Added: 09/27/2005 |
Do not let altitude sickness spoil your vacation in the mountainsFinally, the longed-for time of your vacation has come, the place is chosen (let it be the Alps), the tickets are booked, the bags are packed and you are looking forward to your first holidays in the mountains! When, out of the blue, you come across some really irritating and disturbing information, concerning the altitude sickness. Certainly, you first impulse is to pretend that you did not notice it, however, think, why should you let anything spoil your fun, only because you are too careless?
In fact, there are several things that a person, traveling to a high-altitude destination, should know. What are they?
First of all, what is meant by the altitude sickness? The altitude sickness is a form of a motion sickness and is divided into three syndromes: acute mountain sickness (AMS), high-altitude cerebral edema (HACE) and high-altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE). AMS is the most common form of the altitude illness and, while it can occur at altitudes as low as 1,219-1,829m (4,000-6,000ft), most often it happens in abrupt ascents to >2,743m (>9,000ft).
Secondly, why does the altitude sickness appear? The altitude illness is the result of traveling to a higher altitude faster than the body can adapt to that new altitude. Fluid leakage from blood vessels appears to be the main cause of the symptoms.
Thirdly, you may think it is necessary to know in advance if you are at risk of suffering from the altitude sickness. However, travelers vary considerably in their susceptibility to the altitude illness and no screening tests are available to predict someone's risk for it. Susceptibility to the altitude illness appears to be inherent in some way and is not affected by training or physical fitness.
How a traveler has responded in the past to exposure to the high altitude is the most reliable guide for the future trips but is not infallible. Nevertheless, there are some medical conditions, being under which makes the risk of the altitude disease higher. They are the following: congestive heart failure, myocardial ischemia (angina), sickle cell disease or any form of pulmonary insufficiency. Such people should be advised to consult a doctor familiar with the high-altitude illness, before undertaking such travel.
Then, what are the symptoms of the altitude sickness? In fact, they resemble those of an alcohol hangover: headache, fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, and, occasionally, vomiting.
What should you do to protect yourself from the threat of the altitude sickness? Determining an itinerary that will avoid any occurrence of the altitude illness is difficult due to variations in individual susceptibility, as well as in starting points and terrain. One of the most important things is not to exclude the possibility of the disease to happen.
The three rules that travelers should be aware of are:
• Learn the early symptoms of the altitude illness and be willing to admit that you have them.
• Never ascend to sleep at a higher altitude, when experiencing any of the symptoms of the altitude illness, no matter how minor they seem.
• Descend if the symptoms become worse, while resting at the same altitude.
The last thing is how to treat the altitude sickness. The best way to prevent it is to plan a gradual ascent in order to give your body enough time to acclimatize to the environment. Anyway, if you still may feel the symptoms of the disease, thus, it is reasonable to have some of the motion sickness remedy at your disposal.
Three medications have shown to be useful in the prevention and the treatment of the altitude illness. Acetazolamide (Diamox) can prevent AMS, when taken before ascent, and it can speed the recovery, if taken after the symptoms have developed. Dexamethasone appears to be effective in the prevention and the treatment of AMS and HACE. The drug prevents or improves symptoms; however, there is no evidence that it aids acclimatization. Therefore, there is a risk of a sudden onset or worsening of the symptoms, if the traveler stops taking the drug while ascending. HAPE is always associated with increased pulmonary artery pressure.
Drugs that can selectively lower pulmonary artery pressure happen to be of benefit in preventing and treating HAPE. Nifedipine prevents and ameliorates HAPE in persons, who are particularly susceptible to HAPE.
Concluding, if you or your relatives are going to spend their vacation in a mountain resort, at least, be aware of the threat. If you are able to identify the problem, it will make it easier to deal with it.
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