Altitude Sickness

Altitude sickness can occur from an altitude of 2500 meters above sea level, as of 4500 meters 50% of all people are affected. This is due to the oxygen content (oxygen partial pressure) of the air decreasing with altitude. It can affect anyone, whether young or old, athletic or less active. Whether you fall ill or not does not depend on your physical fitness, but primarily on the speed of ascent and the altitude at which you sleep. Early signs of altitude sickness are headaches, nausea, loss of appetite, dizziness, loss of performance and sleep disturbances. If these occur, it is important to pause the ascent to give the body time to adapt to the altitude. If you continue to climb, you may experience balance problems, vomiting, sensitivity to light, palpitations and shortness of breath. An immediate descent is essential here, as otherwise life-threatening forms of altitude sickness, high-altitude cerebral edema and/or high-altitude pulmonary edema, can occur.

Read our interview with pediatrician, sports medicine specialist and epidemiologist Prof. Dr. med. Susi Kriemler on the subject of altitude medicine here!

In principle, the risk of altitude sickness exists worldwide once the threshold altitude of 2500 meters is exceeded. The Andes, the Himalayas or Kilimanjaro are popular destinations at high altitudes, but many mountains and passes here in Switzerland also exceed the 2500 meter mark.

A slow ascent is of crucial importance. From an altitude of 2500m, the sleeping altitude should not be increased by more than 300-500m per day. An additional rest day should be taken for every 1000m. You should also avoid nicotine, alcohol and sleeping pills and make sure to hydrate. 
If the above-mentioned early signs occur, the ascent must be paused until they disappear. If the symptoms continue to increase, you must descend to lower altitudes (at least 500 meters altitude).
If a slow ascent is not possible, the precautionary intake of Diamox® (axetazolamide) can reduce the risk of developing acute altitude sickness. However, the medication can also have side effects, so it should be tested out for a few days beforehand.