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In hiking situations, experts recommend ascending gradually over a few days.
These foods include:
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Bring Supplemental Oxygen
Traveling or hiking with oxygen can effectively prevent and relieve mild altitude sickness.
Types of Altitude Sickness
Experts generally classify altitude sickness into three different types based on severity.
These include:
Some healthcare providers may define high-altitude headachesas a separate category.
However, it’s possible to experience an altitude-induced headache without the other altitude sickness symptoms.
Mild Symptoms
Most cases of altitude sickness are mild to moderate.
Causes and Risk Factors
Whether you experience altitude sickness is in part determined by your genetic makeup.
Pregnant people are not advised to sleep at elevations above 10,000 feet unless otherwise directed by their healthcare provider.
How Long Does It Last?
Easing symptoms, like taking ibuprofen for a headache, can often treat these cases.
Otherwise, symptoms should improve quickly or immediately after descending to a lower altitude.
How Soon After Treatment Should I Feel Better?
Recognizing and treating altitude sickness early and immediately is crucial for a quick recovery.
Overall, mild symptoms improve quickly after descending to a lower elevation.
Prescription medications can start working quickly within minutes or hours of being taken with plenty of water.
Note that preventive medications work best when taken before you reach your highest altitude.
People more prone to developing altitude sickness may not respond to treatment as quickly as others.
Severe cases of altitude sickness can be life-threatening and require immediate descent and medical attention.
American Migraine Foundation.Altitude, acute mountain sickness and headache.
2019;30(4):S3-S18.
2023;16(1):117-126. doi:10.1055/s-0043-1767745
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.High elevation travel & altitude illness.
Gallagher SA, Hackett P.Patient education: High-altitude illness (including mountain sickness) (Beyond the Basics).
In: Ganetsky M, ed.UpToDate.Wolters Kluwer.
