Altitude Sickness Symptoms

Altitude Sickness Symptoms

Altitude Sickness Symptoms

Altitude Sickness Symptoms

If you are some living in a low altitude that suddenly went to your province’s mountain for a mountain hike, a winter ski vacation in the Alps or a place of high altitude, you may have experienced something called altitude sickness. As the name implies, this type of illness comes with altitude or height. It can occur in as low as 800o feet or 2500 meters. Knowing some altitude sickness symptoms may help you in your next trip.


 

The most common manifestation among the altitude sickness symptoms is headache. Onset may be any time from the 8th to the 96th hours after the arrival at heights over 8000 feet. Other symptoms are nausea and vomiting because of the increased pressure in high altitudes, fatigue and sleep disturbances.

 

Altitude sickness may occur at different heights for different individuals. However, know the altitude sickness symptoms can help relief a person from suffering too much from them. No test, however, can diagnose altitude sickness. Thus, proper history regarding the manifestations is of great help to medical practitioners.

 

A person has increased chances of developing symptoms if he/she ascended the high altitude too fast. If you are less than 50 years old, lives in a low altitude of less than 3000 feet, or if you have prior history of altitude sickness, chances of experiencing altitude sickness is greater.

 

Knowing altitude sickness symptoms will help one recognize that attention is needed. Having altitude sickness is not a major health concern. However, if the person experiences extreme headache or say persistent vomiting, other serious health concerns may arise. It is always a good idea to bring ointments or other things that may relieve a person suffering from the symptoms he/she is experiencing. The symptoms will disappear on their own as days goes by so medical attention is not necessary.