High altitude sickness, also known as Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS) or altitude illness, is a pathological condition at high altitude which is caused by the combination of reduced air pressure and lack of oxygen.
It is one of the main things that can affect you during a trip to Tibet. It’s a condition that can occur when you ascend rapidly to heights over 2000 to 5000 meters (6500 to 16400 feet). Sensitivity to altitude sickness can differ from person to person and even if you’ve had no trouble with high altitude sickness before that’s not to say that you won’t be affected next time. It is generally impossible to predict who will have problems with altitude sickness. However people who have previously had high altitude sickness, have a higher chance of suffering from altitude sickness the next time.
| Cities or Counties |
Altitude (m. / ft.) |
| Tsetang |
3,500 / 11, 483 |
| Lhasa |
3,650 / 11, 975 |
| Shigatse |
3,836 / 12, 585 |
| Gyangtse |
4,040 / 13, 255 |
| Dingri |
4,300 / 14, 108 |
| Nyingchi |
3,000 / 9, 843 |
| Chamdo |
3,240 / 10, 630 |
| Purang |
3,700 / 12, 139 |
| Damxung |
4,200 /13, 780 |
| Pagri |
4,300 / 14, 108 |
| Nakchu |
4,507 / 14, 787 |
| Amdo |
4,800 / 15, 748 |
High altitude sickness can be avoided by giving the body time to acclimatize. There are various forms of altitude sickness that are all caused by a lack of oxygen.
Mild altitude sickness: This occurs several hours to a day after arriving at high altitude. The symptoms consist of shortness of breath, headache, nausea, and general feeling of being unwell- a sort of hangover feeling.
The best thing to do to treat mild altitude sickness is to simply stop climbing and- if necessary- make your descent if the symptoms do not improve within a couple of days. For the headache, paracetamol can be taken. Additional medicines and oxygen can be given.
Serious altitude sickness: the headache and shortness of breath usually worsen and occur even when resting- especially at night. It can also make you very sluggish and affect your ability to walk. A serious condition, without treatment, serious high altitude sickness can lead to fluid in the lungs and brain (lung and brain edema), coma and in some cases, death. If you suffer from serious high altitude sickness, you need get treatment immediately and take time to acclimatize.
It's advisable to have a body check-up or have your doctor's advice before visiting Tibet. Visitors having record of heart, lung, liver, kidney problems must seek medical advice before making the decision to go to Tibet! Generally speaking, those who have the following symptoms may not go to Tibet:
- Have already caught a cold
- Have severe anemia
- Have high blood pressure or severe heart attack
- Have pneumonia, tuberculosis, tracheitis, or bronchitis
- Some experts suggest that children younger than 10 years old should not travel to Tibet. Their lower immune resistance slows recovery from altitude sickness and the altitude can adversely affect their normal growth.
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