Altitude sickness can turn a great trip into a horrible one. Thinner air and UV radiation make your body struggle, and you feel the awful effects of this. There is no cure, but here are a few ways to prevent altitude sickness.
Prepare Beforehand
Taking things slow can help with altitude sickness. If you're in a car or climbing a mountain, try to avoid going from low elevations directly to over 9,000 feet in the span of a day. If you have no choice, consider taking acetazolamide before symptoms arise to help cut them off at the start. Also, if you can spend a couple of nights sleeping at higher altitudes in the month before the big trip, that'll help.
Be Fit and Get Examined
Physical fitness isn't necessarily recognized to prevent altitude sickness, but it'll help you stay resilient if you do come down with it. Meanwhile, consult a doctor before going to high elevation, especially if you have previous cardiovascular, respiratory, or sleep troubles
Take it Slow
Plan your trip itinerary so that you have a day or two to adjust to the altitude. For the first 48 hours, you'll want to avoid alcohol and strenuous exercise. Your body is still adjusting, and you're probably going to pay the price for taxing it right now. You'll feel exercise more intensely than you would at low altitude, regardless of how long you stay. So pay attention to things like shortness of breath, soreness, and fatigue.
Hydrate
Staying hydrated may well be the single most important thing you can do to help your body stay functioning the way that it was meant to. Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. (Coffee may not quite be the dehydrating bugaboo it's made out to be, but you still can't beat water.) This is especially true if you're taking acetazolamide. This drug helps increase your respiratory ventilation in a way that allows more oxygen exchange within your body, but it's also a diuretic.
Eat Well
Calorie-rich foods will help your body with its extra bit of struggle. Potassium is helpful in dealing with high altitudes, so load up on bananas and greens. Carbohydrates are good, too, so go ahead and treat yourself to those breads and pastas.
Don't Smoke
This should go without saying in general, but it's especially true at high altitudes. Your lungs are working overtime. Don't punish them.
Ascend Slowly
If you're flying into a high-elevation city, that's one thing. If you're climbing a mountain, that's another. Once you're around 8,2000-9,800 feet, try not to raise your sleeping elevation more than 1,600 feet in a day. As you get higher and cross certain thresholds, you'll want to slow down even more, and add a rest day every 3,000 feet or so. "Sleeping elevation" is a key piece of the puzzle; rising to a high elevation and coming back down is way less strenuous than spending the night up high.
Know How to Treat It
If you do find yourself with altitude sickness, descend as soon as possible. A drop of 1,600 feet is best, but you'd be surprised how much of a difference even slight drops can make. Ibuprofen and acetaminophen can help treat headaches associated with altitude sickness, and while promethazine isn't the first thing you want to try, it can help in the right situations.
