Know & Control Altitude sickness

Have you ever gone skiing, hiking, biking or done any activity that required going to high altitudes?? Have you ever felt even a hint of altitude sickness – such as dizziness, nausea, trembling, headaches, or lack of coordination? Well if this sounds like anything that you may have experienced, you may know as I do, that it is not a fun experience. I felt my first wave of sickness during a trip to Colorado to ski. One of the authors for GoNOMAD was also a victim of altitude sickness and wrote an article with some tips to help the rest of us overcome it! Below is part of her article How to Avoid Altitude sickness

Beginning at about 6,500 feet, oxygen becomes thinner, and if you are not used to it, you can find yourself in the beginning stages of altitude sickness. Your body requires time to acclimate to the reduced oxygen and changes in air pressure.

Even if you live at a higher elevation, it is still no guarantee that you will avoid altitude sickness. According to Better Health Channel, Healthier Living Online, if you’ve had elevation sickness before, you are more likely to experience it again.

*Acclimate yourself before you reach your elevation. At sea level your blood oxygen is 98%. At 10,000 feet it is reduced to 89%. With exertion you can easily drop below the level required to stay conscious. So take it easy the first day or two.

*It’s always a good idea to be in good physical shape before you exert yourself on the mountain with skiing or hiking. Not everyone experiences altitude sickness, but sometimes even a healthy person can feel out of sorts.

Young and old, healthy and not so healthy, everyone is susceptible to altitude sickness.

To finish this article, please visit GoNOMAD.com