What should I do if I experience symptoms of altitude sickness?

The symptoms of altitude sickness are referred to as altitude sickness. This is a common symptom of environmental maladaptation. It is more common in my country's plateau areas. For example, the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is at a high altitude. People who visit there for the first time often experience symptoms of altitude sickness. This symptom should not be underestimated. In severe cases, it can endanger life. So, what should you do if you encounter symptoms of altitude sickness? Let’s take a look at the explanation below.

The incidence of altitude sickness is related to climbing speed, altitude, length of residence and physical condition. Generally speaking, when people from the plains quickly enter a plateau with an altitude of more than 3,000 meters, 50% to 75% of them will experience altitude sickness, but the symptoms will gradually disappear after 3 to 10 days of acclimatization. The incidence of this disease is lower in the elderly than in the young, and lower in women than in men. The incidence of altitude sickness is positively correlated with the body mass index of men, but unrelated to the body mass index of women, indicating that obese men are more susceptible.

(1) Rest: Once acute altitude sickness is suspected, you should stop climbing, rest in bed and drink fluids until the symptoms improve. Mild cases may not require treatment, and the symptoms will generally disappear on their own after 1 to 2 weeks of adaptation.

(2) After oxygen therapy via nasal cannula or mask (1-2 L/min), symptoms were relieved in almost all cases.

(3) For headache treatment , aspirin, acetaminophen, ibuprofen or prochlorperazine can be used. For nausea and vomiting, prochlorperazine (or mechlorpromazine) can be injected intramuscularly. For more severe reactions, analgesics, sedatives, antiemetics and other drugs can be used for symptomatic treatment, such as analgesics, diazepam, metoclopramide, etc. "Amiproben" and "Xionin" can also be used for headaches and vomiting. The latter mainly acts on the vomiting center and has no inhibitory effect on other areas. In severe cases, oral dexamethasone or a combination of dexamethasone and acetazolamide is used.

(4) If symptoms do not improve or even worsen after appropriate treatment , the patient should be transferred to an area with a lower altitude as soon as possible. Even if the altitude drops by 300 meters, the symptoms will be significantly improved.