Altitude Sickness: Causes and Symptoms

What is Altitude Sickness 

Altitude sickness, also known as mountain sickness is one of the most common sickness tourist complain when they start reaching or climbing quite a height above sea level. It could either be traveling a ghat which takes you to a high altitude or even climbing mountain. Most of the traveler’s mostly first timers complain of heavy breathing and rise in blood pressure. Low level of oxygen does make people suffer altitude sickness.  Other than travelers few other who complain about the same are hikers, mountaineers and many such climbers. It even gets worse for people with chronic ailments such as asthma or respiratory tract diseases.
Hence it's better to  take extra care to avoid altitude sickness

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Common symptoms of Altitude sickness

Heavy breathing

Rise in blood pressure

Cardiac output

Headache

Dizziness

Vomiting

Muscular pain

Weakness

Though in frequent cases, the symptoms are short timed and a person may feel better once he rests, but in few cases these symptoms may get acute (life threatening). A person should get alert, when following situation arises:

1. Persistent cough even while resting.

2. Heavy breathing or unable to breath even when a person suffering so tries to rest.

3. Severe headache

4. A person gets unconscious.

5. Nausea