All About Altitude Sickness: Symptoms, Dangers, and Treatment

You arrive in the Denver area feeling great, check into your hotel, then wake up the next morning with a pounding headache and nausea. Most people assume they’re getting sick or have food poisoning. But the culprit may be altitude sickness.

We see this pattern constantly at Peaks Medical and Urgent Care. Our clinic in Dillon, Colorado, sits at over 9,000 feet, and visitors routinely underestimate how this elevation affects them. Here’s everything you need to know about altitude sickness and how to avoid it on your next trip.

Your heart and lungs work overtime from the moment you arrive

Each breath you take at a high elevation delivers less oxygen than at sea level. Your body responds in three ways:

• The heart pumps faster to move oxygen-poor blood around
• Breathing speeds up, even while resting
• Kidneys work overtime to balance fluids as everything adjusts

Physical fitness doesn't protect you. Being in great shape can’t overcome basic oxygen shortage.

Symptoms start fast and fool most people

Most people develop these classic signs of altitude sickness, also called acute mountain sickness (AMS), within 6-12 hours:

• Headache
• Nausea
• Fatigue
• Sleep problems
• General “off” feeling

These symptoms are your body’s way of telling you that it’s struggling with the oxygen shortage.

Two conditions can become deadly

High-altitude cerebral edema occurs when your brain swells due to a lack of oxygen. You become confused, your personality changes, and you can’t walk straight. This condition progresses rapidly, and it can kill you.

High-altitude pulmonary edema occurs when fluid fills your lungs. You start coughing and having trouble breathing and then develop a cough with pink, foamy sputum. This condition is the leading cause of death from altitude sickness.

Both are medical emergencies requiring immediate descent and emergency care. 

Three levels determine how we treat you

We classify altitude sickness based on how much it affects you. Understanding these differences helps us determine the right treatment approach.

Mild altitude sickness

The most common type, mild AMS causes headaches and fatigue but doesn’t prevent you from doing everyday activities. 

Moderate altitude sickness

At this level, you can experience severe headaches, nausea, and poor coordination that interfere with your plans. 

Severe altitude sickness

Severe AMS leaves you short of breath while resting and makes walking genuinely difficult. At this point, your body is struggling significantly with an oxygen shortage.

Treatment approaches for altitude sickness

We routinely treat altitude sickness at our Dillon clinic. We know the difference between normal adjustment issues and symptoms that need medical intervention.

Treating you where you are

We may prescribe medication to alleviate your headache. We can provide oxygen therapy and prescription medication when breathing becomes difficult, and we monitor patients for signs of serious complications. 

We also can prescribe prevention medications for people with a history of altitude problems or those making rapid ascents.

If altitude sickness is affecting your visit to Colorado, contact Peaks Medical and Urgent Care at 970-485-6826 or visit our walk-in clinic without delay. To schedule an appointment.