By Himalaya taught me AMS – Altitude Sickness, the hard way
The last time when you went to any high pass on the Himalayas or in a small village above the cloud dynasty, you had a headache all day and didn’t sleep well at the night. When your friend from down south went for the chadar trek and got sick, it probably due to the AMS also known as Altitude Sickness.
If you travel to a high elevation without letting your body to adjust the high altitude, then you may experience AMS or altitude sickness. You may feel headache and nausea. I learned about this the hard way.
A few years back during our puja holidays, we traveled to a small mountain village on the famous Silk Route, named Gnathang Valley. Situated at 13,500 ft above sea level, it is the Ladakh of the eastern part of India. During winters the valley is covered with snow and temperatures can be below Zero. And during another season the place looks deserted with minimal vegetation.
After spending a comfortable night at Mangkhim, we reached Zuluk or Dzuluk. Zuluk is a small hamlet located at an altitude of 9,400 ft. It is becoming a favorite destination for tourists due to the magnificent view of the eastern Himalayan Range including the world’s third-highest mountain Kanchenjunga. Zuluk used to be a transit point of the Silk Route from Tibet to India.
After our stay in Zuluk we reached the heavenly valley called Gnathang. My first impression was… WOW!!! The small village of 50 people, is covered with snowcapped mountains from all sides. Honestly speaking, I don’t have words to describe the untouched beauty of this place.
On our way to Zuluk we crossed the Zig-Zag road. This three-level Zigzag Road is probably the most dizzying road in the world with more than 100 hairpin bends in just 30 Kms. This winding road climbs up to the Thambi viewpoint, at an altitude of 11,200 ft. Thambi is the vantage point from where you can get the view of the Three Level Zig-Zag roads on the mountains.
I hope you can understand the kind of change in altitude taken place within a small period. This is where I started feeling a bit uncomfortable. But, at this point didn’t know what I was going to experience.
When we reached the small mountain hamlet of Gnathang valley, I was amazed by the beauty of the place but at the same time, I had started having a headache. Feeling tired and even I was not been able to walk. On the other hand, my little Suhani (My Daughter) was super excited and she wanted to explore the place. But I was not in a condition to take her for a small walk around the village. I was really tired, so I laid down. Then I realized the headache has increased and I started feeling nausea. I was feeling that I am ruining the stay for the entire team.
We stayed at the homestay run by Pradhan Ji and his wife. When Pradhan Ji’s wife came to knows about my condition. She brings some popcorn for the entire team. And let me tell you, that works like a magic.
I was feeling a bit better, but still feeling uncomfortable. I tried paracetamol and some anti-allergic medicine which I usually take during my attack of dust allergy, with no satisfactory result.
I knew that some people get sick at high altitudes. But I didn’t know about AMS. When my team members went for a small stroll around the village, Pradhan Ji told me about AMS. That was the first time when I came across the word AMS or Altitude Sickness.
We had a small one day stay in the valley. I was still not able to walk properly and started to have some breathing problems. Somehow, I got myself into the car and we started to come down towards lower altitude. As we are coming down I started to feel better. And suddenly at some point, there was no discomfort. We finished the trip and came back to Kolkata.
After coming back, I tried to do some research on the internet about AMA. I am trying to put together my findings.
What is AMS or Altitude Sickness?
AMS is nothing but the body’s reaction to low oxygen levels. We lose around 3 percent of oxygen for every 1000 feet of height we gain. To compensate for this our body tries to inhale more and more oxygen and we feel out of breath. Even leaving at 5000 or 6000 ft doesn’t make you immune to it. When the body gets low oxygen then it forms local hypoxia. This can induce both mild and more severe effects. And the faster and higher you go, the higher the risk.
There are three types of AMS. I was fortunate that I was attacked by the mildest type of AMS. There are two other types of AMS. Fatal aliments can occur when the lower air pressure in the high altitudes cause capillaries to leak. This is caused by the high altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE), a build-up of fluid in the lungs, or high altitude cerebral edema (HACE), a buildup of fluid in the brain.
Who gets altitude sickness?
Anyone can get altitude sickness, regardless of age, sex body type, and fitness level. Although people with underlying heart and lung issues may be more vulnerable to AMS.
How AMS or altitude sickness can be prevented?
- Acclimate the body at a lower elevation before heading towards a higher altitude. (8000 ft or more)
- Many people rely on Diamox, a popular prescription drug that stimulates breathing and raises your oxygen level. While the body usually needs two to four days to adjust to high altitudes, Diamox can do it within Eight Hours.
- The best way to fight with AMS is to “climb up and sleep down”.
- After reaching a high altitude, drink plenty of water, and stay hydrated.
- Get plenty of rest. This is the key to adjust your body.
- If the situation is acute, then arrange for oxygen and get back to a lower altitude.
Let me tell you this be it a serious attack or the mildest, it can ruin your trip for sure. I learned about AMS in a hard way. But I am sure this article will help you to be prepared for AMS or altitude sickness.
Travel safe, #KahaniBantiJayegi.
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