How to Avoid Altitude Sickness on High Altitude Treks

Trekking in Nepal can be full of surprises.  For the very moment, you can be mesmerized by the mystical Himalayan views high up in the mountains, and the next moment, you can feel lightheaded, nauseous, and experience shortness of breath. This sudden, strangely off feeling is due to high-altitude sickness. Many people enjoy exploring high-altitude locations, but they often tend to overlook this serious medical condition.

Altitude sickness is no joke-it can truly make your once-in-a-lifetime experience a dreadful nightmare. It really doesn't matter whether you are young or old, experienced or novice trekkers; elevation sickness can catch you off guard at any moment. 

You might feel a little scared and intimidated after listening to this challenge of altitude sickness but fear not. An adventure isn't fun if it doesn't have a level of challenge, isn't it? Trekkers like you need to make preparations beforehand and take precautions during the trek to tackle mountain sickness. Furthermore, this blog is here to help you understand high altitude sickness, its symptoms, causes, preventive measures, and much more. So, stick with us till the end if you want to make your trek an unforgettable journey.

What is High Altitude Sickness?

To understand altitude sickness, you have to understand how the elevation, atmospheric pressure, and oxygen level work above 2500 m. As the altitude increases, the atmospheric pressure decreases so does the proportion of oxygen in the air. So, whenever you ascend above 2500 m, you will have to breathe on the lesser oxygen molecules present in the air. 

However, when your body cannot adapt to the lower oxygen level in the air, it develops a medical condition called high altitude sickness. Most of the treks in Nepal take you above 2500 m to a maximum height of 5,555m(Kala Patthar), 5,345m(The Renjo La 5,345m), 5,535m(The Kongma La), etc. Hence, there are more chances to suffer from altitude sickness while trekking in Nepal. 

Are There Any Types of Mountain Sickness?

1. Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS)

Acute Mountain Sickness is one of the most common and mildest forms of altitude sickness that most trekkers suffer from. This is the phase where your body starts to show slight signs of altitude sickness, and you must respond accordingly. If AMS is not treated correctly in a timely manner, it can worsen and further develop into HAPE or HACE. 

Some of the common altitude sickness symptoms in this mildest stage are

• Headache
• Nausea
• Light-headedness
• Loss of appetite
• Insomnia
• Fatigue or weakness

2. High Altitude Pulmonary Edema (HAPE)

HAPE is a fatal and life-threatening form of mountain sickness. In this condition, fluid starts to collect in the lungs, which makes you short of breath and causes difficulty in breathing. Whenever you feel these symptoms, it is high time to seek medical help and descend to lower elevations. 

Some of the common symptoms of High Altitude Pulmonary Edema are

• Shortness of breath
• Persistent cough
• Chest tightness
• Extreme fatigue
• Rapid heart rate

3. High Altitude Cerebral Edema (HACE)

HACE is the most fatal and severe form of altitude sickness. In this medical condition, a patient can even fall into a coma or die as a result of brain swelling due to fluid deposition. 

Some of the altitude sickness symptoms of this fatal condition are

• Severe and persistent headache
• Ataxia
• Confusion or disorientation
• Hallucinations
• Severe weakness
• Inability to walk
• Blurred or double vision

What Are The Causes of High Altitude Sickness?

Even though the main cause of altitude sickness is a lower oxygen level at higher elevations, there are certain factors that increase the chance of altitude sickness in trekkers. Some of the factors are given below:

• Ascend Rapidly
• Not enough acclimatization time
• Dehydration
• If you have any medical conditions or are a novice trekker, then you are more prone to mountain sickness. 

How to Avoid Altitude Sickness?

1. Ascend at Your Own Pace

Trekking is all about enjoying the journey, soaking in the beauty of nature, and finally achieving a feeling of accomplishment at the destination. Every trekker has their own pace. Seasoned trekkers may walk swiftly, while amateur trekkers may take time to walk the same route. It's completely normal. You are not here to complete the race. So, it is very essential to walk at your own pace and understand your body. 

