What is altitude sickness?

The condition of altitude sickness may occur when you cannot get enough oxygen from the air. This may generally happen at higher altitudes such as mountains while doing trekking, ice skiing, mountaineering etc. It generally happens to people who belong to lower altitude places and visit high altitude for holiday and vacation purpose. For all those people, staying at these places may become a troublesome task and very uncomfortable. Altitude sickness is also known by the name of acute mountain sickness and may be of mild or severe category. Severe sickness may be dangerous and needs immediate attention.

Symptoms of Altitude sickness

Some of the most commonly visible symptoms of altitude sickness include headache which may become worse at night or during early morning, vomiting and reluctance to eat, improper sleep and rest, feeling dizziness etc. All these symptoms are mostly found in people who suffer from severe sickness. The ultimate result may be that the person may feel  low in energy level and show signs of irritation at times. In certain other conditions, the problem of altitude sickness may affect lungs and brain. In such a situation, the symptoms may include confused state of mind, improper way of walking, feeling faint and having improper colored lips or fingernails. These conditions may be fatal and imply severe sickness.

Way to diagnose

The best way to cure your problem of altitude sickness is by going back to lower altitude level. This is a natural way of curing the disease and person may feel immediately relieved. In case of mild symptoms, intake of few medicines and liquid food may be enough to counter the condition of sickness. Some people also take artificial oxygen cylinders to make up for lack of oxygen. Taking proper amount of rest is the next best option to cure this condition rapidly. Without being overburdened with the trip, you can be at ease and explore the place. Drinking plenty of water is also recommended in situation of altitude sickness. In all the cases, avoid going to higher altitudes as far as possible.

Thus we may realize that by taking proper prevention, care and medication, one can easily prevent the occurrence of altitude sickness. Altitude sickness may become harmful only if the person is not prepared to deal with it. Most of the experts and professionals recommend thorough preparation in terms of medical care and attention to prevent altitude sickness.