How to Handle Altitude Sickness

Altitude Sickness is a common occurrence that you might face at or beyond certain altitude. Before we get to the solution part, let’s briefly look into what exactly is this phenomenon.

Altitude Sickness is a broader term and Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS) is an initial form of altitude sickness. This can further be escalated into a more complex condition called HACE (High Altitude Cerebral Edema) or HAPE (High Altitude Pulmonary Edema). These condition can start showing up if a person travels to high altitude too quickly. It doesn’t matter whether the person achieves this altitude by walking or by means of transportation. The primary reason of getting this condition is that body is not able to take in as much oxygen as it requires.

According webMD, the pressure of the air (barometric pressure) that surrounds you drops and there is less oxygen available when you go to higher altitude.
In short, any time a person goes beyond 8,000 feet, can can be at risk for altitude sickness. However for the initial AMS, the primary symptoms that one can have are dizziness, headache, muscle ache and nausea.

Any of these symptoms as a result of reaching higher altitude can show up within 12-24 hours while they start getting better in the same time depending on your body’s adaptation to the environment.

However, if the AMS is to escalate into HAPE, that would mean that your body has built up fluids in your lungs causing heavy breathing and may become life threatening if not identified and treated properly. Similarly HACE is the most severe form of altitude sickness and happens as a result of body having built up fluids in brain. Needs proper identification and immediate treatment or else becomes life threatening. The latter two forms of altitude sickness may show symptoms of vomiting, fatigue or loss of energy, loss of appetite and loss of sleep. Similarly, the person may have severe headache that doesn’t get better with any medication, tight breath even at rest, loss of coordination and confusion.

So as much as understanding the causes and symptoms are important, it is equally important to know the remedies. Of course we see and hear people going to places like Mt. Everest and K-2 successfully. Do they not face any forms of altitude sickness? Or they have a handy formula to avoid this condition? let’s try decoding the phenomenon of AMS here.

PSYCOLOGICAL TRIGGER #1

In organized activity with a team members of 5 and beyond, there is certain pace of the group and that creates a constant peer pressure of keeping up. And due to that psychological pressure, many of the members do not disclose that there is something unusual happening to them. And that mainly is the reason that altitude sickness can climb on you. By the time you decide to disclose, it is actually a bit late for that.

PSYCHOLOGICAL TRIGGER #2

Another trigger for the situation is more interesting and I have witnessed during my personal experiences is that it’s not only the novice or less experienced trekkers that face the situation but are the experienced ones. Again a psychological trigger that doesn’t let the experienced trekkers disclose the situation for the sole reason that they have been instrumental in getting the team motivated, they are leading the expedition and that disclosing altitude sickness will demoralize the rest of the team. Wrong decision as a leader! It’s a human body and doesn’t matter how experienced you are, altitude sickness is waiting on you up there. It is the inherent risk of the game.

SOLUTION

Never underestimate your physical condition if you face any on your ascents. Immediately shout out, halt the group and disclose your condition. I repeat, disclose your condition immediately. Because once you lose day light in the field, you have limited options. So it’s better to disclose immediately, so if anything needs to be done, should be done in day light.

CLIMBING TRIGGER #3

The most common trigger of altitude sickness is when you climb too rapidly against the will of your body. It is natural for altitude sickness to hit you if you climb swiftly in one go. But then there are times that natural design of the mountain won’t give you a chance to acclimatize between the camps.

SOLUTION

The key here is take it one step at a time and plan your expedition with ample acclimatization time. For instance, your team is at 6000 feet and the next destination will give an altitude of 9000 feet which is hard on most of the members to handle. A simple solution is to take a day off from reaching the next destination. Pack your day packs and head for acclimatizing on the same route. Climb about 1000-1400 feet on the same route. Take a break. Roam around on the same altitude if the terrain permits. Make a cup of tea, drink plenty of water and descend down to your camp. Next day shall be a piece of cake and you will likely sideline altitude sickness or any form of it on your way.

HOW TO TREAT ALTITUDE SICKNESS

While I spoke of a few triggers here, let’s assume that on your way up. You started getting that funny feeling in your stomach, mild headache or nausea. The golden rule, shout out, halt your group and disclose your condition to your buddies. No matter you destination is an hour or 4 hours away. It is not necessary that altitude sickness have hit you. There is always a probability that during the day’s activity, your body lost essential minerals while sweating and it could be simple dehydration. Whichever the case, do this simple test called Triple One Test.

TRIPPLE ONE TEST

It is better that one or two of the group members are accompanying you while the rest of the group has advanced towards the destination. Now get one liter of water, one aspirin and one of hour of rest. If your headache has completely disappeared and you are feeling absolutely alright, you can start walking towards your destination. It was merely a symptom of dehydration that a liter of water, aspirin and one hour of rest has cured.
But here is the tricky part. After consuming one liter of water with aspirin and taking one hour rest, you still have headache or any other unusual feeling, it is a sign that you’re going through preliminary altitude sickness. There is no option but to descend down instead of going up to your destination. It is wise to keep a radio set with you in order to update the group about it. The leader may decide to spare a porter for you and you can descend down to lower altitude or camp from where you started. At the lower altitude you should feel better in the next 3-4 hours. Spend the night, take rest and wake up in the morning to see if you feel normal. If so, by all means start moving uphill and join your group. Consistently communicate with the group, so that they may slow down in order for you to join them. If still, in the morning, you’re not feeling good enough to move up, it is time to call of the trip and go back to basecamp.
There are other alternative medications in case you’re at location and a time where descending down is not a feasible option. But I will write about in my next article. For now, to distinguish between dehydration and altitude sickness, the first line of action is to shout out and take the triple one test. Then move down to lower altitude and take the day off. Depending on your condition, decide to move ahead or call of the trip. The mountains will remain there, it is important to stay fit and come back for them next time.