Comments on: High Altitude Sickness or Dehydration?

By: GG (Gossip Girl)

GG (Gossip Girl) — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 04:54:50 +0000

Thanks for the note David. Hope you are feeling better and am glad that you found the article. I am always amused at the way people get to the Fawnskin Flyer and hope to see you reading and commenting again!

By: David

David — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 01:00:30 +0000

I am 59 yrs old and have been under the weather the last few days. No snow jokes here. I live down the hill and have been in BB Lake for 3 1/2 weeks. I have a temp job here and I walk around alot. It just occurred to me it may be altitude sickness.
So I type in this and BB Lake on the net. Up comes this great article from the Fawnskin Flyer. My symptoms are exact. And I ran out of water two days ago-stuck in my RV. Never knew dihydration was related. Just got some water and will be drinking enough to feel better over night. If not better, will head to BB Hosp in the morning. Did not see author name but thanks for a great article. David

By: GG (Gossip Girl)

GG (Gossip Girl) — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 15:53:13 +0000

@Anne_Marie: Thanks for the additional tip. I was amazed when I headed to a higher altitude (10,000-12,000 feet) because I was so fit in comparison to others who lived at lower altitudes. I’ve never experienced it myself but run into visitors all the time that do.

By: Anne-Marie

Anne-Marie — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 21:29:24 +0000

Even coming up to just over a mile here in the Denver area can be exhausting for “low landers,” especially for the elderly. So taking it easy, keeping hydrated and keeping the alcohol consumption low is always advised. And don’t forget the sunscreen. You burn more easily at higher elevations, too.

By: GG (Gossip Girl)

GG (Gossip Girl) — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 14:33:03 +0000

@Binary: I am sure you will be letting us know about your big trip in May–at least I hope so! The problem up here has not been so much a problem with asthma (something I face periodically) but the actual oxygen content. It is fatiguing and requires slowing down a bit but breath has not been the issue–just like Cricket said, the dry air is easier to deal with which is why a ton of people used to head to the desert if they suffered from asthma–we have dry air–a plus. Hard on the skin but ultimately better than sea air and smog.
@Cricket: Agreed, you should always get professional help for problems at high altitude which is why I included two resources for visitors.

By: Cricket

Cricket — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 18:36:28 +0000

There are medictions they can give you at the hospital for altitude sickness. My advice to anyone is not to try to treat these things yourself if you are having problems. It is best to be seen by a professional…better to be safe than sorry.

For my asthma problems, I find it easier to breathe at altitude where it is a drier environment, than down below when it is humid.

By: Binary Blonde

Binary Blonde — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 02:33:34 +0000

This subject really scares me as I have asthma and sometimes have trouble breathing at sea level, let alone high altitudes. Oddly enough, though, when I visited Big Bear last year (Jan. 2007), we went hiking all over and I had very little problems. I did have to stop to catch my breath every so often, but other than that I was fine. Do you think it was because I only stayed one night and altitude sickness strikes at day 2 or 3?

Also, thanks for the info about hydration – I will keep that in mind for my trek to Machu Picchu in May.