Altitude Illnesses and Treatments

A board-certified emergency medicine physician, Dr. John J. “Joe” Fosbinder’s areas of expertise include altitude medicine. When not assisting patients in Bakersfield, California, Dr. John Fosbinder enjoys mountaineering and gives multiple lectures on altitude sickness. Mountain climbers face specific health challenges absent in other activities.

Altitude sickness is caused the decreased air pressure and oxygen concentrations at higher elevations. Multiple factors affect your susceptibility. If your hometown is at a lower altitude relative to your hiking or visiting location, you may experience at least one symptom.

There are three types of altitude illness. The least severe, acute mountain sickness (AMS), causes symptoms like vomiting, headaches, and fatigue, and may proceed to the development of more severe problems. High-altitude cerebral edema (HASE), or brain swelling, results in symptoms such as confusion and impaired balance. The most severe altitude illness, high-altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE), causes blood vessel constriction in the lungs, releasing fluids into the surrounding tissues and eventually, the air sacs.

To treat any of the above conditions, ensure that you have ample time to adjust to your current new altitude before ascending further. If you experience any symptoms, descend to the last altitude where you slept soundly, and rest until your symptoms fade.

Though pain medications may lessen the headaches from AMS, they do not relieve all of it. Additionally, though supplemental oxygen and medications like acetazolamide may lessen altitude-illness symptoms like nausea and shortness of breath, talk to your doctor to assess your personal risks from using them.