I’m no stranger to health problems on the road. I’ve suffered a blood clot in Florida, a gallstone attack in Thailand and pink eye in Costa Rica. That’s why I tote a virtual drug store with me when I travel, including Cipro, sleeping pills, Neosporin, Visine, Tums, Claritin, Imodium, insect repellent with DEET, several types of band aids, Ibuprofen and baby aspirin.
But none of this prepared me for the nasty case of high altitude sickness that hit me in Aspen, Colorado this past week. (I traveled there courtesy of the PRSA Travel & Tourism conference, where I spoke to public relations professionals about the importance of working with bloggers).
Also known as acute mountain sickness, the illness’ symptoms came very soon after I flew into Aspen, about 7,900 feet above sea level. A simple stroll at Maroon Lake near Aspen’s most photographed mountains – another 2,000 feet up – left me gasping, with a throbbing headache. And when I thrashed around in the middle of the night, unable to breathe with a vise-like tightness in my chest, I knew I was in trouble.
If you have to go to an ER in an unfamiliar city, Aspen during the off season isn’t a bad one. At 4:30 a.m. I was the only patient, so the nurse and emergency doctor on duty put me through the required tests (EKG, chest X-Ray, CAT scan) quickly. The biggest worry centered on my lungs; some forms of altitude sickness can lead to edema (fluid build-up in the lungs), or an embolism (my blood clot history puts me at a higher risk).
Luckily, my worst symptom turned out to be an oxygen blood level of 84% – unusually low but treatable. After sucking down pure oxygen for about two hours in the hospital, I was released back to the St. Regis with an oxygen tank and a prescription for an oxygen filtration system, delivered to my room a few hours later. I used it liberally, as did my friend Kathryn, who was also feeling ill from the altitude.
Don’t let this happen to you. Consider the following tips to prevent high altitude sickness.
1. Consider driving instead of flying to your destination. I’ve been to Aspen before, as well as nearby Beaver Creek, Boulder and Estes Park. But I had always flown into Denver, a lower altitude at 5,000 feet, and then driven into the mountains. Those few hours give your body more time to acclimate to the thinner air.
2. Stay low on your first day. Within hours of landing in Aspen, I went up another 2,000 feet to visit Maroon Lake and view the famed Maroon Bells. In retrospect, it would have been better to give myself a day in Aspen proper before going up higher.
3. If you are having problems, take it easy. The beauty of Aspen’s wilderness makes you want to go outside immediately and run, bike, hike, what have you. But if you are already sick, doing these activities can make your condition even worse. Consider a spa day with a trip to the oxygen bar in the St. Regis instead.
4. Hydrate, hydrate, hydate. Water is always a good idea in the West, where the dry air seems to take all the moisture out of your skin. It can also help alleviate minor headaches.
5. Avoid alcohol. I only had a few sips of wine at Montagna at Little Nell on my first night, but even that probably made my condition worse. Although ski resorts are known for their party scene, I’ve never been able to handle more than one or two drinks when I’m up so high.
6. Big meals aren’t a good idea either. Our dinner at Little Nell encompassed three courses, including cured meats, a pork loin and a soup that seemed a little on the salty side. Fresh vegetables and a light salad would have been a better choice.
7. Keep in mind where you’ve been. Did I get sick because I had been at the Dead Sea, about 400 feet below sea level, about a week before my trip to the Rockies? It probably didn’t help, the doctor acknowledged.
8. If you are assigned oxygen, keep your tank for the entire visit. After two days with the oxygen tank, I felt more like myself and decided to leave it at the St. Regis while transferring. I shouldn’t have. Even on my last night, I still felt under the weather. Kat was mad that I turned it in, too.
9. Pack drugs if necessary. Diamax, a medicine that allows your blood to process oxygen faster, is often prescribed for altitude sickness. You need to start it three days before your trip, so it didn’t work for me this time, but I’ll pick some up for my next mountain trip. (There are some side effects associated with the drug, so I’ll give it a test run before I book that ticket to Machu Pichu).
Calling all skiers: Have you ever suffered altitude sickness? If now, how do you prevent it? Tell me in the comments!
{ 19 comments… read them below or add one }
Good recommendations all. And your actions were timely and smart and this advice helpful — Basically: Seek medical attention if it’s more than just discomfort. Serious consequences can happen to healthy people. Altitude sickness seems to be a common, but overlooked problem. Princeton has an Outdoor Action http://www.princeton.edu/~oa/files/altitude.pdf link that is more detailed for anybody interested.
Thanks for the article. I’ve been training for a hike up Kilimanjaro at 19,000 feet, so I’ve seen most of these suggestions before. But what most people forget is that you don’t have to be headed over 19,000 feet to get altitude sickness. And sometimes it bothers you and sometimes it doesn’t. Even well conditioned experienced climbers and hikers can suffer one trip and be fine on another.
Probably the main advise for all. Stay hydrated and be smart!! The air is thin and dry. It’s a vacation, not a series of checklists of “must-see places” Relax, take your time, and Enjoy the trip for its beauty!!
