As we were heading to South America for 2 1/5 months and some of this time we’d be at high altitudes I thought it timely to do a little research on a pretty serious subject Altitude Sickness.

What is Altitude Sickness?

“Altitude Sickness” refers to the group of illnesses due to exposure to high altitude especially those consequent to exposure to reduced oxygen pressure. The incidents and severity of building this increases with altitude and the symptoms largely reflects the various organs responds to in adequate oxygen supply. The main systems affected are the lungs and the brain.

What are the main types of altitude sickness?

The common most form is known as Acute Mountain Sickness. AMS, which is usually a benign illness occurring at altitude beyond 2000 2500 m. This is characterised by headache insomnia tiredness mild shortness of breath and is generally self-limiting, acclimatisation  occurring 2-5 days with resolution of symptoms. AMS occurs in about 40% of individuals are sending rapidly to 300 m and 75% of those rapidly are sending to 4500 m.

Severe forms of altitude sickness okay at high altitudes. Hi altitude Cerebral Oedema, HACE, occurs in 1-2% of short term travellers to 3000 to 5000 m and is characterised by progressive cerebral dysfunction, ataxia, confusion and unusual behaviour and can need to coma and death. Hi altitude Pulmonary Oedema, HAPE, occurs in 2% of climbers to 6000 m and is the commonest cause of fatal altitude sickness. Symptoms include shortness of breath, a cough and blood stained sputum.

Symptoms of Altitude Sickness

  • Dizziness, lightheadedness
  • Headaches
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Diarrhea or constipation
  • Difficulty breathing
  • Heart racing

What are the treatments of altitude sickness?

The treatment of all forms of altitude sickness is primarily rest, oxygen and descent. For AMS, rest fluids and simple analgesics including Nurofen for headaches is usually adequate to allow acclimatization. Sedatives should be avoided. oxygen is occasionally required and descent considered if symptoms persist.

Generally a descent of between 150 to 300 m will rapidly relieve symptoms. The recommended medication is Aceazolamide known as Diamox.

Below are the many ways to treat altitude sickness.

  1. Take it easy. This is seriously the easiest—and most ignored—piece of advice for avoiding altitude sickness. Remember, your body is trying to get accustomed to the lower amount of oxygen it’s getting; therefore it is of utmost importance that you take it easy the first few days you are in Cusco. Don’t go on hikes or long walks. Don’t put any excess stress on your body—it’s already working overtime to oxygenate your blood!
  2. Take deep breaths. Again, your body is trying to get oxygen, but there is less of it available in each breath. So take deep breaths to try to get more air in.
  3. Avoid alcohol. The reasons for this are debated, but certain studies show that the effects of alcohol are enhanced at high altitude (i.e. You get drunk more easily). Also, alcohol may exacerbate the effects of altitude sickness. Hold off on the Pisco Sours for the first couple of days you’re in Cusco.
  4. Drink lots of water. This may not alleviate altitude sickness exactly, but sometimes it’s hard to tell the difference between altitude sickness and dehydration, and high elevations tend to be very dry, meaning you need more water for proper hydration.
  5. Acclimate at a lower altitude, and ascend slowly. This piece of advice is sometimes hard to follow because it means changing your trip plans. A lot of people recommend that the second your plane lands in Cusco, you should take a taxi or colectivo to the Sacred Valley, about an hour outside of Cusco, where the elevation is about 2,000 feet lower. This allows you to acclimate at a somewhat lower altitude, and then move back up to Cusco when your body is more used to high altitude. The other option is to take a 21-hour bus ride from Lima to Cusco. Some people think the Lima-Cusco bus is a better option because it allows you to ascend slowly over the course of 21 hours—however, the bus route is very curvy and mountainous, so you will likely get very car sick if you’re prone to motion sickness.
  6. Take Diamox. In the U.S. and Australia, Diamox is a prescription drug often used to treat glaucoma; however, it can also treat altitude sickness. You need to take it 24 hours before arriving in Cusco, though, and a side effect of the drug is that you’ll probably need to pee more frequently–not very convenient when you’re traveling. I brought Diamox with me, but have never used it.

We found this great site for mapping Altitude around the globe http://www.altitude.nu