altitude sickness

[A-con]

and dehydration
Have you ever had it, and how do you avoid it.

So far I have managed to avoid it, but with all the vast knowledge here on Hunt talk, I thought it would make a good discussion.

Two things that I do are;
#1 each morning, before hitting the trail I slam a pint of Gator aid. Get it in the system before I need it. I usually carry at least two, 21 oz water bottles, one with water and the other gator Aid or some other hydration drink.

#2 I never push myself to the point of exhaustion. I stop and rest for a few minuets as often as I need to. What ever it takes to catch my breath and stop the huffing and puffing.

 

[noharleyyet]

Re-jet the carb on my Polaris.

 

[1_pointer]

Never had, nor have I heard of anyone getting it hunting. 'Course I live at 4500' and during the summer work from 4000-8000' pretty regularly.

 

[shoots-straight]

My wife's had it every time we've trekked into the hills on a backpack trip. She shuts' down completely. Gets what she describes as a vertigo type of feeling. How to avoid it? I guess next time shoot her.

 

[schmalts]

i get a sore throat from the dry air, but that is about it. Now getting the air to hike is a different story..

 

[Ridge Runner]

Ginko biloba I hear helps prevent it if taken before.

 

[T Bone]

Never have had it.

I did get nauseous last year packing my goat back to camp. I was racing darkness in some vertical stuff so I had to push it hard. After rehydrating and some rest I felt better.

 

[barefooter19]

I can't remember the name of it but there is a drug that helps altitude sickness, you need a perscribtion (do a search on it). The best medicine I know of is a horse.

 

[TOM IN TENNESSEE]

Around 15 years ago, a Cousin and three buddies that live at elev of around 450 did a drop camp archery hunt for Elk in Colo. Camped at 10,000. Second morning, one guy said he felt too bad with head ache and nausea to go out but insisted the others go. When they returned to camp , he was dead of brain aneurism. It was said it was brought on by altitude....???
I get dry mouth and tire quickly but that's all.

 

[A-con]

I can't remember the name of it but there is a drug that helps altitude sickness, you need a perscribtion

Diamox. If anyone is worried, ask your doctor about Diamox, or the generic Acetazolamide

 

[ELKCHSR]

I've had it once

When I first moved out to Montana

I was fine until I went into to 7K + elevation level

After a couple days, I started getting a little headachy and had that vertigo feeling mentioned earlier

Went back to the 5K elevation for a couple weeks and never had it again

I know from some of the survival things I've read about mountain climbers (especially those in the Himalayas) that some people can actually die from it and it is pretty debilitating to some people

 

[sreekers]

Whenever I have taken the youth on backpacking trips with my church there is usually one that gets it. Usually we cure it by one of the adults walking them out of there. Prevent it by doing my best to stay in shape the rest of the year so hunting season isn't such a drain when it comes. Hydrating well the entire week before a hunt also helps.

 

[Roadtrip]

Good Topic. Just came back from a week of skiing at Steamboat. Spent most of the time at the upper mountain, top was at 10,500. Preached to family the value of lots of H20. Other symptoms besides headache include restless sleep and nausea. Watch your urine color...should be a very pale/light yellow. Altitude will get anyone eventually if you go high enough, for long enough. 600 mg, of motrin in the am. Water & Gatorade. Avoid Coffee, tea, coke etc. Avoid Diuretics, over use of salt etc. If you get it...only two things help, lower altitude and time. I camped at 11,500 one year and the headache was hell for 3 days then was gone. Hunted up to 13000 every day. If you get heartburn, this will be aggravated as well, so lay off the spicy & tomatoes and other triggers.
I recommend for a 220 # man to drink about 64 oz of h20 per 12 hour period. Sounds like a lot, but it isn't if you have the access to it. After the kill, pay close attention to this as you pack...it creeps up on you.

Best regards to all,
Roadtrip.

 

[Bambistew]

Smoke 2 packs a day for a month before you go, then quit a week before you hit the mountains... Works like a charm.

I've never had it. I figured I'd have some problems after moving to sea level and going to CO and MT on hunts, but so far so good. I do however usually get at least one day to aclimatetize at 4-6000 feet before going higher. For some reason I find hunting at 10,000 in CO easier than 8-9,000 in MT. Maybe its because I can drive to 10,000 in CO hand have to hike 2-3000 in MT to get to it.

I drink plenty of water and try not to over exert, I'd rather hike an hour longer at an esier pace than kill myslef running up the hill. I never drink sprots drinks, they give me heartburn and don't quench my thirst.

 

[ELKCHSR]

I little tid bit that I cut and pasted from a search...

Signs and symptoms

This sign near the peak of Mount Evans (elev. 14264 ft or 4,350 metres) in Colorado, USA, warns of altitude sickness symptoms.Headache is a primary symptom used to diagnose altitude sickness, although headache is also a symptom of dehydration. A headache occurring at an altitude above 2,400 meters (8000 feet = 76 kPa), combined with any one or more of the following symptoms, could be an indication of altitude sickness.

• Lack of appetite, nausea, or vomiting
• Fatigue or weakness
• Dizziness or light-headedness
• Insomnia
• Pins and needles
• Shortness of breath upon exertion
• Persistent rapid pulse
• Drowsiness
• General malaise
• Peripheral edema (swelling of hands, feet, and face).

Symptoms of life-threatening conditions resulting from extreme altitude sickness include:

• pulmonary edema (fluid in the lungs):-
• persistent dry cough
• fever
• shortness of breath even when resting
• cerebral edema (swelling of the brain):-
• headache that does not respond to analgesics
• unsteady walking
• increasing vomiting
• gradual loss of consciousness.

 

[BillyGoat]

I recommend for a 220 # man to drink about 64 oz of h20 per 12 hour period. Sounds like a lot, but it isn't if you have the access to it.

Drinking too much water can kill you also. Sounds laughable at first, but it happens occasionally to ignorant marathoners among others. The sodium in your body becomes too diluted leading to headaches, vomiting, seizures, coma, and/or death. There was a mother in California recently that died trying to "hold your wee for a Wii" as well as a frat kid at Chico State a few years back that died from a similar hazing incident in which he was forced to drink a ridiculous amount of water in a short time so he would piss his pants. A general rule of thumb recommended for amateur cyclists is one 20oz water bottle per hour, but obviously that depends on the weather and other factors.

 

[Roadtrip]

Fair point, and I understand the view about too much water. However, dehydration at altitude is the much greater risk. The volume I quoted works for the several parties I have led at altitude...so I stand by the statement. Do what works for your body, but understand that watching your urine color is important and that you have to adapt your H20 intake accordingly.

Cheers, Roadtrip

 

[mdcrossbow]

I went on a missions trip to the Andie's one year we were at about 11.000 and heading to a village at 17.000 and I was sitting next to the pastor on the buss. He passed out next to a large window at 12.000 and I caught his glasses as he was leaning out the window I grabbed him around the neck and another guy grabbed my shoulders and pulled us both back in. The road was about as wide as the buss and the drop I was looking down was about 7.000 ft straight down.

Ya it's dangerous LOL