeling tired and dehydrated, thus increasing your risk of suffering from altitude sickness. Before starting your ascent, plan to spend a day or two resting, to get used to the new environment and the new sleep pattern, especially if you have been on an international trip.
Also, during the first 3-5 days of acclimatization to the new altitude, you should rest a day or two before starting to explore your surroundings
Step 3. Take prophylactic medications
Before embarking on a journey where you plan to climb to high altitudes, take medications to help the body settle in. Even before you leave, schedule a visit to the doctor to get some prophylactic medications. Describe your previous medical history and explain that you plan to go to altitudes of around 2500-2800 meters. If you are not allergic, your doctor may prescribe acetazolamide (Diamox).
- This is a drug that is commonly used to prevent and treat acute mountain sickness. The active ingredient is a diuretic, which increases urine production, and increases respiratory ventilation to facilitate greater oxygen exchange in the body.
- Take 125 mg twice daily as prescribed, starting one day before you leave and continuing until you reach the maximum acclimatization rate you will sleep at.
Step 4. Try dexamethasone
If your doctor prefers not to give you acetazolamide or you are allergic, there are alternative medications. Research has shown that detamethasone, a steroid, can reduce the incidence and severity of altitude sickness symptoms.
- Take this drug as prescribed, usually in doses of 4 mg every 6 to 12 hours, starting the day before you embark on your journey, until the day you reach the maximum acclimatization rate you will sleep at.
- Research has been done to see if ginkgo biloba is suitable as a treatment and prevention of altitude sickness, but the results are mixed and it is not recommended for this purpose.
Step 5. Take a blood test to look for red blood cells (RBCs)
Before embarking on your journey, your CBRs should be analyzed. Make an appointment with your doctor to have these tests ordered before you travel. If anemia or low red blood cell counts are found, your doctor may recommend treatment before embarking on your trip. This is important because erythrocytes carry oxygen to the tissues and organs of the body and are necessary for survival.
There can be many causes of a low RBC level, the most common being an iron deficiency. Even a low level of vitamin B can be responsible for a reduced amount of red blood cells. If tests show that you have low RBCs, your doctor may recommend that you take iron or vitamin B supplements to make up for the deficiency
Step 6. Take the coca leaves
If you plan to travel to Central or South America for mountain climbing, you may want to consider getting coca leaves during your stay. Although it is an illegal substance, in Italy as in other countries, the inhabitants of those regions have used it daily for centuries to prevent altitude sickness. If you are traveling to these areas, you can buy the leaves and chew them or make an infusion (mate de coca).
Be aware, though, that every cup of mate de coca can make you positive for drug tests. Coca is a stimulant and studies have found that it induces biochemical changes in the body that improve physical performance at high altitudes
Step 7. Drink lots of water
Dehydration reduces the body's ability to acclimate to the new altitude. Drink 2 or 3 liters of water starting from the first day of travel and drink another liter during the ascent. Don't forget to drink properly even during the descent.
- Absolutely avoid alcohol for at least the first 48 hours of the trip. Alcohol is a sedative and can slow your heart rate, as well as causing dehydration.
- You should also avoid drinking caffeine-based substances, such as energy drinks, as this substance, like alcohol, causes muscle dehydration.
Step 8. Eat properly
There are some foods you should eat to prepare for the journey and prevent altitude sickness. A diet rich in carbohydrates has been found to relieve symptoms of acute mountain sickness, as well as improve mood and physical performance. Other studies, during a high-altitude simulation experiment, found that this type of diet improves oxygen saturation in the blood. Most researchers believe that a carbohydrate diet can improve the body's energy balance. Try to eat this type of food before and during the acclimatization period.
- These include pasta, bread, fruit and potato dishes.
- Also try to avoid excessive amounts of salt, as it causes tissue dehydration. When you go to the grocery store, look for foods and ready-to-eat foods labeled low-sodium or those with no added salt.
