When trekking in Nepal Himalayas
“Altitude related Problems” are the
important factors to be considered
because there is always a real danger of
mild to serious problems related to
altitude and it is important that
trekkers understand that they will be
affected to a greater or lesser extent
when they ascend to altitudes over about
3000 meters. Altitude sickness,
often known as Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS)
and it means the effect of altitude on
those who ascend too rapidly to
elevation above 3000 meters. The victim
can develop severe symptoms very rapidly
if the mild effects are ignored.
I advise my clients to remember the
following suggestion when you are on
trekking in the high altitude areas
above 3000 meters. The following are the
basic symptoms of the altitude sickness
and to avoid such sickness I recommend
few important points.
Basic Symptoms
Loss of appetite
Sleep disturbance
Difficult to pass urine
Medium Symptoms
Headache which is bad
Irregular breathing
Nausea
Mild weakness
Serious Symptoms
Slight swelling of hands and face
Cannot stand upright without swaying
while eyes are closed.
Can hear gurgling sound in the chest.
Zero energy.
What to do about Altitude Sickness ?
Altitude illness can be prevented by
acclimatization; that is, by a graduate
rate of ascent (not more than 400 – 500
meters), allowing sufficient rest at
various intermediate altitudes. The dry
air of the mountains tends to dehydrate
you so an increased fluid intake is
necessary. Try to drink at least four
liters of water a day. On the trail you
can drink hot garlic soup that will help
you to some extent. When we reach to our
destination it is better to make some
hiking up to a bit higher point and come
down to the camp or hotel. This is a
really good way to get acclimatization.
You may take a Diamox 250mg tablets the
night before flying / going to altitude.
After the symptoms will often disappear
and the trek can be resumed.
If you feel obviously suffering from the
serious symptoms of AMS then descent
should not be delayed even if it means
going down in dark. In such case, should
an emergency situation arise, horse, or
porter will be arranged; or I myself
carry you and run to lower (descend)
altitudes. There are 3 radios in Namche
Bazaar, Doctors at Khunde hospital in
the Everest Area and HRA Clinics and in
some trekking areas also has the Gamow
Bag. The hospital or the clinic will
take fees or charges for such services.
I can arrange for immediate evacuation,
by horse or helicopter, depending on the
severity of the case.
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