Dealing with Altitude Sickness
March 27, 2009
All too often, someone spontaneously decides to go hiking in the mountains. They don’t care that they have never done anything like this before; they don’t think experience is necessary; all they are going to be doing is walking uphill, how hard can it be? What the inexperienced mountain hiker doesn’t understand is that hiking in the mountains can lead to a condition called altitude sickness. Doctors refer to altitude sickness as Soroche.
When you walk in the mountains, the higher up you go, the thinner the air gets. Your body has a difficult time adjusting to the thinner air. Altitude sickness is most common in people who exceed 8,000 feet above sea level.
Symptoms of Altitude Sickness
There are several ways to tell if you are getting a bout of altitude sickness.
One of the first signs you are developing altitude sickness is that you will notice a splitting headache. It will feel like you are going through a caffeine withdrawal. The headache is usually most intense during the night and when you first get up in the morning. Other symptoms of altitude sickness are vomiting, dizzy spells, and insomnia. The most dangerous symptom of altitude sickness is the feeling of extreme fatigue. The danger of altitude induced fatigue is that it affects some people so strongly they are unable to eat or get dressed, much less work up enough energy to get themselves off the mountain.
The severity of altitude sickness varies from one person to another.
Preventing Altitude Sickness
There are several things you can do to help ease or prevent altitude sickness. The best thing you can do is to gradually acclimatize your body to the height. Instead of immediately going up to 8,000 feet, you should start out hiking at a lower height and move up another 500 or 1000 feet each week.
Whenever you think there is even the slightest chance of you developing altitude sickness, you should make sure you bring a partner (preferably one who has spent a great deal of time hiking in the mountains). This person will be able to help you through your altitude sickness. Pay attention to what your body is telling you; if you suspect you are starting to develop altitude sickness, you should make your way down to a lower altitude and stay there until your body feels better.
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