Travellers to South America only need to be concerned with the first two of these (unless you are doing some hardcore volcano summiting). Extreme altitude ranges – 5,500+ m.a.s.l.Very high altitude ranges – 3,500 – 5,500 m.a.s.l.High altitude ranges – 1,500 – 3,000 metres above sea level (m.a.s.l).It is commonly believed that altitude can be divided into three levels: Hiking at altitude is far more challenging than hiking at sea level. Everyone reacts to extreme changes in altitude differently and just because you haven’t suffered on previous occasions, it doesn’t mean that you couldn’t in the future.Īge, gender or physical fitness level has no impact on your chance of getting altitude sickness. There is no telling whether you could fall victim to altitude sickness. It is worth noting that whilst many travellers to South America may be affected by the altitude, very few will develop symptoms consistent with HACE or HAPE. High Altitude Pulmonary Edema (HAPE) which is also lethal, involves fluid collecting in the lungs. During a High Altitude Cerebral Edema (HACE), the brain begins to swell. If the symptoms progress to those which affect your co-ordination, balance or speech, this is an emergency and should be treated as such. South America has some of the highest cities in the world! What are the symptoms of altitude sickness?Īlthough everyone reacts to the altitude in different ways, the most common symptoms are as follows:Įssentially, the symptoms of altitude sickness for most people resemble a bad hangover. Although very serious cases are rare compared to the number of people who suffer minor effects, altitude sickness can be very severe and in extreme cases, even lead to death. Owing to the shortage of oxygen at high altitudes, travellers can become ill. Altitude sickness medication: The verdict!Īltitude sickness is also known as acute mountain sickness (AMS).What are the symptoms of altitude sickness?.Average symptoms and severity were similar between drugs, suggesting prevention of disease.Īcetazolamide Acute mountain sickness Altitude Altitude medicine Ibuprofen.Ĭopyright © 2018. Ibuprofen was slightly inferior to acetazolamide for acute mountain sickness prevention and should not be recommended over acetazolamide for rapid ascent. The acetazolamide group had higher peripheral capillary oxygen saturation than the ibuprofen group (88.5% vs 85.6% P =. No difference was found in the total LLQ scores or subgroup symptoms between drugs (P =. The total incidence of acute mountain sickness was 56.5%, with the incidence for the ibuprofen group being 11% greater than that for acetazolamide, surpassing the predetermined 26% noninferiority margin (62.2% vs 51.1% 95% confidence interval, -11.1 to 33.5). This trial was registered at : NCT03154645 RESULTS: Ninety-two participants completed the study: 45 (49%) on ibuprofen and 47 (51%) on acetazolamide. Sleep quality and headache severity were measured with the Groningen Sleep Quality Survey (GSQS). The main outcome measure was acute mountain sickness incidence, using the Lake Louise Questionnaire (LLQ), with a score of >3 with headache. Although previous studies of ibuprofen have shown efficacy for the prevention of acute mountain sickness, recommendations have been limited, as ibuprofen has not been compared directly with acetazolamide until this study.īefore their ascent to 3810 m on White Mountain in California, adult volunteers were randomized to ibuprofen (600 mg, 3 times daily, started 4 hours before the ascent), or to acetazolamide (125 mg, twice daily, started the night before the ascent). Acute mountain sickness is a common occurrence for travel to high altitudes.
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