Love the mountains - in fact I live at 9000 foot plus and rarely come down to the "flat-lands" which are at about 5200 feet above sea level.
I found it a bit difficult when I had first moved here about 45 years ago. I still feel difficulty going over the high mountain passes from about 10,500 feet - those with any heart conditions, or pulmonary issues (breathing issues) should consider some of the below and talk with their medical associates for their specific health and safety related issues.
Here is some information and background: (from https://www.highuintapackgoats.com/h...us-regions.htm)
Let's start with a simple image - Oxygen levels decrease the higher up you go. The blood cells need adequate oxygen levels and pressures in order to exchange gases and keep you alive.
It can take WEEKS to adapt, if at all, for a person who has lived at sea level and has any edema (fluid buildup) to re-adjust to altitude, and that means taking it very easy, no extreme exercise - even walking around a few hundred feet can be exhausting and lead to death from lung flooding or brain flooding (severe edema) if one is susceptible.
Causes
Acute mountain sickness is caused by reduced air pressure and lower oxygen levels at high altitudes.
The faster you climb to a high altitude, the more likely you will get acute mountain sickness.
You are at higher risk for acute mountain sickness if:
- You live at or near sea level and travel to a high altitude
- You have had the illness before
Fact: - Acute mountain sickness is an illness that can affect mountain climbers, hikers, skiers, or travelers.
Altitude sickness is the name given to the human body’s physiological reactions that occur as a result of low oxygen pressure that exists at high altitudes.
At higher elevations oxygen levels decrease. The problem of Acute Mountain Sickness starts when acclimatization does not keep pace with your ascent to high altitude.
This happens when you ascend too quickly or go from sea level to high altitudes in a day and your body cannot get as much oxygen as it needs or is accustomed too.
Even the top endurance athletes know to get to a high altitude race location a few days early to acclimate to the altitude.
Symptoms
Your symptoms will also depend on the speed of your climb and how hard you push (exert) yourself.
Symptoms range from mild to life-threatening.
They can affect the nervous system, lungs, muscles, and heart.
In most cases, symptoms are mild.
Symptoms of mild to moderate acute mountain sickness may include:
- Difficulty sleeping
- Dizziness or light-headedness
- Fatigue
- Headache
- Loss of appetite
- Nausea or vomiting
- Rapid pulse (heart rate)
- Shortness of breath with exertion
Symptoms that may occur with more severe acute mountain sickness include:
- Blue color to the skin (cyanosis)
- Chest tightness or congestion
- Confusion
- Cough
- Coughing up blood
- Decreased consciousness or withdrawal from social interaction
- Gray or pale complexion
- Cannot walk in a straight line, or walk at all
- Shortness of breath at rest
Are you going to travel to an area without adequate medical facilities?
Have you considered your age and stamina?
Treatment
Early diagnosis is important. Acute mountain sickness is easier to treat in the early stages.
The main treatment for all forms of mountain sickness is to climb down (descend) to a lower altitude as rapidly and safely as possible.
You should not continue climbing (going up in altitude) if you develop symptoms.
Extra oxygen should be given, if available.
People with severe mountain sickness may need to be admitted to a hospital.
I keep oxygen here with me for acute instances, when I have a cold, or allergies (fluid build-up), and for visiting friends if they have come from the flatlands.
When to Contact a Medical Professional
Call your health care provider if you have or had symptoms of acute mountain sickness, even if you felt better when you returned to a lower altitude.
Call 911 or your local emergency number if you or another climber have any of the following symptoms:
(if you are not in an area with immediate emergency rescue such as helicopter EVAC, consider your options carefully for even participating if you have any concerns)
See below POST #4 about two people hiking and climbing upwards in altitude, in the USA, Mount Shasta - their experiences calling 911 and emergency search and rescue.. they tried for EVAC and couldn't get it.
Severe breathing problems
Altered level of alertness
Coughing up blood
Climb down the mountain immediately and as safely as possible.
Prevention
Keys to preventing acute mountain sickness include:
- Climb the mountain gradually
- Stop for a day or two of rest for every 2,000 feet (600 meters) above 8,000 feet (2,400 meters)
- Sleep at a lower altitude when possible
- Learn how to recognize early symptoms of mountain sickness
- If you are traveling above 9,840 feet (3,000 meters), you should carry enough oxygen for several days.
FORCING your body to adapt (chemical treatment):
If you plan on quickly climbing to a high altitude, ask your doctor about a medication called acetazolamide (Diamox).
This drug helps your body get used to higher altitudes more quickly, and reduces minor symptoms. It should be taken the day before you climb, and then for the next 1 to 2 days.
If you are at risk for a low red blood cell count (anemia), ask your doctor if an iron supplement is right for you.
Anemia lowers the amount of oxygen in your blood. This makes you more likely to have mountain sickness.
While climbing:
- Drink plenty of fluids
- Avoid alcohol and/or carbonated beverages
- Eat regular meals, high in carbohydrates
- You should avoid high altitudes if you have heart or lung disease.
Those who live at the lower altitudes, even when young can want to come up to the mountains to experience the beauty and majesty in the spring/summer.. In the winter they want to go skiing and of course party at the lodge.. Up the lift they go to even higher altitudes, and stupid can happen..
People die from altitude sickness. They get injured from altitude sickness.
Lured by the beauty of the mountains, where the birds fly and the mountain goats live?
Adjusting to altitude slowly to see if you can tolerate reduced oxygen if you are from sea level is smart.
Be safe be well be prepared -
references:
https://www.backroads.com/pro-tips/h...ickness-hiking
http://www.ecuadorexplorer.com/html/..._diseases.htmlday 1 great !! but at night...
Altitude sickness can take up to a day to occur, with symptoms often becoming worse at night. It can also often be mistaken for other illnesses or conditions, including dehydration and the flu.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifes...=.bc66d92b0c67
https://activeadventures.com/blog/de...t-hikers-will/Regardless of age, sex, body type and fitness level, one or more of these maladies can hit anyone at any high-altitude location — including Antarctica — according to medical experts. Two years ago, former astronaut Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin, then a hale 86, had to be airlifted from an elevation of 9,300 feet in the South Pole. Congested lungs kept him in a New Zealand hospital for a week.
Are you in shape? whenever I have severe allergies, I even feel the altitude even having 45 years of being acclimated to altitude.