Catching AMS is easier done than said!
Don’t you feel so?
AMS (Acute Mountain Sickness) approaches everyone and unfortunately worst affected are the most experienced ones. They feel that they know it and can counsel any new-comer on the do’s and don’ts but when it hits them, they find it difficult to digest.
The fact is that not even the High Altitude medical practitioners are sure about AMS and its remedies. There can be various reasons for no clear guideline to protect against or get cured of AMS but I feel the biggest reason is the fact that it is not a disease as such. A body’s reaction to climatic change will always be very individualistic and no two bodies are expected to react identically. However, having said that, the industry that deals with High Altitude experiences cannot remain stationary till there are clear guidelines.
So, the practice till now has been to follow a set of norms – contributed by a combination of medical advisories, local (Himalayan) beliefs and practices, and experiential learning.
I have compiled a few key learnings based on my experience in the field and confirmed by a recently published booklet by Instt. Of Nuclear Medicine & Allied Sciences, DRDO. So, before I list out a few do’s & don’ts, let me share the key learnings with you:
- Evenings may show lower SPO2 levels compared to mornings in non-acclimatized persons
- This may be due to the clearance of accumulated lactate in the blood.
- Shouting or too much of chatting (loudly) accentuates mountain sickness in non-acclimatized persons
- This may be due to a simple fact that shouting is a mild exercise that interferes with an already struggling breathing process.
- Sleeping immediately post-meal can accentuate the symptoms of mountain sickness
- The reason may be peripheral pooling of blood (in certain parts of the body, reducing availability to others) coupled with low adrenergic drive (crudely understood as availability of adrenalin) at sleep
- Medium temperature settings are better for acclimatization, compared to extreme cold or extreme warm settings. A range between 22 – 25*C can be considered as ideal
- The reason may be cutaneous vasodilation (widening of the lumen of blood vessels around the skin) that contributes to peripheral pooling of blood
- Exposure to Kerosene fumes in closed setting (Kitchen Tent) accentuates the symptoms of AMS in non-acclimatized persons
- Dry & Cold air, as popularly believed, accentuates the symptoms of AMS
- Gastric symptoms are persistent in even the acclimatized persons in high altitude areas. Thus all actions required to reduce the stress on the digestive system need to be taken.
Do let me know your views by commenting below on the learnings above.
Let us now come to the remedy part. While the list of suggestions from locals and regular trekkers is long, I am so glad that INMAS has actually tested most of them and come out with a list of verified remedies with possible explanations. So, here it is: