How to avoid Altitude Sickness in Everest base camp trek?
High Altitude sickness is an illness that is caused due to the decreasing amount of oxygen level in a body while high altitude trekking and climbing. Altitude sickness is a negative health effect on the human body at high altitudes.
Altitude sickness is also called Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS) mainly caused when a person fails to acclimatize properly and who don’t receive enough oxygen. Altitude sickness arises when climbing and walking at a higher altitude above 2,500 meters or 8,200 feet too quickly.
At higher elevations, there is thin air pressure and low oxygen level. Therefore, mountain sickness happens when the lungs are unable to take the required amount of oxygen to function in the body.
Everest base camp trek is high-altitude trekking that starts from 2,800 meters and takes you up to 5,545 meters. During the Everest base camp trek, any trekkers can suffer from altitude sickness since it is impossible to predict.
If any trekker starts quickly to climb a high altitude; he/she gets affected by high altitude sickness. A person suffering from altitude sickness should treat as soon as possible. If it is untreated, it may start to appear many problems rapidly which lead to a serious condition or to death.
Every trekker in high-altitude trekking should follow the simple advice given by our professional guides & so, you won’t have to worry about the traits of Altitude sickness.
Altitude sickness can affect anyone who does high-altitude trekking like Everest base camp trekking. But you need not worry since there are many preventive measures to avoid altitude sickness.
Many trekkers have quires regarding Everest base camps such as: How to Avoid Altitude Sickness in Everest base camp trek? What are the first signs and symptoms of altitude sickness? And what are the preventive measures for altitude sickness? Looking for your quires, Life Himalaya Trekking has listed some ideas related to the altitude sickness that you need to check on.
There are three types of Altitude Sickness which are listed below:
- Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS)
Acute Mountain Sickness is defined as the presence of a headache in an un-acclimatized body that is at a high altitude above 2,500 meters.
AMS is the condition of the human body which occurs when a body cannot adjust to a higher level of altitude. It is common for every kind of trekker who is trekking & climbing at a high altitude. AMS is caused by reduced air pressure and a shortage of oxygen levels at high altitudes.
The faster you climb, the more likely you will get acute mountain sickness during the Everest base camp trek. If a person suffers from symptoms like nausea, vomiting, sleeplessness, dizziness, fatigue, and many others he/she is suffering from mountain sickness. AMS should be treated carefully during the high-altitude trekking & climbing in the Everest region of Nepal.
- High Altitude Pulmonary Edema (HAPE)
High Altitude Pulmonary Edema is associated with shortness of breath. HAPE is a scary form of non-cardiogenic pulmonary edema i.e. fluid accumulation in the human body’s lungs that occurs when people are at high altitudes mainly above 2,500 meters or 8,200 feet. HAPE is caused mainly by an accumulation of fluid in the lungs of the human body as well as a shortage of oxygen levels caused by low air pressure at high altitudes.
Some of the symptoms of HAPE include difficulty in breathing, coughing, rapid heartbeat, blueness around the lips, coughing, weakness or decrease in doing any performance, and so on. So, HAPE is also difficult to predict during the best Everest base camp trek.
- High Altitude Cerebral Edema (HACE)
High Altitude Cerebral Edema has associated with confusion as well as the loss of consciousness. HACE is the most serious form of AMS which occurs when there is a build-up of fluids around the brain.
The HACE is caused by leaky capillaries in the human brain which causes fluid accumulation and brain swelling during the high altitude trekking. Some of the symptoms of HACE include a headache, confusion, loss of consciousness, fever, difficulty in walking straight, drunken gait, irritability, and so on. HACE usually occurs after day two or three in Everest base camp trek above 3,000 meters or 9,800 feet.
The problem of HACE can be very rapid and death can occur in twelve hours if treatment is not given.
When you are at higher risk for Altitude Sickness?
Trekkers are at higher risk for acute mountain sickness:
- If you have a prior history of high altitude sickness
- If you are residing near or at sea-level (low altitude) and want to travel & trek to high altitude.
- If you ascend too quickly
- If you do not acclimatize at a higher altitude
- If you do not take a rest at a high altitude
- If you had an illness before going to high altitude trekking
- If you have medical or health-related problems like heart, nervous system, lungs, brain, etc.
What are the Signs & Symptoms of Altitude Sickness?
Some of the signs and symptoms of High altitude sickness are listed below:
- Dizziness
- Nausea and vomiting
- Sleeplessness
- Drunken Gait
- A headache
- Loss of appetite
- Swelling of hands, legs, and face
- Rapid Heartbeat
- Breathlessness & Breathing Irregularity
- Irritability
- Sleeping disorder
- Weakness
- Fatigue
How to avoid Altitude Sickness and what are the Preventive Measures?
- Follow the instructions from your guide
- Pre-Acclimatization
- Climb high & sleep low
- Ascend slowly
- Drink 2 to 3 liters of water and liquid items
- Avoid Alcohol, smoking, etc
- Avoid Sleeping tablets
What are the treatments for Altitude sickness?
- Descend, descend & descend
- Stay warm and avoid cold temperature
- Medication
- Supplement oxygen cylinder
- Enough rest
- Not to carry backpacks while descending
- Helicopter rescue if the emergency
- Use altitude medicine such as Acetazolamide, Diamox Dexamethasone, etc
- For a normal headache, you may use medicine like Paracetamol, Aspirin, and ibuprofen
- If rapid descent is impractical, a Gamow bag is used to reduce effective altitude and is also used as an aid to AMS patients only in an emergency condition.
Things to be considered before preparing for high-altitude Everest base camp trek
- High altitude Insurance is compulsory
- Trekkers must carry a First aid box which includes pulse oxi-metres
- Prior health checkup at medical or hospital and appointment with the doctor
- Required essential personal medicines
- If you have certain medical problems like diabetes, high and low blood pressure, heart attack, lung diseases, and so on you need to take special precautions from your doctor before going to high altitude trekking.
- Also, trekkers have to prepare for Helicopter rescue in case of the emergency condition
