{"id":1376,"date":"2019-11-24T03:49:53","date_gmt":"2019-11-24T03:49:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.coldfeetadventure.com\/blog\/?p=1376"},"modified":"2026-07-25T21:43:01","modified_gmt":"2026-07-25T15:58:01","slug":"altitude-sickness-in-the-high-himalayas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.coldfeetadventure.com\/blog\/altitude-sickness-in-the-high-himalayas\/","title":{"rendered":"Altitude Sickness in the High Himalayas"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Trekking and\nmountaineering adventures are the best and most popular ways to relish the\nnatural beauty of Nepal. As such, these trips explore the high altitudes which\noffer diverse Himalayan terrain and mesmerizing panorama. And with such great\naltitude, there are numerous challenges including altitude sickness. Thus,\ntravelers must remain cautious of the illness and ways to avoid or tackle\nit.&nbsp;<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>What is altitude sickness? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.coldfeetadventure.com\/public\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/IMG_1544-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1380\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The oxygen level\ndecreases when the altitude increases which causes various symptoms in a human\nbody. Generally, these symptoms like nausea, headaches, difficulty in\nbreathing, and loss of appetite appear when travelers cross the altitude of\n2400 meters. This very condition that a human body develops when it is unable\nto cope with the high altitude is called altitude sickness. Mild altitude\nsickness is common as the altitude gains but it may be life-threatening if not\ntreated on time.&nbsp;<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Altitude sickness in Himalayas of Nepal and its causes<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.coldfeetadventure.com\/public\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/P1050100-1-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1381\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As mentioned earlier,\nthe symptoms altitude sickness starts to appear from 3,000m onward but this may\nnot be the case for everyone. However, depending on the region and individual\u2019s\ncondition, trekkers may suffer from altitude sickness from lower elevations of\n2,400m as well. The main causes of altitude sickness are gaining altitude at a\nrapid pace and rigorous exercises without proper rest. These actions require\nmore energy and oxygen. As such, failure to cope with the Himalayan atmosphere\nmakes travelers prone to altitude sickness.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Types of Altitude Sickness<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS)<\/strong><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It is the most common\nand mild form of altitude sickness. In general, people start to see the\nsymptoms of AMS from around 2,400m and above. When traveling across higher\naltitude, trekkers must be aware that suffer from altitude sickness regardless\nof their physical fitness. Its unpredictability is one of the reasons why\ntrekkers need to be careful and be aware of their condition once the altitude\ngains. The first signs include common symptoms like headache, laziness, nausea,\nand insomnia. To sum it up, it feels like a bad hangover. The symptoms might\nincrease after a few hours if you continue to ascend to a higher altitude. Some\npeople might not be aware of it so it is important to check one\u2019s condition\nevery 500m.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>High Altitude Pulmonary Edema (HAPE)<\/strong><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In this type of\naltitude sickness, fluids enter the lungs resulting in less space for fresh air\nto enter. This is more fatal than AMS and in extreme cases; people may die\nwithin a few hours after the first symptoms. This sickness affects people after\n2-3 days of ascent after they cross 2,500 meters. The initial signs include the\nusual symptoms like headaches and insomnia. Then, the affected person gets\ntired quicker than usual in compared to average people and pink or white frothy\nsputum is often seen in their cough. The heartbeat gets fast and the body\ntemperature rises. This may confuse people with a chest infection or similar\ninfection but if the affected person is at an altitude of 2,500m or higher, it\nshould be suspected as HAPE. There are no definite conclusions but some studies\nhave shown that is it more frequently with people who suffer from a chest\ninfection and related sickness are more prone to HAPE.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>High Altitude Cerebral Edema (HACE)<\/strong><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It is the most severe\nform of altitude sickness. While the increased blood flow rate in the brain its\nmain cause, several other factors cause HACE. The victim can go to a coma and\ndie within a few hours of diagnosis from HACE. People with HACE suffer from\nsevere headaches, vomiting, confusion, and fatigue. After that, they are not\nable to walk properly in a straight line and this test is probably the best way\nto know if one is suffering from HACE or not. It is estimated that about 1% of\npeople who ascend to 3,000m and above suffer from HACE. In most cases, this\nsickness is seen in people who ignore the symptoms for AMS and haven\u2019t taken\nthe necessary precautions. HACE should only be suspected if an individual is\nacting peculiarly in comparison to their normal behavior. Some reports suggest\nthat people suffering from HAPE have a high chance of getting HACE and vice\nversa.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Symptoms of Altitude Sickness<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Headache<\/li><li>Fatigue<\/li><li>Dizziness&nbsp;<\/li><li>Loss\nof appetite<\/li><li>Insomnia<\/li><li>Nausea&nbsp;<\/li><li>Lethargy&nbsp;<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>What to do during Altitude Sickness?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Once the early signs\nof altitude sickness come into notice, the first action is to notify your guide\nor travel partner. For solo travelers, the first action is to rest. Then, the\naffected person should descend to a lower altitude to get more oxygen. Even if\nyou suspect altitude sickness, it is recommended to move to a lower altitude\nuntil you are certain about the situation. If the symptoms reoccur even after\nacclimatizing, it is best to visit the nearest health post or call for medical\nsupport. It is advised to carry medicines like Diamox and Tylenol to tackle the\nearly symptoms of this sickness. If you are in a situation where you can\u2019t\ndescend, then use a portable (Gamow bag) that stimulates conditions of lower elevations.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.coldfeetadventure.com\/public\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/5978.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1382\"\/><figcaption><a href=\"https:\/\/www.chinookmed.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">www.chinookmed.com<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Precautions for Altitude Sickness?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The bodily mechanism\nof every individual differs from the others\u2019 and the unpredictable nature of\naltitude sickness causes more trouble to prepare for the illness. Similarly,\nthere is not a set standard and guideline to prevent altitude sickness. So, the\nbest way to avoid altitude sickness is to maintain a constant pace while\nascending. It is best to take the trek slowly and easily so that the body can\nadapt to increasing altitudes. So, rapid movement should be forbidden for\ntrekkers going to higher altitudes. As the altitude gains, you should wear\nthicker and warmer clothes to maintain body temperature.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Conclusion<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Himalayas in Nepal\nare alluring and beautiful destinations that are fully worth the efforts on the\ntrips. However, the high altitude poses various problems for travelers, which\ncan be fatal if neglected. So, trekkers need to take altitude sickness into\nserious account so that they won\u2019t face any problems while traveling. As the\nsaying \u201cPrevention is better than cure\u201d goes, travelers need to carry proper\nmedicines and take necessary actions if they see early signs of altitude\nsickness. It is necessary to remember that altitude sickness is not\nlife-threatening if handled on time. So, travel safe and travel responsibly in\nNepal.&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Trekking and mountaineering adventures are the best and most popular ways to relish the natural beauty of Nepal. As such, these trips explore the high altitudes which offer diverse Himalayan terrain and mesmerizing panorama. And with such great altitude, there<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[86,11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1376","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-travel-management","category-trekking-in-nepal"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.coldfeetadventure.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1376","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.coldfeetadventure.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.coldfeetadventure.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.coldfeetadventure.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.coldfeetadventure.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1376"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.coldfeetadventure.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1376\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":40453,"href":"https:\/\/www.coldfeetadventure.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1376\/revisions\/40453"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.coldfeetadventure.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1376"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.coldfeetadventure.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1376"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.coldfeetadventure.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1376"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}