Altitude sickness is when your body doesn’t have time to adjust to lower oxygen availability higher up in the atmosphere. It’s usually preventable and treatable. When severe, it can rapidly turn into a life-threatening concern. Recognizing the symptoms early is key to pausing your ascent, which can head off complications or worsening symptoms.
The symptoms of altitude sickness include:
- Headache (this is the most common symptom).
- Nausea and vomiting.
- Loss of appetite.
- Fatigue even when resting.
- Malaise (a noticeable “unwell” feeling).
- Trouble sleeping.
- Dizziness or lightheadedness.
- Vision changes (while rare, these usually indicate more severe altitude sickness, and are due to blood vessel ruptures in your retinas).
Treatment to altitude sickness:
- Stop and acclimate. Stopping and resting is a good idea at the first signs of altitude sickness.
- Descend. If symptoms are more severe (such as additional dizziness, fatigue or nausea) or get worse, descending is a top priority. Most experts recommend descending until the symptoms get better. This usually involves a decrease of at least 984 feet (300 meters) and as much as 3,281 feet (1,000 meters).
- Breathing higher concentrations of oxygen can help offset some of the symptoms of altitude sickness.
- Medications. Certain medications, especially acetazolamide, dexamethasone or nifedipine, can treat altitude sickness and delay more severe symptoms or complications. Dexamethasone and nifedipine are generally reserved for moderate or worse altitude sickness.
