FAQ - altitude sickness
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altitude sickness?


Whenever I visit my family in Denver I feel ill-naseau and light headedness. I even feel faint. I drink a lot of water. Am I having altitude sickness? Its only 1000 feet higher than where we live!
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It sounds like you're just not used to the lower concentration of Oxygen. The higher up you get, the less Oxygen there is (because there is less air higher up). Water probably wouldn't help, but if you visit on a regular basis, you'll probably want to check with a doctor there to see if there's anything you can take to help you adjust your body (as I'm sure they get requests like that quite often).
If nothing else, you could try some L-Arginine... it's a natural Amino Acid that helps increase circulation, so it can get what little Oxygen you get pushed around your body a bit better. Good luck!  (+ info)

Altitude sickness?


I would love to go to Peru, but know from past experiences that I suffer from altitude sickness. In my thirties, for example, it took me 48 hours to acclimatise to Mexico City.

I'd love to know:

Given that I have high blood pressure now, is going up to high altitude a good idea?

Do Amlodipine and/or Ramipril help? I know Nifedipine does, but I am not on this medication.

Does anyone know a good company that organises staged travel so one can acclimatise? Or is this just not possible, given the terrain and where the sights are? I'm starting from the UK and have 2-3 weeks.

I be grateful for your help.
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I would imagine an increase in altitude would help alleviate high blood pressure, but that's my lay opinion. 48 hours doesn't seem excessive for acclimatization, but I wouldn't want to be anywhere I couldn't decend below the 2,000 meter mark with relative ease. Below are two links to organizations very familiar with the identification and treatment of altitude sickness. Consult your doctor and don't travel alone.  (+ info)

How do I prevent getting altitude sickness?


I love to ski and am planning a trip to Copper Mountain for mid January. I almost always get altitude sickness when I go unless I ascend very slowly. I'm not talking just headaches and shortness of breath. I get extremely sick. I won't have much time to ascend this year. Is there a prescription I can get or should I try to get my hands on an oxygen tank? I know I'll get it if I don't take some preventative measure.
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Are there any good exercises to reduce the risk of altitude sickness?


I am going backpacking in the Colorado Rockies this July. The last time I was in the Rockies, I got pretty bad altitude sickness. This time, I will be going straight from the airport to the trail. Between now and then I am planning to bicycle an average of an hour a day to improve my CV system. Will this help with altitude sickness? Is there anything better I could do? (Preferably, exercise that doesn't involve running. I can walk or bicycle all day, but I hate running.)
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You could look into a hypobaric sleeping chamber to increase your red blood cell count. It's a little far fetched, but you were looking for options right? Mainly being a bit silly, but it is a valid answer.

I am not aware of any specific exercises that help with altitude sickness. In fact, I've been told altitude sickness happens quite apart from your fitness level. Even with that said just keep doing the cardio, it certainly can't hurt. Try swimming if you hate running.

Stay hydrated prior to and during your trip. Take your first day a bit easier. If you get a headache, or other early altitude sickness type symptoms the ONLY real remedy is to head back down hill. Some suggest that you can pop some Tums and the symptoms will subside... perhaps. It is certainly worth having in your first-aide kit for sure.

You can also follow the high-peaks mantra of "hike high, sleep low" to build your cells quickly. So seek lower elevations for camp spots, but head up high for your enjoyment of alpine lakes, open trails, amazing views, and mountain tops!

Have a great trip, and enjoy creation in Colorado.  (+ info)

Is it possible to experience delayed symptoms of Altitude Sickness?


Recently went on a vacation abroad, took a plane. There are feelings of lethargy and sleepiness even after 11 or so hours of sleep. Dizziness and some blurred vision, too, and a general feeling of being sick, although I haven't had any fevers or irritations.
I've done some research on altitude sickness and hypoxia, and I was wondering if it was a medical possibility to have delayed or extended signs and symptoms of Altitude Sickness, or am I just tired?
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Can I get altitude sickness at only 7200 feet? Are there any remedies that really work?


I live in West Virginia at 650 feet elevation and am now staying in Wyoming for the summer where it's 7200 feet elevation. Since coming out here I've had pretty bad headaches, but tylenol and advil don't help at all; I feel a little nauseated almost always and get bad dizzy spells for no reason and even passed out once, plus I've been throwing up and get a ton of nose bleeds. I've been taking it easy but I still feel super worn out, even when I have a full nights rest. Is this normal? I know mountain climbers get altitude sickness, but I didn't think that 7200 ft. was high enough for altitude sickness. Should I see a doctor? Is there anything a doctor can do, or are there any natural remedies?
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well it may develop in as low as 2500m (aprox7500 feet) but usually to climbers that ascend rapidly or faster than they can acclimate, including those in previously excellent health. the symptoms that you describe are consistent with those of acute mountain sickness, but there may be other causes for it (pregnancy comes to mind and others)
my first recommendation is to go to a doctor and let them check you out for anemia as well.
About treatment I would not recommend anything until you have firm diagnosis, you see your mountain sickness may be something else until proven otherwise.
Hope this helps  (+ info)

What is the lowest height that someone has got altitude sickness?


At what heights have people got altitude sickness, curious what the lowest point would be that people know of ???? I dont have a clue really but have heard people get it at base camp Everest , but has anyone ever got it well below that height.
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Friends of mine climbed to base camp at Everest. They said the major problems for altitude sickness were based on people running or be too active on the way to base camp. They said that by following the basic rules of trying to acclimatise to each new height you reached, they found gaining additional altitude easy.
People who are unwell in terms of breathing problems would suffer at far lower altitudes.

Here is a good article.

http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/altitude-sickness-topic-overview  (+ info)

Do you get altitude sickness from traveling from Flordia to Michigan?


If you do what are some home remidies for altitude sickness?
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What can be done to alleviate high altitude sickness?


I've been in Eureka, NV (altitude of 6,500) since August, and have not been able to adjust to the high altitude. I suffer from shortness of breath (especially in the morning upon waking), and heat seems to exacerbate the problem. Walking and standing have become difficult, and stress also exacerbates my symptoms. The local clinic has not been able to give me a diagnosis, but when we go to CA every three weeks to visit family, I can breathe, walk, stand, and feel immeasurably better. Until health insurance kicks in, I'm stuck with the jokers at the local clinic. Any input will be seriously appreciated.
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It normally takes two to three weeks for your body to acclimate to higher altitudes. Your body can sense when it's not carrying enough oxygen and starts producing RBC's more rapidly in that two-three week process. Maybe your frequent trips to CA is throwing you out of whack and not allowing your red blood cell manufacturing to catch up the higher altitude.

Maybe you could put off your next trip to CA for a couple of months.  (+ info)

Can you get altitude sickness in Las Vegas?


I thought I felt like I had altitude sickness when i was there, but the elevation is only 2.500 or so. Why??
Because we go on an annual skiing trip in the rockies and I've had altitude sickness before. How does that have any bearing on whether or not you can answer this question?
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i felt pretty bad after riding the rides on the stratosphere  (+ info)

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