- You may be led to think that good physical stamina and a well-trained body are better able to fight altitude sickness. However, according to research, there is no evidence that a good physique is immune or not prone to this disorder.
Part 2 of 2: Recognizing the Symptoms
Step 1. Recognize the different types of discomfort
There are three types of altitude sickness syndrome. The first is acute mountain sickness, high altitude cerebral edema (HACE) and high altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE).
- Acute mountain sickness is due to the lower atmospheric pressure and the reduced quantity of oxygen;
- High Altitude Cerebral Edema (HACE), which is a severe progression of acute mountain sickness caused by swelling of the brain and oozing dilated blood vessels in the brain.
- High-altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE) can occur at the same time as HACE, on its own after the acute phase of altitude sickness, or it can develop 1-4 days after reaching an altitude above 2500 meters. This disorder is caused by swelling in the lungs due to a leakage of fluid caused by constricted lung blood vessels.
Step 2. Recognize acute mountain sickness
This is a fairly common ailment in some areas of the world. It affects on average 25% of travelers who exceed 2500 meters in Colorado (USA), 50% of those traveling on the Himalayas and 85% of those who reach the Everest region. This malaise has many symptoms.
The most common include: headache, which occurs between 2 and 12 hours after reaching the new altitude, difficulty falling asleep or insomnia, dizziness, tiredness, lightheadedness, increased heart rate, shortness of breath with every movement and nausea or vomiting
Step 3. Pay attention to high altitude cerebral edema (HACE)
The traveler usually shows symptoms of acute mountain sickness first, as HACE is a serious consequence. As the condition worsens, it can manifest other symptoms, such as ataxia, which is the inability to walk straight, a tendency to swing or follow a diagonal trajectory when walking. The affected person could also suffer from an alteration of the mental state, which can manifest itself as difficulty in articulating words, memory, motility, inability to process thoughts and to maintain attention.
- Unconsciousness or coma is also possible.
- Unlike acute mountain sickness, HACE is quite rare; it generally affects between 0, 1 and 4% of people.
Step 4. Check for symptoms of high altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE)
Since this disorder is a consequence of HACE, you should first experience the symptoms of acute mountain sickness and HACE itself. However, since it can also present itself on its own, you need to be careful if it exhibits its characteristic symptoms, as a disease in its own right. You may have wheezing, which is shortness of breath at rest; You may also experience chest pain or tightness, your breathing may become wheezy as air exits your lungs, your heartbeat and breathing may become more frequent, and you may have a cough.
- You may also experience physical changes, such as becoming cyanotic (bluish or otherwise dark lips and fingers).
- Fortunately, HACE and HAPE are quite rare and affect about 0, 1 or 4% of people.
Step 5. Manage your symptoms
Even if you take preventative measures, altitude sickness can still occur. In this case you have to run for cover to ensure that the situation does not worsen. If you suffer from acute mountain sickness, wait 12 hours to see if the symptoms subside. However, you should immediately descend at least 300 meters if, after 12 hours, you do not start to feel better. At this point, check again if the symptoms improve.
- If you are showing signs or symptoms of HACE or HAPE, immediately descend in altitude with the least possible effort so as not to aggravate the clinical picture. At this point, you can periodically monitor your symptoms to make sure they subside.
- If you can't descend due to weather conditions, give yourself oxygen to increase the pressure in your body. Put the mask on and place the tube in the tank. Then open the valve to let the oxygen out. You can also possibly enter a portable hyperbaric chamber. If you have these tools at your disposal, the descent is not necessary; generally they are light machines that are brought by the rescue teams or that are located at the emergency stations. If you have a radio or a telephone available, contact the emergency services to inform them of the situation, communicate your location and wait for their arrival.
Step 6. Take emergency medications
There are some medicines that can be given to you by your doctor in an emergency. If you have acute mountain sickness, you can take acetazolamide or dexamethasone. To manage HACE you need to immediately take a dexamethasone tablet to ingest with water.
