Altitude Sickness: How to Prevent and Treat It

Altitude sickness, also called acute mountain sickness, can affect anyone. Even world-class athletes can suffer from altitude sickness and need to treat it.

Six genes are known to cause altitude sickness. If you were born with one of those genes, you may not be able to completely avoid it.

Altitude sickness can also be quite unpredictable. You can get altitude sickness even if you’ve been at altitude before and didn’t experience it. And even if you’ve had altitude sickness in the past, that doesn’t mean you will get it again.

Symptoms of Altitude Sickness

Even before you sense any symptoms, you may notice climbing a flight of stairs, walking quickly or running can feel different at altitude. That’s because there’s about 30% less oxygen in the air once you get to 9000 feet or higher.

How much oxygen are you actually breathing at higher elevation? The air you breathe usually contains about 20.9% oxygen. But lower atmospheric pressure in higher altitudes makes the rate of oxygen in the air (the amount of oxygen you actually inhale into your lungs) about 14.8%.

Think of it like this: With less pressure, the oxygen molecules, and every other type of molecule in the air, can fly around with a little more freedom and not be pressed together as much. This lower density results in less oxygen making its way into your lungs.

Altitude Sickness: Common Symptoms

• Headache
• Nausea/vomiting
• Shortness of breath
• Rapid heart rate
• Sleepiness or sleeplessness
• Dizziness or lightheadedness

You may start to feel symptoms **within 6-24 hours **after arriving at your destination. If you don’t treat your symptoms, altitude sickness can last for 1-2 miserable days before your body adjusts to the higher elevation.

The National Institutes of Health estimate that altitude sickness (or acute mountain sickness, as it’s officially known) affects between 15% and 80% of people who ascend from low to high elevations.

In one study, 38% of people experienced at least one symptom of altitude sickness at around 11,000 feet, although acute mountain sickness can be felt at altitudes as low as 8,000 feet.

If you don’t treat altitude sickness, your symptoms can get worse. This is rare, and usually only happens at elevations higher than the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, but the Institute for Altitude Medicine in Telluride reports worsening symptoms at 9,000 feet in a fraction of cases.

Altitude Sickness: Stage 2 Worsening Symptoms

• Loss of coordination
• Severe headache
• Confusion
• Chest pain
• Wet cough

Hydrate

Yes, hydrate, but don’t think you need to start slamming several liters more every day. According to the Institute for Altitude Medicine in Telluride, you simply need to be aware of your intake, and consider adding 1 to 1.5 liters each day while you’re at altitude. Adding this to your daily water intake in the days before you travel can’t hurt, either. And it’s easier than you might think. A typical Nalgene bottle holds about one liter.

Limit Alcoholic Drinks

Alcohol is a diuretic, so any altitude sickness symptom that comes with dehydration (headache, rapid heart rate, nausea), can be exacerbated by higher elevation.

You may have heard you’ll get drunk faster at high altitude. But several studies have determined the effects of alcohol are not more pronounced at higher altitudes. One study showed that just being at 12,000 feet may be enough to make you feel impaired, even if you haven’t been drinking alcohol.

Bottom line: Just be smart and responsible. If you have a few alcoholic drinks, drink some water, too.

You may also hear that drinking caffeine at elevation can have greater effects. But the IAM has said you’d have to drink an enormous amount of caffeine to cause adverse effects at altitude.

If you’re used to drinking 2-3 cups of coffee a day, cutting cold turkey could actually cause more problems, including a horrible headache from caffeine withdrawal. If you usually drink caffeine, don’t suddenly stop. Just keep your intake moderate.

If you get altitude sickness despite your efforts to avoid it, there are multiple ways you can treat it so you can get back to enjoying your mountain getaway.

Here are some of the best ways we’ve found to treat altitude sickness when you travel to Colorado’s Rocky Mountains.

Acclimate at a Lower Elevation

If you’re experiencing symptoms of altitude sickness, consider spending an afternoon and night at a lower altitude, going down to about 3,000 - 5,000 feet to see if it helps. Spending just 12-24 hours at lower elevation can make a huge difference.

Consider Taking Diamox Before and During Your Trip

If you know you’re susceptible to altitude sickness, consider taking the drug Diamox (Acetazolamide) 24 hours before arriving at altitude, and continue taking it for 48 hours after you arrive. Diamox doesn’t immediately reduce your symptoms, but it can help your body acclimate.

Use Supplemental Oxygen

Getting additional oxygen into your bloodstream is the most direct way to treat altitude sickness. Local shops in the mountains sell small cans of 90% oxygen, or you can have an oxygen concentrator delivered to your vacation rental.

Simply breathe in pure oxygen directly from the canister. You can expect relief of your symptoms within 15 minutes to an hour after starting your oxygen treatment.

Take Acetaminophen or Ibuprofen

If you have an altitude-sickness-induced headache, and can’t get to a lower elevation, taking acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (sold under many brand names, including Advil) may help.

Just keep in mind that your headache may return later, since you haven’t treated the cause (a decrease in oxygen). Stay hydrated, and try to get a can of oxygen and/or move to a lower elevation when you can.

If you’re concerned about altitude sickness, call us at InvitedHome. We’d love to help you plan ahead so you can get the most out of your vacation, and not spend it recovering in bed. We can also make recommendations for oxygen services that deliver right to your mountain vacation rental.