FAQs

There are self-report questionnaires like the Lake Louise Score that can help. But since many things can cause headaches or shortness of breath, the best way is to get an evaluation by a medical professional experienced in altitude illness and a variety of medical diseases. Signing up for oxygen when you are actually having a heart attack won’t help you very much. Be wary of companies offering oxygen without any medical evaluation—oxygen requires a RX and is regulated by the FDA.

Acute mountain sickness can occur in up to 40% of people who ascend altitudes of 8000 feet.

The symptoms begin within a few hours to a few days of ascent and can include headache, shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting, fatigue, lightheadedness, and insomnia/nightmares. Often only one of these symptoms presents.

Slow ascent is the perfect method time tested by climbers. However, in our modern day of jet travel flying in to a mountain resort from sea level doesn’t afford that. In that case, medicine called Diamox (acetazolamide) taken 2 days ahead of travel may prevent the illness in some people. Ultimately, the cause of the illness is due to lack of adequate OXYGEN- which leads to a host of changes in the way we breathe and handle fluids in the body. Oxygen therapy will relieve all the symptoms of altitude illness if given upon arrival and at the appropriate quantities. Sometimes a steroid like dexamethasone is prescribed by an altitude physician as well.

Common sense things to do are avoid any respiratory depressants like alcohol, sedatives, or sleeping pills for the first 2 days. Also limiting exertion will help as well. If someone is having symptoms and oxygen and medical evaluation is not available descent to a lower altitude will give quick relief. Sometimes just 1000 or 2000 feet descent can be very helpful.If traveling in Aspen/Snowmass and Oxygen is unavailable, it is recommended to spend the night in Glenwood springs only 45 min away and 5700 feet -It is a more viable option than the ER.

Oxygen is about 21% of the air we breathe regardless of altitude. The same percentage exists here in the mountains. As we go to higher altitudes there is not enough pressure for the altitude to give the same amount of oxygen in the blood. We can either increase the pressure (descend or put a patient in a chamber increasing the pressure) or increase the percentage of oxygen that the patient breathes. By breathing some pure oxygen we can treat altitude or mountain sickness—relief is dramatic!

Ibuprofen for headaches, avoiding alcohol, acetazolamide, dexamethasone, and the most important by far are OXYGEN or DESCENT. The final two are the only definitive cure and offer relief often within minutes. Please note a “can” of oxygen commonly sold in stores is not enough oxygen to reverse altitude illness.

Oxygen is created by machines that filter out the other molecules in the air and leave pure or almost pure oxygen. Medical grade oxygen is usually 95% pure and requires a RX. A can at a store provides so little oxygen that it doesn’t even require a RX. It is not sufficient to relieve any symptoms of altitude illness, or if so for only a few minutes.

Most people who are having symptoms of altitude sickness, will acclimate from the most severe symptoms, within 4 days. This means that symptoms such as shortness of breath, vomiting, and headache should dramatically lessen for otherwise healthy people within that time period. However, there is a great deal of variability of who will and won’t get altitude sickness, and how quickly they will adapt. To help alleviate minor symptoms such as tiredness and dizziness, we would recommend anyone who initially has more severe symptoms, to have oxygen available for their full stay in Aspen or Snowmass.

The prescription by your doctor or our specialist will assist you with that determination. However, for an otherwise healthy adult often using the oxygen for just 20-30 minutes 3 times a day gives the body times to adjust to the altitude. Sleeping on oxygen is definitely helpful and older patients who have lung disorders like COPD may require it most of the day.