Altitude sickness understand · Altitude sickness tourist information
All Destinations | Europe | Asia | North America | Africa | South America | Oceania | Hotels
Altitude sickness tourist information
Altitude sickness tourist information
The further you move away from sea level up into higher altitudes, the lower the air pressure is. The body has two main problems with high altitude and the corresponding lower air pressure:
Air at lower pressure has less oxygen per lungful. Your body adjusts to this by making more red blood cells to carry oxygen more efficiently. Most of the cell-building happens while you sleep; however, the process can take days and in the meanwhile, you may be ill.
At lower air pressure, water evaporates faster. This can lead to dehydration.
The changes to your body at altitude are complex and can be quite dramatic. The difficulty your body has maintaining a good oxygen supply and keeping related problems under control is directly related to how high up you are, and also to recent changes in your altitude. These are the two major factors that cause altitude sickness.
Hence this article talks a lot about ascent and descent. Ascending further away from sea level is the risky activity and the time you must be alert. Conversely, descending towards sea level is the single most important factor in reducing or eliminating all forms of altitude sickness.
Altitude sickness is very dangerous for four reasons: its rapid progression; its deadliness; the fact sufferers are usually some distance from medical help and are difficult to evacuate swiftly; and the fact that in many cases sufferers are reliant on their health because they're doing a lot of physical activity in dangerous environments.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Altitude sickness
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Altitude sickness - updated Apr 2024
SAVE up to 75% on Last Minute deals! Search for discount Altitude sickness hotels, motels, apartments, hostels, guest accommodations and vacation resorts. Book now and pay at the hotel. Instant email confirmation!
>>> SEARCH FOR DEALS <<<
WHERE TO TRAVEL NEXT IN 2020
Altitude sickness Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.