Don’t Let Altitude Illness Ruin Your Trip : Here’s How To Stay Safe

Published on September 11, 2025

From epic views to memorable moments, going to elevations tin besides put your wellness successful jeopardy. Being astatine altitude is not a locomotion successful nan parkland for everyone. With nan summation successful recreation supra 8000 feet, altitude unwellness is much important than ever. The Himalayan mountains and different well-known skis resorts are now much accessible to nan recreation community.

During their caller research, nan Merck Manuals, a well-respected aesculapian reference, and different qualified studies person collected accusation connected altitude sickness to amended group astir its typical symptoms and methods for prevention and treatment. Any investigation suggests that group pinch altitude unwellness and those who wish to understand it request to person a broad study of nan problem. Professor Andrew M. Luks of nan University of Washington emphasized this.

Three Key Types of Altitude Illness

All forms of altitude sickness are serious, pinch different levels of severity. These are Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS), High-Altitude Pulmonary Edema (HAPE), and High-Altitude Cerebral Edema (HACE). Among all, AMS is nan slightest and pinch nan top radius of scope, nan remainder are HACE and HAPE, which hap to beryllium HACE and HAPE, and besides suffer nan most.

Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS): This level of altitude sickness is rather prevalent and ranges from mild to moderate. It is besides known to hap during nan first portion of nan day. Symptoms see fatigue, dizziness, headaches, nausea, and nonaccomplishment of appetite. Even though this information tin beryllium rather uncomfortable, it is not known to beryllium fatal. If nan discomfort is extreme, it is suggested that 1 hydrate, rest, aliases commencement descending to little elevations.

High Altitude Cerebral Edema (HACE): This sickness is rather uncommon and known to beryllium fatal. This information occurs erstwhile nan encephalon originates to swell and fluid originates to accumulate. Symptoms of this information see terrible headaches, deficiency of coordination, an inability to walk, and confusion. It is important to get master thief erstwhile experiencing this condition, arsenic it tin go fatal.

High Altitude Pulmonary Edema (HAPE): This information is highly superior and is known to origin death. This information causes nan lungs to capable up pinch fluid and occurs erstwhile an individual is supra 8000 feet and has accelerated ascents. This information is much communal during nan first 24 to 96 hours aft ascension. If personification is experiencing this condition, they should descend to an altitude little than 8000 feet to person aesculapian assistance.

Identifying and coping pinch symptoms of AMS

Travelers should return statement that altitude sickness aliases AMS, arsenic it’s commonly referred to, tin hap progressively. Minor symptoms for illustration headaches, fatigue, and restlessness are emblematic connected committee flights aliases agelong car rides, particularly those travelling upwards. There’s a catch, though, arsenic these symptoms tin hap erstwhile altitude is reached and AMS is, nary pun intended, not truthful precocious connected nan database of apt causes.

Dr. Luks gives nan proposal that nan inability to subsist connected rest, hydration, and a painkiller should beryllium taken arsenic a motion that a aesculapian practitioner should beryllium contacted. When AMS symptoms get worse, aliases nan first signs of much superior HACE aliases HAPE symptoms appear, it’s advisable to limit altitude summation to debar further superior complications.

The Myth of Fitness and Altitude Sickness

In utopia, altitude sickness is simply a information that is plagued by galore myths and misconceptions; 1 of nan much pronounced ones is that those suffering from AMS are, by default, unfit. Dr. Luks sees to it that this story is put to remainder by stating that nan expertise to withstand precocious altitude is peculiar to each individual. One tin beryllium fresh and still suffer from AMS.

In addition, asthma and precocious humor unit do not summation nan consequence of AMS connected an individual level; hence, specified group must besides hole to face altitude unwellness connected an unprepared basis, sloppy of their individual wellness and fitness.

Proper Acclimatization Must Be Combined pinch Rest and Sleep, almost arsenic if Having Arrived successful nan Land of Breath, getting AMS is overmuch little apt if aerobic activity is done astatine debased altitudes, past slowed down and accomplished astatine elevations nearer to nan AMS threshold. Dr. Luks, for instance, proposes a ‘climb high, slumber low’ attack to managing nan AMS risk, recommending that AMS consequence beryllium managed by appropriately ascending to precocious altitudes and mild, comparative AMS conditions.

People successful nan Andes aliases nan Himalayas thin to move much easy if region days are incorporated into nan schedule, enabling an summation successful consequence arsenic assemblage positioning becomes little active. To this end, group are progressively gaining AMS, HACE, aliases HAPE consequence arsenic nan activity becomes much system and faster, particularly amid nan first days of precocious altitudes.

Practical Ways to Stay Safe astatine High Elevations

Many travellers suffer altitude illness. In summation to acclimatization and altitude illness, location are different steps travellers tin employment to lessen nan effect of altitude illness.

Drinking Enough Water: Water is important astatine precocious altitudes and has benefits. The logic is dehydration owed to AMS. Dehydration is attributed to AMS, and erstwhile AMS is approached, location is thing left.

Refrain from some drinking and smoking. Altitude Prohibition. Altitude sighs, for nan liking of orderly presentation.

Avoid large, dense meals; soaring meals tin lead to fatigue and exacerbate nan improvement of unwellness astatine precocious altitudes. Of course, location are nan smaller meals, which are acold easier to digest and still springiness nan assemblage nan basal nutrients for day-to-day cycles.

As overmuch arsenic possible, effort to self-measure and self-keep a grounds of immoderate unwellness that mightiness develop. Never, astatine immoderate time, and nether immoderate circumstances, ignoring continuous, anticipated, and worsening manifestations seems nan astir contiguous people of action.

Final: It is amended to debar than to suffer

Crossing borders passable to area for altitude unwellness is simply a probable risk, but pinch capable preparation, it tin beryllium avoided. One measurement of ensuring a protective and absorbing travel to high-altitude zones is to study up of clip nan astir due defences and altitude depletion strategies. Doing this lowers nan consequence of unwellness attributed to altitude for nan astir favorable travels.

Dr. Luks points retired that nan altitude will ever win. For nan lawsuit of nan precocious altitude activities, due acclimatization, hydration, and consciousness are indispensable. Whether it is nan Himalayan trek aliases nan Rockies ski, nan expertise to negociate altitude tin thief construe a bad acquisition into a awesome adventure.