Many people visiting Colorado fail to recognize that it can be hard to breathe in elevations that they’re not used to. Maybe you’re used to the luxurious air available by the sea level.
In addition, most people don’t go there, visiting only the capital. Colorado offers a constant supply of adventures, and some of them are at higher altitudes.
The state offers various opportunities, like hiking, rafting, and skiing. Ice climbing is even an opportunity during certain times of the year.
Readjusting to higher altitudes can be tough, though. Headaches and other mild signs of altitude sickness are common for those not used to the elevation.
Altitude sickness is a serious concern, especially the higher up you move.
Your lungs extract oxygen from the air as you’re breathing in. Your survival even depends on it. The oxygen enters the blood through the lungs, and it’s transported to the rest of the body.
A beating heart ensures oxygen is transported around the blood and delivered where it’s needed. Oxygen-rich blood goes to your brain and body, fueling both of them.
However, not all parts of the world have the same levels of oxygen. In fact, there were much higher oxygen levels during prehistoric times.
Traveling quickly from lower altitudes to higher ones can cause sickness. Going to the mountains is the fastest way to experience it. It’s common for people to start feeling the symptoms around 8,000 feet, but it can happen earlier than that.
Colorado Springs and Denver are not sufficiently high up to affect most people, but you could be the outlier. It doesn’t necessarily mean that you won’t feel out of breath when going to these cities that are still higher up than many cities in other states.
Types
The severity of the situation is split into three medical categories or names:
HACE
It stands for high-altitude cerebral edema.
Fluid gets into the brain, and it’s the most severe form of the disease. If it gets to that, you will need medical attention, as your life may be in danger.
HAPE
It stands for high-altitude pulmonary edema.
It’s a potentially life-threatening situation where fluid makes its way into the lungs. This fluid buildup can cause death and frequently does so.
AMS
It stands for acute mountain sickness.
It’s a common condition but also the mildest form. Nausea, muscle aches, headache, and dizziness are common symptoms. It’s commonly described as feeling like a hangover. It’s uncomfortable, but it gets better.
Symptoms
This mountain sickness can bring forth a range of symptoms, but some are typically more prevalent than others. Altitude sickness covers the range of symptoms you might experience as you work toward higher elevation at a rapid pace.
The most common symptoms you’ll experience include the following:
- Dizziness
- Fatigue and loss of energy
- Headache
- Loss of appetite
- Nausea
- Problems with sleep
- Shortness of breath
- Vomiting
They get especially obvious between 12 to 24 hours of reaching the altitude you’re at. After a day or two, you should start feeling better again. Your body will have gotten more used to where it is at.
Moderate and more severe cases will not go away after 24 hours. The symptoms are more intense, and OTC medication does not fix the issues. Fatigue, shortness of breath, and other symptoms get worse.
Tightening in your chest and loss of coordination are common symptoms to experience. Confusion and an inability to walk are indications that you have HAPE or HACE. You’re even at the risk of going into a coma.
Where Are You at Risk?
You’re mainly at risk once you go up higher than 8,000 feet.
Who Gets Sick?
Anyone can develop altitude sickness.
The pace at which you get to the higher elevation and how high up you go influences your symptoms’ seriousness. You won’t be as easily affected if you live at a higher altitude.
Younger people are more prone to getting it, as does being physically fit. Certain diseases increase your risk, like pregnancy or heart failure. Anyone with a recent heart attack or stroke is also at risk.
Conclusion
Now that you’re prepared, have you found out which of these cities you’re going to after Colorado?
- Ogden
- Bozeman
- Asheville