You can try matching your breathing with your stride. Furthermore, you should be more careful while ascending above 3000m. You must avoid ascending rapidly, and you must not gain more than 500 m in sleeping altitude every day.

2. Acclimatize Properly

Properly acclimatizing your body is a golden rule for altitude sickness prevention, especially at higher elevations. As you are ascending to a higher altitude, your body needs to adapt to the lower oxygen level of a higher altitude. Hence, here comes the value of acclimatization days in the trek.

For instance, acclimatization days, usually included in the Everest base camp trek at Namche Bazaar and Dingboche, give your body time to adapt. If you are thinking about how to acclimate to high altitude, then the first step is to choose a package with proper acclimatization days. During acclimatization days, you will be going on short hikes and returning to a lower elevation so that your body can adapt to higher altitudes.

3. Stay Hydrated

As you are ascending to a higher elevation of more than 3000 m, your body will have increased breathing and frequent urination. This can cause fast water loss in your body. So, it is essential to stay hydrated during a trek to avoid high-altitude sickness. 

Most of the trekkers do not feel like drinking water but do not get fooled. Even though you are not feeling thirsty, you are constantly losing water proportion in the form of sweat, urine, and breath. So, you must drink about 3- 4 liters of water daily during treks. Likewise, you can use electrolytes to boost your hydration. 

4. Eat Well and Have Proper Rest

Another great way to fight mountain sickness is to feed your body with proper nutritious food and give your body a healthy amount of rest. The Nepali Food, Daal Bhaat Tarkari, is a good example of a proper, balanced diet. You may be familiar with this saying: Daal Bhaat Power 24 hours. During treks, you may not feel like eating, but you should force-feed yourself for a few days, and your body will eventually adapt to the situation.

High carbohydrate and protein foods will help you maintain the energy for daily tiring hikes. However, you should avoid eating junk food, smoking, and drinking alcohol at any cost during high-altitude trekking. Consumption of these foods will slow down your acclimatization process. 

Similarly, you should give your body proper rest to replenish the energy for the next day's trek. Make sure you try to sleep early and don't stay up too late at night.

5. Make Before-Hand Trek Preparation

Preparing your body physically and mentally before the trek can give you the upper hand to cope with altitude sickness. You can try physical exercise to strengthen your leg and core muscles. Similarly, cardiovascular exercises will help you build some endurance to an extent. Moreover, going to heights while carrying some luggage can be a great help in managing your pace and breathing rhythm.  

6. Do not Ignore Early Symptom

Even though your body is not showing active signs of altitude sickness, you will always get early signals of discomfort. You must not ignore those early signs, but you should properly respond to those signs.

It is usual not to feel sleepy when you go to unusual places. Moreover, you will be traveling to some remote areas of Nepal, so it is normal to be insomniac. However, even after strenuous trekking higher up in the mountains, if you do not feel sleepy, then insomnia can be early altitude sickness symptoms. 

Responding to these early signs of altitude sickness can be truly useful for your body. On noticing these early symptoms, you should immediately halt your trek. You can take some altitude sickness medications to help relieve those symptoms. If you feel better, then only you can continue ascending, but if your symptoms continue to worsen, make sure you descend back. Nothing is more important than your health. If your health is good, there is always next time for everything. 

7. Trek With Guide

Another great help when it comes to coping with altitude sickness is your guides, who are accompanying you on the journey. Most of the licensed guides are well-trained in first aid, so in case of an emergency like dealing with altitude sickness symptoms, they can help you out. 

Altitude Sickness Medications

The foremost part of the first aid for altitude sickness is to stop ascending. If you have symptoms of extreme altitude sickness like HACE and HAPE, you should immediately descend to lower elevations and seek medical help. If you have mild symptoms of AMS, then altitude sickness medicines Acetazolamide, can help treat altitude sickness. 

Think Smart, Trek Safe

Every adventure has its own set of advantages and challenges. However, coping with every challenge with grace and fun makes the adventure more daring, doesn't it? Taking necessary precautions and safety measures prior to and during the trek can easily help you to cope with high-altitude sickness and make your trekking an unforgettable memory you will cherish forever. Contact us!