by Michael Hodgson

Adventurers heading for the mountains hoping to experience what they pray will be ideal skiing, climbing or mountaineering conditions and with a need to cram a week's worth of adventure into an action-packed weekend are asking for trouble by forgetting that they live at sea level most of the year. Why? Altitude sickness, that purveyor of nausea, headaches, insomnia and other sometimes more serious maladies is the reason.

Altitude sickness doesn't discriminate--it can affect anyone regardless of age, sex or physical conditioning. In fact, some of the best and most well-conditioned athletes suffer altitude sickness. Altitude sickness can even occur despite a history of not being susceptible. Edmund Hillary, world renowned mountaineer began experiencing altitude sickness years after he had summited Everest.

Too high, too fast appears to be a major cause of altitude sickness. Altitude sickness occurs most commonly at elevations above 8,000 feet but can certainly happen above 6,000 feet. Dehydration and overexertion are major contributing factors.

Regardless of what causes it, there are some precautions one can utilize to minimize the possibility of becoming altitude sick. Climb high and sleep low is one tried and true technique employed by mountaineers, but this is not always practical when your condo is at 8,000 feet and you are skiing or climbing at 9,000 feet.

Keeping your ascent under moderation is another technique, but again, when skiing the point becomes somewhat moot since lift lines shoot you up and down several thousand feet throughout the day.

"The classic avoidance technique is to acclimatize by not ascending more than 1,000 feet per day above 7,500 feet," says Dr. Paul Auerbach, Chief of Emergency Medicine at Stanford University Medical Center.

Jumping into the car at sea level and leaping out at 9,000 feet to play blows any acclimatization plan clean out of the water and really opens the door for altitude sickness. Auerbach suggests spending some time with the feet up in the tent, condo or lodge before adventureing out. If that means adding a day to your weekend in the name of health, so be it.

"Dehydration is a causative and a worsening factor when it comes to altitude sickness," says Auerbach. "It is critical that a person stays well hydrated so that urination is frequent and clear or light colored."

Auerbach also recommends laying off the coffee and tea since both are diuretics (causes your body to lose vital fluids). Liquor, aside from the fact that it is also a diuretic and clouds judgment is even worse for the body since symptoms of a hangover mimic those of altitude sickness confusing diagnosis.

Acetazolamide (Diamox) is a prescription drug that does appear to be a factor in enhancing a person's ability to acclimate to altitude, and is used in reducing the effects of altitude sickness. Like any drug, it does have side effects and is not for everyone. It is a sulfa derivative so persons allergic to sulfa drugs should not take it and it is also a mild diuretic so maintaining a regular fluid intake is essential. Seek the advice of your physician before using the drug.

"Although it is recommended in higher doses, we are finding that doses of 62.5 or 125 mg twice per day beginning upon ascent to altitude and continuing for a day after the highest altitude has been reached are sufficient," says Auerbach.

How do you know if you have altitude sickness? An early morning headache that doesn't go away is one fairly sure sign. Low levels of energy, insomnia, shortness of breath, nausea and loss of appetite are all symptoms that can, either alone, or in combination indicate altitude sickness.

Descending and reducing your level of activity are the standard remedies once you feel altitude sick. Do not push it! While mild symptoms are more a nuisance than a health threat, they are a definite warning to acclimatize.

Levels of altitude sickness can progress to moderate and then severe which may result in required hospitalization or death in extreme cases. Confusion, vomiting, difficulty walking a straight line or severe shortness of breath are signs of impending severe high altitude illness. In such a case, the victim should be immediately brought to medical attention for the administration of oxygen and rapid descent to a lower altitude.

© 1999 Michael Hodgson; All Rights Reserved