This discomfort is usually experienced in extreme sports such as skydiving, paragliding, hiking in the mountains or even climbing. These types of adventure sports have become increasingly common today. They are sports that provide a lot of fun and adrenaline but they also present a certain risk, so you have to be prepared and informed before any activity.
Altitude sickness is a condition that results from different factors and there are some tips to identify the symptoms in time before suffering an accident.
Vertigo at heights
It seems that more than 20% of the population suffers from vertigo when faced with a void. Looking out of a balcony or airplane window is something that terrifies some people, but it also happens to athletes when climbing mountains or high rocks. Between causing dizziness, vomiting and sweating, acrophobia is the cause of many sorrows for some.
Acrophobia means “fear of extreme points” and even though it may sound harsh, it is not actually an illness, it is a state of anxiety caused by heights when you are afraid of falling from a place too high.
The causes of this unpleasant state have been studied and find their origin in traumatic experiences such as falls or other types of physical accidents but also traumatic experiences on a psychological level. It has been shown that this fear is also transmitted from parents to children in certain cases due to excessive worry.
Mountain sickness
In addition to acrophobia, mountaineering is an activity that causes certain changes in the body, which also cause dizziness or what we call AMS (Acute Mountain Sickness), a type of altitude sickness. Although everyone experiences altitude differently, everyone in two people who climb a mountain experiences the effects of AMS.
This condition is mainly caused by a lack of oxygen, a lack of sugars and water in our body, or a lack of cellular pressure. When exposed to altitude, the oxygen level is lower and this causes significant dysregulation. For example, the increase in red blood cells that seek to transport oxygen causes thickening of the blood and difficult circulation of it.
These circumstances can become complicated and cause more serious situations such as pulmonary or cerebral edema. Any type of symptom should not be ignored.
Symptoms and advice
In order to control altitude sickness as much as possible or at least avoid a serious accident, it is important to be alert to any physical alteration that occurs and not ignore it.
In the case of vertigo at heights that can occur in skydiving or when practicing climbing, paragliding and other air sports, dizziness, vomiting and loss of balance often occur. For these cases we offer you 6 tips:
- Avoid drinking stimulant drinks such as coffee before doing sports, this will allow you to be more calmduring sports and in the event of vertigo,
- Don't look down,
- Breathe deeply and stay calm.
- Tell your companions that you don't feel well and ask for help without panic.
- Avoid sudden changes in your position, especially at the level of your head, move slowly until you find a comfortable position.
- Keep a positive thought and don't let yourself imagine an accident.
- When climbing over 4,000 meters, avoid climbing too fast. The average is less than 700 meters for a one-day climb and 400 m per day for a 3-day or longer climb,
- Drink water before you feel thirsty,
- Do not take stimulants such as coffee, tea and others…
- Do not stay too long at extreme altitudes,
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If you feel unwell, keep the affected person lying down and watch him/her carefully at night,
- The use of drugs for AMS is common, with acetazolamide, which in addition to acclimatising the body and breathing to altitude conditions, is a diuretic product. For this reason, we recommend using it only if absolutely necessary and maintaining proper hydration.
Don't forget that any physical changes you notice are worth taking into account and taking precautions accordingly!
