What are the symptoms of high altitude illnesses?
• Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS) – headache, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, tiredness, weakness, dizziness, light-headedness, and trouble sleeping. • High Altitude Cerebral Edema (rarely occurs without high altitude pulmonary edema) – extreme tiredness, severe headache, trouble walking (drunken-like, uneven steps), abnormal speech and behaviour, drowsiness, confusion, and unconsciousness. • High Altitude Pulmonary Edema – dry cough and shortness of breath progressing to wet cough, increased breathing and heart rate, blue fingernails and lips, and noisy breathing. How is high altitude illness prevented? • Gradual ascent • The faster the ascent, the more likely the symptoms will occur. • Avoid flying or driving to high altitudes. Start below 3000 meters and walk up. • If climbing, limit net ascent to 300 meters per day. • Take an “acclimitization day”, which means to sleep at the same altitude for two nights in a row for every 600-900 meters climbed. • Drink plenty of fluids whether
