These conditions span a spectrum of severity.
Acute mountain sickness (AMS) is the mildest and most common form of altitude sickness.
National Library of Medicine.
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Signs of this condition usually only stick around for 12 to 48 hours, according to theCDC.
Luckily, the mild symptoms involved with AMS are not usually a reason to worry.
Another drug that may help is dexamethasone, theCDCsays, a corticosteroid that will rapidlydecrease the brain swellinginvolved here.
AMS can progress into a potentially life-threatening condition called high-altitude cerebral edema (HACE).
HACE is triggered by that same brain swelling on a more severe level.
A telltale symptom distinguishing HACE from AMS is ataxia, or loss of balance, Dr. Stepanek says.
Other symptoms include intense fatigue and confusion.
As brain swelling continues, its possible to lose consciousness and potentially even die.
Theres also high-altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE), another potentially life-threatening form of altitude sickness.
It can happen on its own or along with AMS and HACE.
But this shortness of breath can quickly become severe and impact you even at rest.
Without treatment, this condition can kill even more quickly than HACE, theCDCsays.
Treatment involvesyou guessed itdescending immediately with as little exertion as possible.
The steeper the increase in elevation, the more dramatic of an adaptation your body has to go through.
There may be other factors involved in your propensity for developing altitude sickness.
It may well be influenced by a familial or genetic predisposition, Dr. Honigman says.
But those factors arent well-understoodand, of course, are out of your control.
What is in your control: doing your best to let yourself acclimatize gradually.
TheCDCadvises against going from a low altitude to over 9,000 feet in a single day.
Instead, they recommend spending a few days at 8,000 to 9,000 feet before going higher.
Obviously, this can be hard to pull off.
If thats the case, then your best shot is taking it easy to start.
TheCDCrecommends sticking with mild exercise for the first 48 hours of your trip and also not drinkingalcoholin that time.
Definitely back off if you dont feel good.
Stay hydrated, get good rest, and verify you dont overexert yourself, Dr. Stepanek says.
Be attentive to how you feel, and if youre not feeling well dont push it.
