acetazolamide to prevent and treat high-altitude sickness.

avoid strenuous exercise for the first 24 hoursĬonsider travelling with these medicines for altitude sickness:.

have a rest day every 600m to 900m you go up, or rest every 3 to 4 days.avoid climbing more than 300m to 500m a day.take 2 to 3 days to get used to high altitudes before going above 2,500m.avoid flying directly to areas of high altitude, if possible.It usually takes a few days for your body to get used to a change in altitude. The best way to prevent getting altitude sickness is to travel to altitudes above 2,500m slowly. It's not possible to get altitude sickness in the UK because the highest mountain, Ben Nevis in Scotland, is only 1,345m. Tourists travelling to cities that are 2,500m above sea level or higher, such as La Paz in Bolivia or Bogotá in Colombia, can also get altitude sickness. Symptoms are similar to those of a bad hangover and include:Īltitude sickness does not only affect mountain climbers.

Symptoms of altitude sickness usually develop between 6 and 24 hours after reaching altitudes more than 2,500m above sea level. Your age, sex or physical fitness do not affect your likelihood of getting altitude sickness.Īlso, just because you may not have had it before, this does not mean you will not get it on another trip. You can get altitude sickness if you travel to a high altitude too quickly.īreathing becomes difficult because you're not able to take in as much oxygen.Īltitude sickness, also called acute mountain sickness (AMS), can become a medical emergency if ignored.