I Keep Getting Altitude Sickness - is There Anything that Can Help?

Lance Esondi
There is one issue that many people face when traveling to various destinations around the world. If you get to a very high elevation, you might notice that you start to feel a bit sick. This can be as simple as a small headache to a full blown sick on your back not wanting to do anything type of feeling. This type of sickness can ruin your vacation and make it difficult for you to really enjoy certain destinations.

If this is happening to you, don't give up hope on enjoying places like this. There are many practical things that can be done to help you enjoy your trip and not be as effected by the altitude.

The first day should be your adjustment day. There are two goals that you should have on this day. First of all, don't do anything physically demanding on this day. Take it easy. Don't start off skiing or walking long distances. The reason is that your body needs to adjust to the oxygen levels of this environment. Doing more demanding things makes your body require more oxygen. The lack of it is what makes you feel sick.

On this first day, try to stay at lower altitudes if you can. Go down in altitude during the day instead of up. Give yourself one night of rest to be more adjusted to everything.

Always carry water with you and be sipping on it during the day. Water won't make the sickness go away but will prevent it from getting worse. If your body starts to dehydrate, the symptoms will get worse and you won't feel good at all. Water prevents this problem.

It's not a bad idea to make sure that you get into better shape for a trip to a higher altitude. If your body is in good cardiovascular shape, it will be more efficient in how it uses oxygen. Having less of it is not as much of a problem for those in better shape. You might need to start a consistent cardio program to prepare for this if you are always feeling sick because of the altitude.

Also talk to your doctor about medicines that you could take. There are many that are designed to help people control the symptoms and get through the day without feeling horrible. They will help make your trip a bit more comfortable.

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