Can I get altitude sickness at only 7200 feet? Are there any remedies that reall!
Question:
Can I get altitude sickness at only 7200 feet? Are there any remedies that really work?
I live in West Virginia at 650 feet elevation and am now staying in Wyoming for the summer where it's 7200 feet elevation. Since coming out here I've had pretty bad headaches, but tylenol and advil don't help at all; I feel a little nauseated almost always and get bad dizzy spells for no reason and even passed out once, plus I've been throwing up and get a ton of nose bleeds. I've been taking it easy but I still feel super worn out, even when I have a full nights rest. Is this normal? I know mountain climbers get altitude sickness, but I didn't think that 7200 ft. was high enough for altitude sickness. Should I see a doctor? Is there anything a doctor can do, or are there any natural remedies?
Answers:
You can most definitely get altitude sickness at 7200. I moved to Cheyenne from Texas, and the altitude began to give me problems when I was driving through Denver (about 5000).
In general, the only thing you can really do is go to a lower altitude or give your body some time to get use to the altitude which can sometimes take up to a week. I've also heard that it helps to eat lots of carbs (pastas, breads, etc). What worked for me was just resting as if I had the flu.
Since your symptoms are so severe, I would see a doctor. There are medications a doctor can prescribe you to get your body use to the altitude quicker than it would naturally. The webMD link I listed under sources names some of the brands.
After the major symptoms go away, still take it easy. It's very easy to get out of breath because the air is thinner than at 650ft.
For the nosebleeds, if you can at night use a nasal saline solution like Simply Saline or put some vaseline up your nose. The humidity here is a lot lower than the east coast, and that is more than likely the culprit of your nose bleeds.
On a side note: I've also heard of people getting reverse altitude sickness. I have had friends & family visit me here who weren't affected by the altitude at all. When they went back home they experienced some altitude-sickness symptoms.
Best of luck to you. I hope the altitude doesn't damper your trip too badly. Hang in there. I promise it will get better.