Altitude Sickness: What to Watch For and How to Handle It

Heading into higher ground? Altitude sickness hits when your body can’t get enough oxygen fast enough. It can ruin a trip or become dangerous if you ignore it. Here’s a straight, useful guide to spotting problems, preventing them, and acting fast if things go wrong.

Recognize the symptoms

Symptoms often start within 6–24 hours after arriving at altitude. Early signs are headache, nausea, dizziness, loss of appetite, and trouble sleeping. Watch for heavier warning signs: confusion, difficulty walking, severe shortness of breath, coughing up frothy spit, or a very bad headache that won’t go away with painkillers. Those last signs can mean high-altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE) or high-altitude cerebral edema (HACE) — both need immediate descent and medical care.

Not everyone gets sick the same way. Younger, fitter people sometimes get worse symptoms because they push harder. People with lung or heart problems, or recent respiratory infections, face higher risk. Pregnant people and small children can also react differently—so be cautious.

How to prevent and treat it

Prevention beats treatment. Move up slowly: once above about 3,000 meters (10,000 ft), try not to increase sleeping elevation by more than 300–500 meters (1,000–1,600 ft) per day. Add a rest day every 1,000 meters (3,000 ft). Drink plenty of water and skip heavy alcohol for the first days. Eat light, carb-rich meals that are easy to digest.

• Medications: Acetazolamide (Diamox) helps you acclimatize faster and can prevent symptoms when started a day before ascent. Dexamethasone can reduce brain swelling in HACE. These need a prescription and proper dosing—talk to a doctor before travel.
• Oxygen and descent: If someone gets worse, give supplemental oxygen if available and get them lower immediately. Even a few hundred meters down can help a lot.
• Portable options: A portable hyperbaric bag (Gamow bag) can simulate descent and buy time until evacuation is possible.

If you get a headache and mild nausea, stop climbing and rest until symptoms ease. If symptoms improve within 24–48 hours, you can continue slowly. If symptoms persist or worsen, descend—fast. Don’t try to tough it out; descent is the only certain cure.

Simple safety checks help: always tell someone your plan, carry a basic first-aid kit, know where the nearest clinic is, and consider travel insurance that covers evacuation. For trekkers, hire guides who know local altitude risks and emergency routes.

Final practical note: acclimatization is personal. Give your body time, watch people in your group, and act early. That’s the best way to enjoy high places without risking your health.