Help avoid altitude sickness with AlpineAid. Formulated to relieve the many symptoms of altitude sickness: loss of loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, weakness, dizziness.

According to the International Society for Mountain Medicine, The diagnosis of altitude sickness (or Acute Mountain Sickness) is made when a recent ascent above 8000 feet leads to headache combined with any one or more of the following symptoms:

Loss of appetite
Nausea
Vomiting
Feeling of weakness
Dizziness or light-headedness
Difficulty sleeping

There is a common belief that there is less oxygen available at higher altitudes... this actually isn't true.

So why do you feel like a fish out of water every time you go to elevation?

According to Princeton University, as altitude increases, the concentration of oxygen in the air remains the unchanged. However, the actual number of oxygen molecules per breath is reduced, due to the decrease in barometric pressure. For example, at sea level the air you breathe is approximately 21% oxygen. Since the barometric pressure is relatively high, approximately 760 mmHg, those oxygen molecules are kept in close proximity to one another; the result is that each breath delivers the maximum number of oxygen molecules to your blood via the alveoli in your lungs.

At 12,000 feet (3,658 meters) the barometric pressure is only 483 mmHg, so there are roughly 40% fewer oxygen molecules per breath. In order to properly oxygenate the body, your breathing rate -even while at rest- has to increase. The deleterious effects of decreased barometric pressure manifest themselves as headache, nausea & vomiting, dizziness, and shortness of breath in the mountain visitor, or athlete competing or training at altitude.

In addition, for reasons not entirely understood, high altitude and lower air pressure causes fluid to leak from the capillaries. This can cause fluid build-up in the brain, called cerebral edema; there is also a danger of fluid build-up in the lungs, called Pulmonary Edema. It is important to note that if you or someone in your party is suspected of having High Altitude Pulmonary Edema (HAPE), or High Altitude Cerebral Edema (HACE), it is recommended that you descend to lower elevation and seek medical attention immediately.

To learn what else you can do to improve your performance at elevation, visit the Altitude Advisor.