Great tips, Chris. Something the tourist boards never mention. A few minutes after landing in Cuzco, Peru, for a Machu Picchu hiking trips a few years back my right foot swelled up. It was the same foot that had been broken three years previously. Don’t know where it was related to the change in altitude (coming from sea level Lima) but I suspect it was. I was fine after 24 hours but it was scary. Best tip is allow plenty of time for adjustment, something difficult to do in our mad-dash world. cheers, Laura
Drove from Denver to Vail then a few days later drove to Aspen and had not much trouble. However, took the back loop home, went to check out an old abandoned mining area and thought I’d expire before getting back up the slope to the car. That extra thou or so feet made all the difference. Stay healthy, Chris. And do tell Cristi there are no vacations for travel writers who have nothing but check lists!
Wow, brings back some bad memories of flying from SoCal into Telluride one Thanksgiving day, gorging on turkey and Pinot noir, and waking up that evening feeling like razor blades were slicing through my forehead. Wish I’d read these terrific tips ahead of time – and that hotels in high altitude locations were more proactive about warning their guests ;(
The altitude never bothered me much when I moved out to Boulder–I do remember getting tired easily after walking a bit. Only time I had real trouble was when I went for a hike in Rocky Mt. National Park (I didn’t realize the other hikers were so much more experienced). Hiking up to 13,500 ft. was painful, as was the hike down.
Great tips. Glad you’re alright and feeling better. On the upside, the photos are beautiful!
Altitude sickness is always a hard one. Definitely something that is regularly overlooked and falls into the, “it won’t happen to me” category.
One issue with altitude sickness is that while some people ALWAYS have trouble, some never do and some get hit once. My husband, my then 14-year-old son and I climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro some years back. We live in Colorado at 5,400 and had hiked to 13,000 and 14,000 feet several times before flying to Africa.
We started at the Machame Gate at about 6,000 feet, hiked to 10,000 feet the first day. On day two, we continued to 12,500 feet, where we camped there for nights. On the day between, we went on an acclimatization hike. We didn’t gain/lose much more than 500 feet that day, but I was really dragging and concerned that I wouldn’t be able to make the summit.
On the morning of day 4, my son and I zipped right up to our final camp at about 15,000 feet. My husband, who has by far the most mountaineering experience, was was dragging and feeling loopy (no edema; just light-headed and tired).On summit day, he stayed in camp, while my son and I continued to the top. Altitude sickness had never hit him before and hasn’t since. Me? I felt strong enough to climb to the moon.
Claire @ http://www.travel-babel.com
I’ve never had altitude sickness, but I’ll keep these tips in mind the next time I’m traveling someplace high. Great post
good advice. SO many great trips, from Rockies to Tibet involve high altitudes and travelers don’t always consider it.
Seems to be attracting sickness during your travels,good luck next time. Very helpful post nice=)
Leslie – I do seem to have more than my share of on-the-road health problems….maybe it’s because I’m out there quite a bit. I would never stop going though! Thanks for reading and commenting.
I’m TERRIFIED of getting altitude sickness–in fact, it’s kept me from Bolivia and Macchu Pichu as so many friends’ trips have been ruined because of it! I’ll keep this in mind next time I’m at a high altitude, though!
Kristin – I had never dreamed that I’d be susceptible – I had been in the mountains before and never had problems. It’s definitely made me a little worried about going to Peru, which is a major stop on my bucket list. If I do go, I’m going to look into Diamox, although I’ve heard that can have side effects too.
omg.. i had EXACT thing in Aspen at lil nell and was hooked up for days to o2…. loved it. read so many books.. but am going back and will def take your advice and get drugs prior to going!
I have lived in Colorado for my whole life. My mother has lived in the state for slightly longer than that. She has some physiological condition concerning the pressure in her head that makes it so that she cannot function if she is above 7,000 feet for more than half an hour. It’s really weird, but medically recognized.
Family would visit from various other parts of the country and our family would show them the sites. Some of my athletic aunts and uncles would get sicker than dogs, even at 5,300 feet near Denver. Others, much less athletically inclined, would not see problems. All of them call my sister and I Heidi for our innate ability to run around above tree line.
Yeah, it’s weird how high altitude can affect certain people – and not others. As I said in the post, I had been at high altitudes before and never had problems. I wonder now if it’s going to happen every time, or whether it was a fluke reaction.
Reply to Camels & Chris –
Skip the Diamox. When traveling in high altitudes in Bolivia and Peru, there is no better cure for soroche, or altitude sickness than drinking coca tea or chewing the leaves. Hotels have hot tea available in the lobby alongside coffee and regular tea, and restaurants usually have a bowl of fresh leaves for their departing customers. It is 100% legal and effective within these countries, just don’t try to take any home with you!
Hi Chris,
I appreciated empathy reading your post. I got altitude sickness in Santa Fe, New Mexico and ever since ask for altitude before traveling to mountain regions. Life is short. My motto is stick to what works for my body (sea level to 4000 ft, which is Yosmite Valley floor). I may never make it to Lima, Peru but there’s plenty of beauty at sea level and slightly above for those of us sensitive to thin air types.
Donna
I felt so revolting from altitude adjustment when I visited Aspen by Plane. I didn’t realise it at the time and didn’t want to be a party pooper for my friend who was a local.. Ended up feeling like I was going to burst. Also a feeling of fuzzy head and nausea.. Would be good to avoid that feeling again just by being more aware. Thanks…
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