Looking down on the great view from a mountaintop can take your breath away. That shortness of breath is often more than just an awestruck reaction to the sights. It can be a symptom of altitude sickness. This is an illness that can strike hikers, mountain climbers, skiers, and anyone who hits the 8,000-foot mark on a mountain. Learn more about this condition by taking this true-false quiz.
1. Altitude sickness is also called mountain sickness.
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Other names for this illness include altitude anoxia. More serious forms are called high-altitude pulmonary edema and high-altitude cerebral edema.
2. If you live close to sea level, you are more likely to feel the effects of high altitude when visiting high places.
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Children also are more likely to feel the effects of high altitude. One way to prevent altitude sickness is to go up heights gradually. Take several days to move up to 8,000 feet. Beyond that height, don't climb any faster than about 1,000 feet a day. Experts also advise sleeping at a lower altitude than you spend the day at. For example, if you're climbing, don't make camp at the highest point you've reached for the day. Go back down the trail at least several hundred feet.
3. Altitude sickness occurs because a person on a mountain is so much closer to the sun than at sea level.
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Altitude sickness occurs because the higher up you go, the less oxygen is in the air for you to breathe. It occurs most commonly at heights above 8,000 feet. If you live in the mountains, your body gets used to the height. But at 14,000 feet and above, nearly everyone has at least mild symptoms of altitude sickness.
4. In severe cases of altitude sickness, fluid collects in the lungs and the brain swells.
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These are life-threatening conditions. They need medical care right away. Milder symptoms include shortness of breath, trouble sleeping, headache, insomnia, nausea, rapid pulse, tiredness (fatigue), and dizziness. More serious symptoms include coughing, tightness in the chest, difficulty walking in a straight line, and mental confusion.
5. If you notice mild symptoms of altitude sickness, it's fine to keep on climbing.
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If you notice even mild symptoms, don't go any higher. If you have symptoms of altitude sickness, it's important that you return to a lower elevation. For example, if you are at an altitude of 8,000 to 9,000 feet, you may need to travel down to 6,000 feet or lower for your symptoms to go away. A healthcare provider may prescribe medicines to prevent or treat the symptoms of severe high altitude sickness. If your symptoms go away at a lower altitude, you may try to return to a higher elevation after your body adjusts. This may take 1 to 3 days. If symptoms don't start to get better or get worse, move to a lower altitude.
6. People with severe emphysema or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease shouldn't travel to high elevations.
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You also should stay away from high elevations if you have severe heart disease or sickle cell anemia. If you have mild heart or lung disease, and you are managing it well, you might be fine at high elevations. Check with your healthcare provider to see if it's safe. Travelers should also consider things such as how easy it is to quickly descend to lower altitude and how near you are to medical care.
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Updated:
November 20, 2020
Reviewed By:
Barry Zingman MD,Ronald Karlin MD,L Renee Watson MSN RN