Colorado is known for its elevation ñ they call Denver the Mile High City, and Colorado Springs is even higher. Colorado is also known for altitude sickness. Many visitors have experienced a myriad of symptoms from the high elevation, such as headaches, fatigue, dehydration and cramps.Visitors to the higher altitudes of the mountains are especially susceptible to altitude sickness. Thatís why the visitorsí website for Breckenridge, Colo., includes information on acclimating to higher elevations. The website touts the importance of staying hydrated and healthy ñ drink lots of fluids (three to four quarts a day); avoid alcohol and tobacco and participate in light activity, as opposed to caving in to the desire to sleep.Jeremy McMullen, a former outdoor recreation guide at Misawa Air Base in Misawa, Japan, and a National Outdoor Leadership School graduate of Backpack Leadership in the Pasayten Wilderness (Washington state); echoed the Breckenridge recommendations. ìWhen I am feeling tired or the lower oxygen rates seem to be affecting me, I just take it slower,î McMullen said. ìI keep going, but just at a steady walk. Once you stop, it is so hard to get started again.î An avid hiker and rock climber in the Colorado area, McMullen said his last hike in the San Luis Mountain Range was a tough one, mainly because he didnít prepare for the change in elevation. ìEating right and proper hydration about two days before a hike is key, and I didnít do that,î he said.Jess Dennis is a former U.S. Army captain and a certified personal trainer (National Academy of Sports Medicine). She said elevation can cause many issues for those who arenít acclimated. ìTry easing into it, taking things a little slower- donít try to go full out, you will just end up being disappointed in yourself,î Dennis said. It took her a full six months to acclimate to the altitude in the Pikes Peak area when she transferred from North Carolina to Fort Carson.The United States Olympic team uses Coloradoís elevation to challenge athletes. ìIf you can train while you are uncomfortable, you can do anything,î Dennis said. ìThe Olympians are operating at a more difficult level here.îThe Centers for Disease Control divides altitude sickness into three syndromes: acute mountain sickness, high-altitude cerebral edema and high-altitude pulmonary edema.Acute mountain sickness is the most familiar, affecting people for a few days only until they acclimate. The CDC notes the symptoms as similar to an ìalcohol hangover.î Headache is the ìcardinalî symptom, sometimes accompanied by fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea and occasional vomiting. The onset of a headache is usually two to 12 hours after arriving at a higher altitude and often during or after the first night. Preverbal children can develop loss of appetite, irritability and pallor. AMS generally resolves within 24 to 72 hours.High altitude cerebral edema manifests itself with more severe symptoms. The afflicted person might experience extreme fatigue and confusion. Getting to a lower elevation is vital ñ the symptoms can result in death if a person doesnít heed the warnings.High-altitude pulmonary edema is the most serious. It can occur alone or in conjunction with AMS and HACE. ìThe incidence of HAPE is at one per 10,000 skiers in Colorado and up to one per 100 climbers at 14,000 feet,î according to the CDC. ìInitial symptoms are increased breathlessness with exertion, and eventually increased breathlessness at rest, associated with weakness and cough. Oxygen or descent is life-saving. HAPE can be more rapidly fatal than HACE.îFor most people, itís a few days before they become acclimated. For others, the symptoms can persist into a permanent condition. An Aug. 15 article in U.S. News & World Report cited a study that faults genetics for permanent altitude sickness. ìIn this study, the researchers sequenced the entire genomes of 20 people living in the Andes, 10 with chronic mountain sickness and 10 without. The investigators found greater expression of two genes ñ the blood cell regulator SENP1 and the cancer-associated gene ANP32D ñ in people with chronic mountain sickness than in those without.îScientists hope this study and others will encourage the development of medicines to help control or alleviate altitude sickness. Meanwhile, adjust for altitude.
